F.1.1 Definition
Project platforms are a central tool of the Programme to create synergies and support cooperation among project partners from different programmes. Platforms connect results of various projects and help different organisations use them in their work. By this, platforms help solve challenges in the region. These challenges need to correspond to one of the thematic Programme objectives.
F.1.2 Aims
In a platform, partners bring together solutions and other results from projects of Interreg Baltic Sea Region and other EU funding programmes working on the same thematic field. These can be projects from other Interreg programmes like Interreg Europe, South Baltic or Central Baltic as well as Horizon Europe, and in particular Horizon Europe’s Mission on Restore out Ocean and Waters or Life. Platform partners combine these results and synthesise them. They reach out to public authorities and other organisations and help them introduce solutions into their work.
All in all, a platform aims at furthering the use of projects’ results by their target groups. It supports transferring these results beyond usual partnerships and helps communicate them in a streamlined way. It can also address policy-making needs and introduce these results to regional policy frameworks. By this, a platform increases capacity of the target groups to deal with the challenges identified.
F.1.3 Partnership
The partnership of a platform should be based on the partners from projects of Interreg Baltic Sea Region. These projects can be recently finalised or still running. Further, a platform should involve partners from projects of other EU funding programmes. Platform partners should know the solutions and other results of their projects well.
In addition, a platform can involve the policy area coordinators of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region to reach out to the regional policy frameworks. A platform can also engage relevant pan-Baltic organisations to strengthen its communication.
Information on the eligibility of partner organisations, requirements to the partnership as well as the legal status of the partners is available in chapter C.
F.1.4 Platform outcomes
A platform should deliver a synthesis of solutions and other results of projects from Interreg Baltic Sea Region and other EU funding programmes. Partners should present such a synthesis as a tangible and durable product so that all who would like to use the projects’ solutions and other results can learn about them. This is an output of a platform. It can be a database of solutions or a resource hub, a manual, guidelines, etc.
In addition, partners may also show how to improve the thematic field of their platform on practical or policy level and develop recommendations, roadmaps or action plans. These can also be outputs of a platform.
When planning a platform, partners should think in advance of how to organise the institutional and financial support to keep these outputs functional after the end of the platform.
F.1.5. Platform structure
Activities in a platform can be structured in up to three work packages (WP). Each WP consists of up to five groups of activities. Partners should describe how they bring together solutions and other results from different projects of Interreg Baltic Sea Region and other EU funding programmes and how they interlink and synthesise them. They should describe how they plan communication of the projects’ results. They should also outline if they plan any further actions to address knowledge, funding or policy gaps in the thematic field of the platform.
Further, partners should detail what target groups they plan to reach out to and interact with. Partners should explain how they plan to engage their target groups in learning about the projects’ results. They should describe methods and activities they plan to implement to help their target groups use those results in their work.
Partners should also explain what outputs they plan to develop in a platform and how. They should describe what activities they plan to prepare for keeping these outputs functional after the end of the platform. They should also plan the specific roles of different partners in this process.
F.1.6 Duration
The duration of a platform consists of three phases:
Contracting phase:
this phase lasts usually three months. The announcement note will include further information regarding each call for applications.
Implementation phase:
this phase may last up to 36 months. Within this range partners are free to choose the duration corresponding to the complexity of their approach.
Project closure phase:
this phase lasts three months.
F.1.7 Budget
The maximum Programme support for a platform is set in the call announcement note. The budget has to clearly reflect involvement of partners and complexity of the planned activities. Further information on the eligibility and cost categories can be found in chapter F.3 of the Programme Manual.
