The first project calls launched under the Interreg NEXT Romania-Ukraine Program have closed.

A total of 120 projects were submitted, targeting areas such as education, health, as well as investments in combating the effects of climate change, biodiversity, and border management.

The non-repayable value of the submitted projects is 87 million euros.

Launched in August 2023, the call for standard projects (projects including an investment component of at least 500,000 euros) has an allocation of 12.6 million euros and will finance investments in health and education. In this call, 49 projects were submitted, with a non-repayable value of 60 million euros.

The call for small projects was launched in September 2023, with a budget of 14.5 million euros to finance activities for the prevention and combating of climate change, biodiversity protection, health, education, and border management. The 71 submitted projects total 27 million euros in non-repayable funds.

The projects were submitted by public authorities operating in the aforementioned areas, NGOs, or professional associations. Each project must have at least one partner from each participating country, with a maximum of 4 partners allowed in a project.

In the coming period, the projects will undergo the selection and evaluation procedure, with contracts awarded to projects that best meet the requirements of the Applicant's Guide and contribute realistically to the development of communities in the border area.

The Interreg NEXT Romania-Ukraine Program has a budget of 60 million euros in non-repayable funds, to which the national contribution will be added. Projects that bring benefits to communities at the border from the counties of Satu Mare, Maramureș, Botoșani, Suceava, and Tulcea (Romania), and from the oblasts of Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattya, Chernivtsi, and Odesa (Ukraine) will be eligible for funding. The program focuses on areas such as health, education, tourism and culture, adaptation to climate change, good governance, and border management.