I3 Instrument Work Programme for 2025-2027 adopted

 The I3 Instrument’s new three-year Work Programme will focus on scaling innovation, strengthening regional innovation ecosystems, and supporting interregional collaboration. With a budget of over €176 million, it will help innovation actors turn ideas into investment-ready projects. The I3 Instrument strengthens the EU’s innovation ecosystems and promotes smart specialisation by helping regions develop innovation capacity and better integrate less developed regions into European value chains. It supports consortia of researchers, businesses, public administrations, and civil society, with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as key beneficiaries. Currently, 53 projects are in implementation, and more will be contracted in the coming months from the 2024 calls. Lessons learnt will be shared through the I3 Support Facility, which provides guidance and networking opportunities to stakeholders developing joint interregional investments.

The next I3 Instrument calls, which will focus on investment projects, are planned for May 2025 and will be followed by a capacity-building call planned for October 2025.