Deadline Date: November 12, 2026
The Interregional Innovation Investments is inviting applications to support interregional cooperation in innovation by using Smart Specialisation Strategies to connect regional strengths, align complementary capabilities and strengthen European value chains across the European Union.
The call focuses on Digital transition, Green transition and Smart manufacturing while supporting innovation deployment, industrial transformation, digitalisation, stronger EU value chains, competitiveness, sustainable growth, regional cohesion, digital skills development, economic growth and the European Green Deal objectives.
Under Strand 1, the programme seeks to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of EU value chains through interregional cooperation. The initiative encourages collaboration between innovation actors from less developed regions and more developed regions, particularly SMEs, to support stronger integration into European value chains. The programme also aims to strengthen investment readiness and create pathways for follow-up investments beyond the project duration.
Projects are expected to develop clear exploitation and deployment strategies to ensure long-term integration of project results into European value chains. Participating regions and partners should demonstrate how new products, services or production processes will continue beyond the project lifetime through wider deployment and additional investment opportunities.
The total funding available under the I3-2026-INV1 – I3 Project Grants call is €28,200,000. Eligible applicants include legal entities from EU Member States, including overseas countries and territories, as well as listed EEA countries and countries associated with the I3 Instrument. Public and private organisations may participate provided they are registered in the Participant Register before proposal submission and validated by the Central Validation Service.
International organisations are also eligible. Natural persons are generally not eligible, except self-employed persons where the company does not have a separate legal personality. EU bodies, except the European Commission Joint Research Centre, cannot participate in the consortium.
For more information, visit European Commission.
