More than 28 million euros for lighthouse projects

The Monitoring Committee of the EU funding programme Interreg Meuse-Rhine (NL-BE-DE) has approved three new strategic projects for cross-border cooperation in the Meuse-Rhine region. More than 16 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will be made available for these projects. Additional funding comes from the regions as well as the project partners. This means that the cross-border programme Interreg Meuse-Rhine (NL-BE-DE) has already approved 11 projects for this funding period. The next call will open in October.

Three lighthouse projects

The three new projects approved by the Monitoring Committee are strategically important for the border region and will be regarded as flagship projects. They offer cross-border advisory services for companies as well as support and skills development in small and medium-sized enterprises and opportunities for citizens of the region to become active across borders.

Two STIPP initiatives

STIPP stands for SME Transition Innovation Partner Projects. Both STIPP projects aim to support the development of companies and innovation and are strongly intertwined.

• STIPP-BIDS: For this project, the regional development agencies will cooperate. They will promote competitiveness and innovative strength of small and medium-sized enterprises in the programme area. The activities will focus on raising awareness and identifying opportunities among companies, scouting potential innovators, facilitating matchmaking for SME consortia, and supporting the development of high-quality innovation projects eligible for the STIPP SME Grants.
• STIPP SME Grants: This project will support cross-border SME consortia to develop and implement innovative projects. By involving six experienced regional development agencies, this project also helps create synergies between existing regional programs.

Small Project Fund

The Small Project Fund will support cross-border, citizen-centred initiatives such as events and the development of joint initiatives/tools, etc. The initiative aims to facilitate cooperation between people in the border region and to stimulate exchange between residents, visitors, private organisations, and public institutions. The focus is on citizen-centered projects with encounters as a central role, as well as projects that involve people and civil society and promote their involvement.