Besides the new draft work programmes for Horizon 2020 that will be officially published in mid-October, there is a great opportunity for new project ideas on water for the calls available under Interreg North–West Europe (NWE) and Interreg North Sea Region (NSR). Do not miss your chance!

INTERREG NORTH-WEST EUROPE (NWE) calls

Interreg North–West Europe (NWE) calls for 8 countries[1] have 2-step procedure:

·         1st step: the application deadline for the concept note for your project expires 30.11.2015 with the decision for the selection of your project by 26.02.2016

·         2nd step: in case your project concept will be successful, the deadline for submission – 5 months after the approval of the concept note.

The priority axes for these calls are:

1.Innovation

2.Low carbon

3.Resource and materials efficiency

Water explicitly covers the 3rd priority and the 1st priority.

1st priority-Innovation: Specific Objective 1: To enhance innovation performance of enterprises throughout NWE regions. Enhanced innovation performance is defined as better exploitation of research outcomes for the development of new technologies, products, processes and services generating an impact on the societal, spatial, economic and environmental conditions of NWE territories. Programme aims to increase SME innovation levels. Therefore innovations in water sector and is also a part of this priority.

3rd priority - Resource and materials efficiency: Specific Objective 5: To optimise (re)use of material and natural resources in NWE. This specific objective will lead to an optimised use of material resources and a reduction in the use of natural resources in NWE, water being one of the key resources to be efficiently used and reused. Success will be measured in terms of the use and uptake of eco-innovations in NWE, but also in terms of the resource savings and (waste) recycling rates they generate. The expected result relates to the main target group - the resource intensive industrial sectors and to accelerate the transition of the NWE economy to a circular model. Addressing this issue requires the development and uptake of new technologies, products and processes to improve resource efficiency. Such a drive towards eco-innovation is facilitated by the development and testing phases of innovative solutions that are less material intensive than those currently on the market. Investment priority for this priority axis includes of promoting innovative technologies to improve environmental protection and resource efficiency in the waste sector, water sector, soil protection or to reduce air pollution in line with territorial strategies.

Project actions may include collaboration on:

·         Implementing solutions to mitigate the impact of resource-intensive industrial sectors;

·         Designing and implementing new production measures by public, private and research organisations, delivering the concept of the ‘circular economy’;

·         Designing and implementing new products, processes, technologies or solutions that minimise resource use and / or replace non-renewable materials, such as biomaterials, alternative fabrics and bio-plastics;

·         Implementing life-cycle analyses of products and services as a tool to improve resource efficiency;

·         Developing and implementing collaborative approaches to increase the usefulness of waste, such as the extraction of energy from waste;

·         Developing 'industrial ecology' practices, encouraging collaborative approaches between organisations to use waste, energy and materials.

The proposals (with full work plan) receive 60 % of their total budget from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Over the lifetime of the Programme, €372 million of ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) will be allocated to the most qualitative and innovative projects.

NWE Cooperation programme has been approved by the European Commission on 18.06.2015. For more information of the North West Europe calls see the link: www.nweurope.eu/5b/.  

INTERREG NORTH SEA REGION PROGRAMME (NSR)

Interreg North Sea Region Programme (NSR) has been adopted by the European Commission on 31.08.2015 for the 49 regions[2] in 7 countries belonging to the programme.

It has four priorities for the transnational cooperation:

1.Thinking growth

2.Eco-innovation

3.Sustainable North Sea Region

4.Green transport and mobility

For water-related project ideas, relevant priorities are linked to the first three-ones.

1st priority – Thinking growth is aiming to strengthen research, technological development and innovation and ensuring that all parts of the region actively develop their innovation potential and stimulate innovation in public service delivery. It is also aiming to strengthen transnational cooperation to ensure business across the NSR, and support smart specialization strategies as well as addressing uncoordinated sectoral policies. A number of sectors such as energy, environmental sciences and nanotechnology can be identified as national positions of strengths and a consequent potential for greater collaboration.

