The European Commission launched on 6 June 2024 two new I3 Instrument calls for proposals with a budget of EUR 67 million. These calls are open to consortia of applicants from private organisations (SMEs, start-ups), public institutions and academia (universities, research organisations).
- 06 June 2024
The calls are organised in two strands:
Strand 1 targets consortia of innovation actors from regions (of different levels of development and innovation performance) with shared or complementary smart specialisation areas, which are ready to make investments in interregional innovation projects. Strand 2a focuses on supporting interregional innovation investments aiming at developing value chains in less developed regions and reinforcing the integration of innovation actors in EU value chains.
The estimated total available call budget for 2024 is EUR 31 million for Strand 1 and EUR 36 million for Strand 2a. The deadline for submission of applications for both strands is 5 December 2024, 17.00 CET.
A digital information session on the calls targeted at eligible applicants will be organised online on 13 June 2024.
The Interregional Innovation Investment (I3) Instrument financed from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) represents an opportunity to support interregional portfolios of companies’ investments, bringing innovation to the market at high technology readiness levels (TRL 6-9) and reshaping EU interregional value chains. The cohesion dimension is very pronounced under the I3 scheme and the interconnection of regional innovation ecosystems along the Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) priorities. It gives the opportunity to less developed, transition and outermost EU regions to catch up with the more developed regions.
The general objective of the I3 Instrument is to promote innovation, innovation diffusion, and the reinforcement of EU and regional value chains through cooperation based on shared priorities and complementary capabilities.