Interreg North Sea Programme 2021-2027

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Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 15:31

Ongoing Interreg programme funding cross-border projects in North Sea region covering Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden. Priorities include transition to circular economy, pollution prevention, blue economy. Co-funding 60% EU (50% for Norway). Total budget EUR 158M. Supports plastic waste value chains and circular initiatives.

Source: https://www.interregnorthsea.eu/apply

Funding Details

Funder: Interreg North Sea Programme
Funding Goal: Fund cross-border cooperation projects in the North Sea region covering circular economy, green transitions, pollution prevention, blue economy, climate resilience, biodiversity, and better governance. The programme supports knowledge transfer, pilot projects, and scalable innovations across participating countries.
Funding Amount: Up to EUR 1 million per project for Call 6 (small-scale capitalisation); total programme budget EUR 158 million (2021-2027); EU co-funding 60% (50% for Norway) (up to 1.000.000 €)
Deadline: 2027-03 (periodic)
How to Apply: Applications submitted through the Interreg North Sea programme portal. Current active call is Call 6 (capitalisation call), opening December 2026 with deadline mid-March 2027. Guidance note for Call 6 published in May 2026. National Contact Points in each programme country provide advisory support. GetReady! event on 24 June 2026 in Lille, France.
Target Region: North Sea region: Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Belgium (Flanders)
Contact: Interreg North Sea Programme, Toldboden 3E, ground floor, DK-8800 Viborg. Phone: +45 2135 8853 or +45 2135 8854
Last Checked: 2026-05-07 02:34

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Project must involve partners from at least three North Sea programme countries

Project Scope

Call 6 specifically requires building on outputs from existing VIB period Interreg North Sea projects

Required Documents

Call 6 opens December 2026; deadline mid-March 2027; guidance note published May 2026
Contact National Contact Point in your country for advisory support before submitting

Constraints

EU co-funding rate is 60% for EU partners and 50% for Norwegian partners
For Call 6: maximum nine partners; budget up to EUR 1 million; duration 1.5-2 years

Summary

The Interreg North Sea Programme 2021-2027 is a transnational EU cooperation programme with a total budget of EUR 158 million, funding cross-border projects among Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Belgium (Flanders). The programme is managed by a secretariat based in Viborg, Denmark. Thematic scope covers four priority areas: (1) Robust and smart economies; (2) Green transitions including circular economy, pollution prevention, and clean energy; (3) Climate resilience, pollution, and biodiversity; (4) Better governance. Past programmes have supported circular economy projects, blue economy initiatives, sustainable farming, and natural ecosystem protection. Eligible activities span a broad range including pilot projects, knowledge transfer, capacity building, infrastructure at demonstrator scale, policy development, and stakeholder engagement. The current active call (Call 6, TakeUP!) specifically supports capitalisation of existing project outputs — upscaling and transforming results from previous Interreg North Sea VIB projects. Geographic scope is the North Sea region. At least three of the six programme countries must be represented in each partnership. Projects involving Denmark are fully eligible, with Denmark being one of the anchor programme countries. Eligible applicants include public bodies, research institutions, NGOs, civil society organisations, and private organisations. EU co-funding is 60% for EU member state partners and 50% for Norwegian partners. Call 6 (the currently open call) has an expected opening in December 2026 and a deadline in mid-March 2027. The guidance note will be released in May 2026. Budget per project is up to EUR 1 million for the small-scale format of Call 6, with project durations of 1.5-2 years.

Historical Context

The Interreg North Sea Programme 2021-2027 (VIB period) has a total EU budget of approximately EUR 158 million and funds projects across circular economy, energy transition, liveability, green transport, climate resilience, blue economy, sustainable farming, and digital transformation. Multiple past calls have supported plastic waste and circular economy projects. Call 6 is the current open call.

Sources

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