The Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument (I3) creates linkages for interregional collaboration bringing together actors from different EU regions investing in joint innovation projects along S3 priorities and close to the market.
Programme name
Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument Strand 1 - Financial and advisory support for investments in interregional innovation projects.
Objective(s) and scope
The Interregional innovation investments instrument, as part of the European Regional and Development Fund (ERDF), is design to foster innovation through Smart Specialisation and interregional cooperation. It provides support to interregional innovation projects during their commercialisation and scale-up stages, equipping them with the necessary tools to navigate regulatory and other barriers and bring their project to investment level.
The support focuses on two strands:
- Financial and advisory support for investments in interregional innovation projects
- Financial and advisory support to the development of value chains in less developed regions
Strand 1 – Financial and advisory support for investments in interregional innovation projects, which targets mature partnerships to help them accelerate market uptake and scale-up of innovative solutions in shared smart specialisation priority areas, as well as to develop a portfolio of investment projects.
Financing value
A total of EUR 570 million for I3 Instrument Work Programme over the period 2021 – 2027, with EUR 80.4 million allocated for 2024 (for both strands) and up to EUR 10 million per project.
Eligibility criteria (if available)
Be legal entities
Be established in one of the participating countries
Further information on eligibility criteria
Section 6 Eligibility: ERDF Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instruments (Strand 1) - Call Document
Application period
[Call currently closed] Calls for proposals (strand 1 and 2a) are expected to be published in the second quarter of 2024, with the deadline in the last quarter of 2024. For reference, last call was published on 17 May 2023 and remained open until 17 October 2023 (5 months).
Guidelines for applicants: FAQ EU Funding & Tenders Portal
Additional information
Information on activities that can be founder is included in section 2.3: ERDF Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instruments (Strand 1) - Call Document
