Submit Project Proposals for Interreg NEXT MED Programme

NEXT MED is part of Interreg, a key instrument of the European Union which promotes European territorial cooperation across borders by means of joint programmes, projects and networks among national, regional and local actors from different EU Member States and among EU actors and adjacent non-EU countries, partner countries, overseas countries and territories (OCTs). Interreg encourages the harmonious economic, social and territorial development of the EU as a whole and its neighborhood – a core objective of the EU’s Cohesion Policy. Interreg tackles common challenges and develops shared solutions to address issues of joint interest like climate change, digital transformation, social inclusion, health, research, education, etc.

The principles of mutual accountability, shared ownership and responsibility, cooperation on equal footing are at the core of the Interreg NEXT MED Programme.

With a budget of €253 million, Interreg NEXT MED aims at contributing to smart, sustainable, fair development for all across the Mediterranean basin by supporting balanced, longlasting, far-reaching cooperation and multilevel governance. The programme mission is to finance cooperation projects that address joint socio-economic, environmental and governance challenges at Mediterranean level such as the uptake of advanced technologies, competitiveness of SMEs and job creation, energy efficiency, water management, climate change adaptation, transition to a circular and resource efficient economy, education and training, health care.

Priorities and Specific Objectives

• A more competitive and smarter Mediterranean
  • Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies
  • Enhancing sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs and job creation in SMEs, including by productive investments
• A greener, lowcarbon and resilient Mediterranean
  • Promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
  • Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention, resilience taking into account ecosystem-based approaches
  • Promoting access to water and sustainable water management
  • Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy
• A more social and inclusive Mediterranean
  • Improving equal access to inclusive and quality services in education, training and lifelong learning through developing accessible infrastructure, including by fostering resilience for distance and on-line education and training
  • Ensuring equal access to health care and fostering resilience of health systems, including primary care, and promoting the transition from institutional to family- and community-based care
• A better cooperation governance for the Mediterranean
  • Other governance actions: Fostering local governance models and processes through cross-sectoral, multilevel and cross-border partnerships, encouraging the cooperation and dialogue between citizens, civil society actors and institutions in view of addressing issues of joint interest at local level through transnational exchanges, bottom-up and participatory approaches

Funding Information

• The overall EU contribution to the Programme for the 2021-2027 period is €253.325.779 out of which €230.296.163 for project financing which corresponds to approximately 89% of the project total eligible costs. The Programme provides EU co-financing for a maximum of 89% of the project total eligible costs, while a project co-financing of at least 11% of the project total eligible costs must be provided at project level. The Programme does not foresee any pre-allocation of funds by territory or country.
• The estimated project duration shall not be lower than 24 months and must not exceed 36 months.

Type of Projects

• Thematic projects: this type of projects represents the bulk of the call for proposals and can be submitted under Priorities 1, 2, and 3. Thematic projects should be conceived as having a significant demonstration and pilot dimension, focusing on the joint development and testing of innovative, breakthrough solutions that contribute to addressing the challenges related to the concerned priority and relevant specific objective. Scale-up of already developed solutions using existing results which efficiency has been proven in the framework of previous initiatives and implemented projects should be considered by potential applicants.
• Youth-oriented projects: as a major innovation in the Programme strategy, the scope of “youth-oriented projects” is to encourage the direct participation of young people through the involvement of youth-led/oriented organisations in projects as actual partners.
• Governance projects: related exclusively to Priority 4 “A better cooperation governance for the Mediterranean” and related Specific Objective 4.1, the purpose of these projects is to improve the capacities of public authorities (relevant regional, local, urban and other public authorities) and other stakeholders (economic and social partners, research institutions and universities, bodies representing civil society) to design and effectively deliver public services that aim at the socioeconomic and environmental well-being of citizens and places, specifically on a local scale (regional/municipal level). The focus of these projects should be on the development of local governance models and processes that strengthen crosssector and multilevel partnership, allowing for the effective cooperation and dialogue between citizens, civil society actors and institutions in view of addressing issues of interest at local level-for instance, provision of services or development of strategies/local policies in the fields of health, education, mobility, employment, social inclusion, waste management, energy efficiency, urban development, support to businesses and start-ups, etc. – implementing bottom-up and participatory approaches.

Eligibility Criteria

• Location of Applicant and Project Partner organisations
  • Applicants and project partners must be based in the Programme eligible territories and they shall be legally registered there since at least two years from the launching date of this call.
  • Applicants and project partners from Mediterranean Partner Countries are fully eligible only if their countries have signed the Financing Agreement with the EC, by the 30th of June 2024.
  • The participation of Applicants and partners having a decentralised registered office or structure in the eligible regions is admitted provided that this office has been established at least 2 years before the deadline set for the submission of the on-line Application Form and it has the capacity to undertake legal obligations and assume financial responsibility.
  • The participation of Ministries and other national public administrations located outside the eligible territories is admitted, provided that the action is carried out in and for the full benefit of the Programme eligible regions. In the event a Ministry or a national public administration is represented at local level in an eligible territory, the project activities should be implemented by the local structure.
  • International Organisations can participate as Applicants or Partners only if they have an operational office in the eligible area. However, they do not contribute to the fulfilment of the minimum geographic partnership requirement.
• Legal Status of Applicant and Partner organizations
  • The concerned organisations must be legal entities in accordance with national legislations, laws and regulations.
  • Public bodies, according to the National legislations, laws and regulations, include also the “bodies governed by public law” according to article 2 (4) of Directive EU2014/24. They are governed by public laws and shall meet all following conditions:
    • they are established for the specific purpose of meeting needs in the general interest, not having an industrial or commercial character;
    • they have legal personality;
    • they are financed, for the most part, by the State, regional or local authorities, or by other bodies governed by public law; or are subject to management supervision by those authorities or bodies; or have an administrative, managerial or supervisory board, more than half of whose members are appointed by the State, regional or local authorities, or by other bodies governed by public law.

Use of Languages

• The official Programme languages are: English, French and Arabic. However, in all procedures and in all documents referring to projects – from the submission of the proposal to the drafting of the final project reporting, only English or French shall be used. Moreover, only English and/or French are used for legal and arbitration issues. Requests of information addressed to the Managing Authority, Joint Secretariat and Branch Offices and the related answers will have to be drafted in one of the project languages (English or French).

For more information, visit Interreg NEXT MED.