European Funding

There are a large number of European Union (EU) programmes on offer to support projects helping to deliver economic, social or environmental goals. Organisations in Kent can apply for funding for projects under many of these funding programmes. Many different types of funding programmes exist, some cover the whole of Europe (thematic programmes) whilst others have a particular geographical focus (INTERREG Programmes). There are also some EU programmes that are operated on a national basis (National EU Programmes)

EU funding programmes usually require;

partners from at least 2 member states
match funding whereby project partners are often required to provide a certain amount of financing themselves to match the contribution from the EU (the rate varies according to the programme but is typically around 50%)

For more information on the different types of funding available see below.

Interreg

EU INTERREG programmes aim to help regions and cities from different EU Member States to work together. They aim to break down barriers and enable organisations to learn from each other through joint programmes, projects and networks under a variety of themes.
Organisations from Kent can apply for joint projects under five different INTERREG Programmes. The programmes offer possibilities for Kent organisations to work with partners in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and further afield.

Details of these programmes can be found in our; INTERREG Funding Guide (PDF, 473k).

Thematic

European funding is also available for projects across Europe under various themes including:

Enterprise and Innovation
Education and vocational training
Art and culture
Research
Environment and nature
Transport

Details of these and other EU programmes can be found in our; EU Funding Guide (PDF, 534k).

As part of its proposal for the future of EU cohesion policy 2014-20, the EU has launched a process for supporting the development of Regional Innovation Strategies.