5th Call for projects

Mission-Oriented Innovation (MOI) is an emerging field giving a better strategic and holistic orientation of Science, Technology and Innovation to respond to grand societal challenges.

In the NPA, MOI initiatives only exist at national level and its impact at regional/local levels is very limited. The absence of bottom-up approaches is impeding the possibility to define and shape MOI to address societal challenges at local/regional level.

MINDSET’s overall objective is to provide policy makers and other stakeholders from 3 NPA regions with the innovation capacity (or same conditions) to deal with societal challenges that are otherwise non-existing or only developed at a national and/or EU level.

This is done by introducing suitable Regional Mission-Oriented Innovation (RegMOI) approaches adapting and developing methods and tools to address interrelated challenges, such as skills development, climate change, and regional housing and public real estate, affecting NPA territories.

This project builds on the outcomes of the previous preparatory project: MINDSET. 

Nordic Bridge project addresses challenges in the NPA region, such as brain drain, limited collaboration between academia and society, and underutilized research capacities.

The project will create a challenge-driven digital portal for collaborative projects to drive sustainability and innovation. Public, private, and community sectors will post problems, challenges, case studies, and goals in the portal. These will be shared with students and researchers, who can contribute based on their expertise, leading to collaborative projects, such as thesis. Joint thesis collaboration agreements between partner universities will strengthen student and researchers of partners to contribute to challenges of each other regions.

The main result of this project is a cross-border challenge-driven collaboration portal, benefiting public, private, community sectors, and universities. A transnational approach and the Quadruple Helix Design Model will ensure broad collaboration and long-term impact.

CyberGrass 2.0 aims to improve the accuracy and integration of advanced technologies to optimise yield and quality of silage from harvested grass fields. The project recognizes the economic importance of forage production across the NPA region and the lack of adapted decision support tools to help farmers make management decisions that will affect dairy and meat production.

Through collaboration and strategic implementation, it will integrate a transnational approach that does not currently exist, combining experts, end-users, datasets, and new methods to boost business competitiveness and sustainability of agricultural resources across rural communities.

Battery value chains have recently emerged as a vital economic activity in Northern countries. The project aims to position the NPA as a leader in sustainable battery technologies, driving both economic growth and environmental sustainability in the region. The BATTSi project mobilizes transnational research groups, industry experts, and service providers to enhance innovation capacity for the valorization of locally available sustainable materials within battery material value chain.

The project pilots technologies for conversion of silicon-rich side and waste streams, such as grain husks and geo-brine, into battery-grade silicon. A comprehensive technology transfer and commercialization roadmap will be developed, which will detail the specifications for these technologies, along with evaluations of scalability, techno-economic implications, environmental impacts, and key stakeholders. This roadmap will facilitate technology adoption among battery material manufacturers in the NPA.

Breakthroughs happen when something suddenly possible meets that which is desperately necessary. The project proposes that by enabling innovators it can overcome the common challenges in the NPA of being peripheral, of witnessing youth depopulation, and of being threatened by carbon neutrality and digitalization.  

The project will improve the success of early-stage micro-enterprises by empowering them to create functional prototypes using advanced makerspace technologies that are suddenly possible.

The project will listen to the needs of innovators. It will signpost innovators to scalable makerspace technologies. It will upskill NPA communities to overcome design and technical obstacles. It will journey with selected innovators through process challenges to realize three demonstrators -positively impacting social inclusion.

Transnationally, the project will connect centres of excellence in materials, printed electronics, robotics, Fablabs, and photonics with innovators in homes and at hot desks to enhance Wellbeing.

The "Innovation through Gamification Solutions (InnoGS)" project addresses regional and rural development by tackling common challenges like youth and underrepresented group integration, skill shortages, and talent retention. InnoGS focuses on digitalization and gamified approaches, which make activities for users engaging and motivating, usable to benefit public and private sectors.

Pilots create vibrant place-based communities in the forms of innovation ecosystems (regional “Digital Innovation Districts”, hubs, clusters) provide a physical co-creation space for end users and are scaled internationally.

Key outputs include skill development programs, gamified solutions taken up for public authorities and industries, and improved digital infrastructure. A transnational approach enables knowledge sharing and scalability of solutions, ensuring InnoGS’ benefits are transferable. This collaboration will enhance regional resilience and boost economic and social opportunities for rural areas.

Based on the preparatory project, a shortage of professionals in remote areas, a variety of skills and lack of confidence in using technologies set challenges to enhance digitalization in social and healthcare.

Professionals working in this field need more hands-on practice and skills to feel confident using tech solutions. RemoTED aims to enhance social and healthcare services by empowering digital-driven practice in remote areas. In collaboration with associate partners, ongoing training offerings strengthen digitalization skills are created, tested, and tech solutions piloted in practice. 

Benefits are reduced disparities among professionals' skills, and increased confidence in using tech. In the long run, the benefits of digitalization will be the improvement of services across the remote partner areas and eased workload for professionals. The successful implementation of digital solutions leads to more efficient and accessible services and the development of new service models.

