The European Commission launched on 22 May 2025 two new I3 Instrument calls for proposals with a budget of EUR 47 million. These calls are open to consortia of applicants from private organisations (SMEs, start-ups), public institutions and academia (universities, research organisations).
Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument – Calls 2025 for Strand 1 and Strand 2a are open
- 23 May 2025
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 is EUR 23 million for Strand 1 and EUR 24 million for Strand 2a. The I3 Instrument, as a Cohesion Policy instrument, supports stronger interregional cooperation in innovation by helping consortia of public and private stakeholders from across EU regions bring their joint investment projects to market. It fosters the integration of regions at different development levels into EU-wide value chains, allowing less developed and transition regions to participate in innovation actions through targeted support, knowledge exchange, and connections to broader EU priorities. Both strands aim to bring investment-ready ideas closer to market and support the creation of sustainable European value chains through interregional cooperation.
To help applicants navigate the new calls and prepare successful proposals, an online Info Day will take place on 11 June 2025 from 09:30 – 12:30 CET. Register here.
More information
EISMEA - Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument
Inforegio - Publication of Financing Decisions and Annual Work Programme - DG REGIO (europa.eu)