The Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument calls 2024 for Strand 1 and Strand 2a are open

The European Commission launched a call for proposals under the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument for:

• Strand1 (I3-2024-INV1) Financial and advisory support for investments in interregional innovation projects in shared or complementary smart specialisation areas (Strand 1)  
• Strand 2a  Financial and advisory support for investments in interregional innovation projects for the development of value chains in less developed regions

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 was organised on 13 June 2024.  The recordings of the event are available here.

The Interregional Innovation Investments (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 Instrument 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 on the basis of shared priorities and complementary capabilities.