This project addresses critical challenges faced by businesses in rural areas of Ireland, Iceland, & Finland, where geographic isolation, aging populations, & declining business transfers threaten sustainability. Building on the Interreg NPA Eboost project, it offers an innovative approach to enhance business continuity & sustainability through digitalisation, focusing on strengthening digital skills & providing tailored support to boost competitiveness & facilitate business transfers.

BOCOD responds to recent shifts in rural business environments, including changes in work-life balance, remote work, & the influence of AI. To thrive, rural businesses must adapt to new technologies and evolving expectations.

Key outputs include a comprehensive analysis of the resource landscape (WP1), digital skills training (WP2), & resources for business continuity & transfers (WP3). Through transnational collaboration, the project will ensure rural businesses are prepared for future transitions.

The operating environment is challenging for food and non-food SMEs in the NPA area due to factors like distance to customers, low market visibility, and difficulties in securing fair prices for quality products. The EU’s geographical indication (GI) scheme could help by protecting product names, promoting uniqueness, enabling better price, and linking products to their origin. However, this system is underutilized in the NPA compared to other European regions.

This project aims to boost the competitiveness and visibility of local SMEs, enhance cooperation, and increase recognition of the NPA area by enhancing the use of GI system. The project will create cross-border cooperation to support both regional and cross-border GI applications and integrate local tourism in utilizing GI. 

Large and listed companies in EU must include comprehensive sustainability report (ESG report) along financial statements in 2025. This requires ESG documentation from all supply chain operators, also SMEs. This challenges SMEs entrepreneurial capacities.

There are many initiatives to develop solutions (e.g. tools and best practices) to assist SMEs in reporting. However, SMEs have challenges to know about them and they need support to take them up.

Therefore, sustainable SMEs project enhances SMEs’ understanding about the reporting and the sustainability transition as a whole. It encourages SMEs to test and develop sustainability reporting solutions in collaboration with other SMEs. Project also disseminates sustainability reporting knowledge and solutions across the NPA area.

The RIAQ project addresses the critical challenge of improving energy efficiency in the Northern Periphery and Arctic region by enhancing indoor air quality (IAQ), hygrothermal performance, and occupant well-being in retrofitted homes.

Aligned with EU climate goals, RIAQ will develop and disseminate practical tools, guidelines, and best practices for sustainable retrofitting. The project engages SMEs, policymakers, and occupants to ensure widespread adoption and compliance with relevant legislation.

By fostering transnational collaboration, RIAQ leverages diverse regional expertise to create scalable solutions that support circular economy initiatives and drive long-term improvements in building sustainability and occupant health. The expected impact includes improved retrofit practices, enhanced IAQ, and strengthened connections among regional stakeholders, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable built environment.

This project builds on the outcomes of the previous preparatory project RIAQ.

The RETURN project addresses the shared challenges of the NPA regions, where tourism revenue is often seen disconnected from the local community and environmental needs.

The project’s objective is to identify successful tourism revenue transfer models that support the local community and the environment. By presenting different models of tourism taxation and voluntary payments to decision-makers around the NPA region, the project will provide concrete alternatives for how the local communities can better benefit from tourism.

RETURN will produce policy recommendations, legal frameworks, and capacity-building tools, empowering communities and policymakers. A transnational approach is essential to sharing knowledge across regions facing similar challenges. RETURN’s novel focus on revenue transfer as a driver of both tourism sustainability and community resilience sets it apart from conventional models, offering an original solution to the region's common challenges.

Emergency management is a common challenge to all partner countries. NACEMAP project will assist NPA communities develop enhanced resilience against future disasters, through self- assessment, and developing plans to deal with emergency incidents.

The project will identify best practices in community emergency preparedness at the local, regional, national, and transnational levels, during both incident response and post-incident recovery phases. NACEMAP will take an inclusive, consultative approach using roundtable workshops with communities, municipalities, first responders, and other key stakeholders. Workshop outputs will include mapping and analysing different levels of preparedness, identifying gaps and needs, and disseminating best practices in community emergency planning among partners and target groups.

NACEMAP will produce and pilot a Toolkit with 3 parts - Preparedness Self-Assessment Audit; Response Preparedness Plan; and Post- Incident Recovery – as an enduring resource.

The FORESTCARBOVISION project addresses pressing environmental challenges in the NPA region by developing and implementing sustainable forest carbon farming technologies. By integrating advanced forest carbon farming technologies, the project aims to improve forest carbon capture and biodiversity conservation in 4 participating countries.

The project will produce innovative carbon assessment tools, a replicability framework for best practices, and pilot projects demonstrating scalable solutions. Key beneficiaries include forest owners, environmental agencies, and policymakers. A transnational approach is essential to leverage diverse expertise, enabling the adaptation of solutions to different ecosystems.

The originality of the project lies in its participatory approach, co-designing practical tools and methods with stakeholders from public institutions, research organizations, NGOs, and private sector partners, ensuring wide-scale implementation and impact across the region.

The project aims to establish a sustainable and economically viable value chain for underutilized natural fibres in the NPA region.

The solution is creating appealing, industrially manufactured value-added end-products using smart, intelligent technologies that allow for high customizability. This approach could effectively utilize a substantial amount of underutilized fibres and ensure the commercial viability of a sustainable, circular resource.