2nd priority on eco-innovation is aiming to stimulate the green economy, preserving and protecting environment and promoting resource efficiency, saving, as these regions have amongst the highest resource consumption levels in the world. Therefore, here various project ideas on water and energy efficiency, resource recovery from used water, increased recycling of materials by improved lifecycle design moving towards a circular economy, protection of receiving waters via various ideas on waste- or used- water treatment and innovative pollution source control measures are very welcome. The aim of the objective is to identify measures for resource (such as water) use, recycling of heat and energy, renewable energy sources, and energy efficiency improvements that goes together with efficiency in water use, energy (heat) recovery from warm water, etc. Activities under this priority is not only focus on technologies but also address non-technological innovative solutions (as managerial, organizational, new business models), thus has a great opportunity of a strong economic potential of green economy while reducing many land-based pressures to the aquatic ecosystems, thus to support businesses, and particularly SMEs in redirecting activities in a more sustainable direction.

3rd priority addressing sustainability of the North Sea Region is concentrating the efforts on the project proposals for protecting the region from climate change and preserving environment. Here, it is obvious, that water is one of the main concerns in these 49 regions, taking into account the raise of temperatures and sea level, as well as an increasing intensity and duration of floods, salination of fresh water supplies, increased levels of droughts. Essential preventive actions need to be taken that climate change threat can be properly managed, including actions in reducing pollutants such as TBTs and PCBs in the marine environment, excessive nitrogen and phosphorus leaching from runoff water, restoring groundwater reserves. Project ideas on promoting the solutions in overcoming water quality challenges, floodwater retention in urban and rural areas by demonstrating new adaptation measures and methods for improving climate resilience and of target sites, develop new methods and deployment of new technologies to predict and monitor other climate change impacts, are of a high importance. Projects should also include awareness raising and joint development of new ways of working in the most affected sectors such as agriculture, energy and water providers by using an ecosystem-based approach.  

Programme budget of 167 million euros. Main focus of the programme is on pilots, demonstrations and trials of new ideas in the region, however, research is an important part of the programme. EU financial support/ EU co-financing rate for each of four priorities is 50% per project. Main target groups will include: public authorities and their agencies, knowledge institutions, enterprises, national and European interest organisations and civil society (associations, NGOs).  

HOW to submit NSR project proposal? The North Sea Region programme uses a new 2-step application process.

·        1st step: All project developers are first asked to submit an Expression of Interest . If the programme’s Steering Committee approves the expression of interest, the project will be asked to develop and submit a Full Application.

·        2nd step: Projects which submit a Full Application to one of the next two meetings of the Steering Committee after approval of their Expression of Interest will be considered for preparation costs. If Full Application is approved, the project will receive a contract and can start work. About the preparation costs: A lump sum one-off payment of €20,000 is available to cover all project preparation costs. Projects apply for this payment as part of submitting the Full Application.

There will be 2 calls for applications per year until the available funding has been fully committed[3]. A call is usually open for 4 weeks. Project ideas can be submitted until 4 weeks before a call officially opens.

Currently there are no open calls. But, prepare your project idea now! Watch out the programme website for the opening a new call for 2015 - www.northsearegion.eu/project-information/programme-manual/application-procedures/timing-and-announcements-of-calls-for-applications/

More tips:

·         The Steering Committee usually meets within three months of the close of a call. Next meeting 09-10.11. 2015

·         More details about the submission of project ideas can be found in the project life cycle:  http://www.northsearegion.eu/project-information/project-life-cycle/project-ideas/

·         A short summary of priorities is available from: www.northsearegion.eu/media/1083/nsrp-2015-priorities-a3-leaflet-web-v8-2.pdf    

Vlakwa team is eager to help in your project idea and/or in partner-search. Contact us: cb@vlakwa.be, ed@vlakwa.be, vd@vlakwa.be, dh@vlakwa.be, vk@vlakwa.be.

[1] Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom [2] Three provinces of Flanders (Belgium) are among these 49 regions from Norway, Denmark, UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden. [3] 1st call was 27.04-30.06.2015.