The European Commission is actively committed to promoting cooperation and development in Europe's border regions. A key instrument in this context is the Interreg programme, which is financed by the European Union. Interreg aims to reduce national disparities, strengthen exchanges between neighbouring areas and address common challenges.
Funding applications
Municipalities, associations of municipalities, associations and other public and private legal persons and natural persons who conduct a business, can apply for a grant at the Interreg programme Germany-Netherlands. Under certain conditions, individuals who manage a company are also eligible to apply.
In principle, there are a few key criteria that must be taken into account in order to receive funding:
Cross-border character
The most important criterion for approving a funding application is that the initiative has a clear cross-border character. This means that the project will be developed and carried out jointly by partners on both sides of the border, i.e. at least one project partner from Germany and the Netherlands.
The personnel and financial resources must also be provided by German and Dutch partners. Projects must primarily benefit the programme area and its population. The cross-border character must be demonstrated in particular by the fact that the project partners from both countries cooperate in the following ways: joint preparation, joint implementation, joint financing of the project and personnel cooperation.
Appoint lead partner
For each project, a lead partner must be named who submits a joint funding application for themselves and their partners
It depends on the location of the lead partner which regional programme management is responsible for support.
Sustainability
The sustainability of the project must be clearly demonstrated.
In particular, it must be shown how the project objective can be achieved with the proposed measure and/or how it can be continued through self-sufficient/self-financing follow-up measures.
Contribution to the programme objectives
In the 2021-2027 funding period, the European Commission is focusing more than ever on the programme results and the logical link of the goals and results of the individual projects with those of the programme. Your project must therefore fit into one of the four priorities and contribute to the programme objectives.
As part of the Cohesion Policy 2021-2027, four priorities (areas with thematic objectives) have been identified in the Germany-Netherlands Interreg VI-programme to promote economic growth, employment, social inclusion and better cooperation in the border region:
A more innovative programme area
A greener programme area
Working together on a connected border area
A Europe closer to its citizens in the border area
These priorities are based on the national and regional strategies of the 15 programme partners and are intended to enable the programme area to develop as successfully as possible. Each project is assigned a single priority. This assignment is made to the priority whose thematic objectives most closely correspond to the project content.