To enhance sustainability and reduce environmental impact, the project focuses on recycling underutilized natural fibres to concrete and polymer composite-based 3D-printing feedstock for construction and manufacturing industries. By adopting 3D printing, the project seeks to transition industries in the region from a linear to a circular economy. By creating new feedstock by combining recycled materials and underutilized natural fibres, the project unlocks exciting opportunities for developing fully localized value chains.

The NPA is a particularly sensitive environment, susceptible to the effects of increased tourism. The negative environmental impacts of tourism are substantial. This is why sector shift is necessary. Regenerative tourism is a sustainable approach to travel that aims to restore and replenish the environment that tourists visit. This type of tourism goes beyond minimizing negative impacts and strives to create positive outcomes for the destinations and people involved.

The major actors in tackling this challenge are both public and private sector. The cooperation of both is essential for conscious tourism sector development.

The challenge lies in effectively introducing, enhancing capacity and integrating regenerative practices.

The project will establish capacity building, strategic and marketing solutions to adopt practices that contribute to the regeneration of natural, economic and cultural resources, setting a precedent for a sustainable and resilient future in the NPA and beyond.

In total 122 organisations are participating in this call distributed as follows.

The graph below illustrates the distribution of applications per Specific Objective and Lead Partner country.

First, the Joint Secretariat (JS) assessed applications based on admissibility, eligibility, and quality criteria as outlined in the Programme Manual.

Then, the Regional Advisory Groups (RAGs) evaluated regional relevance, potential overlaps or synergies, and partner suitability, providing recommendations for each project application, which were subsequently incorporated into the final decision proposal to the Monitoring Committee (MC).

The MC decided on the approval of applications based on unanimous consensus.

For each Call, the Programme develops a Terms of Reference, outlining the essential information and specifications of the Call.

Download the Terms of Reference of the 5th Call for projects.

The 5th Call is open for all three priorities:

• Priority 1 - Innovation Capacity
• Priority 2 -Climate change and resource sufficiency
• Priority 3 - Cooperation opportunities

In Priority 3, both main and small-scale capacity building projects are invited to apply in particular focusing on the following topics:

• Increase preparedness and resilience of NPA communities.
• Preserve and experience the unique heritage of the NPA regions.
• Increase the wellbeing of people living in the NPA regions.
• Attract skills and talents needed in the NPA regions.
• Enable youth to shape the NPA regions.

Read the Terms for Reference for more details about these topics and target groups.

Main projects are expected to have an average budget of 1.500.000 EUR and run for 3 years.

Small-scale capacity building projects applying under Priority 3 have a total budget of no more than 200.000 EUR (handled as a lump sum), and run for 18 months.

Both main and small-scale projects under Priority 3 must involve partners from at least 3 programme partner countries, at least one of which is from an EU Member State.

Partnerships are also recommended to include at least 2 of the 3 geographical zones of the Programme area:

1. Finland/Sweden/Norway;
2. Ireland;
3. Faroe Islands/Greenland/Iceland.

Lead Partners have to be a public sector organisation, based in the NPA Programme area; unless they have a national remit that covers the Programme Area.

The Lead Partner statement and the Partner statement are obligatory annexes to be completed, signed by the legal representative of each partner organisation and uploaded in JEMS with a submitted project application.

If you have never applied for funding with the Interreg NPA programme, you might find this step-by-step How to apply guide helpful. 

The Programme Manual is the main guidance document for applicants and project managers. It contains the essential information needed for developing and implementing an Interreg NPA project.

Make sure you read carefully the chapters about  How to develop a project and How to apply where you will find a comprehensive description what you need to take into account when you prepare a project.

Developing a transnational project takes times and resources. The Joint Secretariat prepared an Offline Application template that describes the Jems application. This document can be used both as a guidance and as a working tool during project development. 

Remember, that the application must be submitted through Jems within the Call´s deadline, so leave yourself enough time to transfer all the information from the offline template into Jems.

All project applications must be submitted in Jems, our Joint Electronic Monitoring System. 

We have prepared a Jems User Manual to guide you through the application process. You will also find a FAQ section and brief tutorials to guide you.

If you need further assistance, you are welcome to contact the Jems Helpdesk: jems@interreg-npa.eu 

The purpose of this checklist is to help applicants carry out a pre-check of their application before submission, improving the quality of their application.

This list is based on the criteria that are used to assess applications, therefore it is a valuable tool to make sure that your project ticks all the boxes.

Download the Checklist.

To assist the applicants with their applications and provide the guidance, advice, and feedback on project ideas, the Joint Secretariat will organize two “How to complete a Jems application" seminars throughout the Call duration. 

• 11th June 2024, 14:00 - 15:00 CET, "Call launch", register here
• 19th June 2024, 13:00 - 15:00 CET, "How to complete a Jems application", register here. 
• 12th September 2024, 13:00 - 15:00 CET, "How to complete a Jems application", register here.

Join these online webinars, or schedule an individual project clinic throughout June - September with Christopher Parker, the Programme Manager for Project Development Support.