The overall objective of the ADRION Programme is to act as a policy driver and governance innovator fostering European integration among Partner States, taking advantage from the rich natural, cultural and human resources surrounding the Adriatic and Ionian seas and enhancing economic, social and territorial cohesion in the Programme area.

Interreg ADRION takes into consideration the experience of the 2007-2013 Programmes, in particular the transnational South-East Europe programme (SEE) and the cross-border programme IPA CBC Adriatic.

ADRION intends to contribute to “the harmonious development of the Union’s territory (…) and to strengthen cooperation by means of actions conducive to integrated territorial development linked to the Union’s cohesion policy priorities” through the funding of project proposals aimed at positively contributing to the needs and challenges of the living conditions in the ADRION area (economic activities, quality of the environment, safety, etc).

The partner countries participating in the Programme are as follows:

ERDF Partner States

1. Italy
2. Slovenia
3. Greece
4. Croatia

IPA Partner States

1. Albania
2. Bosnia and Herzegovina
3. Montenegro
4. Serbia

The first call for proposals is open to the following priorities and their specific targets, summarized below:

AXIS 1 – Innovative and smart region

Specific Objective 1.1 – Support the development of a regional innovation system for the Adriatic-Ionian area

AXIS 2 – Sustainable region

Specific Objective 2.1 – To promote the sustainable development of natural and cultural resources as a growth business in the region ADRION
Specific Objective 2.2 – Enhance the capacity in transnationally tackling environmental vulnerability, fragmentation and the safeguarding of ecosystem services in the Adriatic-Ionian area

AXIS 3 – Connected region

Specific Objective 3.1 – Enhance capacity for integrated transport and mobility services and multimodality in the Adriatic Ionian area

Eligible partners for the projects are:

• National, regional and local public bodies (including EGTCs – European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation) and associations formed by one or several of such public bodies;
• Body governed by public law, and associations constituted by one or several bodies governed by public law;
• Private bodies, including private companies, having legal personality and operational from at least 2 fiscal years at the time of submission of the candidature;
• International organisations acting under the national law of one of the Partner States participating to the Programme operational from at least 2 fiscal years at the time of submission of the candidature.

Each of the above entities, except private bodies, may submit their proposal as Lead Applicant, whereas all eligible bodies located in IPA Partner States can participate to projects only as partners.

The partnership will be composed of up to 10 participants per project.

The contribution foreseen for each project is between 800.000 and 1.5 million euro, with an EU co-financing rate of 85% of the eligible costs both for the ERDF and IPA partners.

The total budget available is 33 million euro, shared among the specific objectives according to the table below:

EU project partners will benefit from ERDF funds, while participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia will receive allocations from IPA II.

The partnership must include at least three partners from:
– at least 3 Partner States, out of which:
– at least one must be an ERDF Partner State.

The maximum expected project duration is 24 months.

The deadline for this call is 25 March 2016; applicants should submit their proposals through the ADRION eMS on-line system.

Further information about ADRION and all useful documentation like the application package can be found on the Programme website: http://www.adrioninterreg.eu