Stakeholder consultation survey

Stakeholder consultation

For the Interreg North Sea Programme VIIB 2028-2034
Thank you for joining

The main aim of this survey is to gather your thoughts and opinions about which thematic areas Interreg North Sea should focus on in the next programming period (VIIB 2028-2034).

If you have participated in a North Sea project funded during the current programme period (VIB 2021-2027), you will also be asked for your feedback on a few aspects of project set-up.

Your inputs will help us design a robust new programme that can meet the needs and challenges ahead and foster the further development of a thriving and flourishing North Sea Region.

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It is open until Monday, 28 September at 12:00 noon. Please note that we will treat your answers anonymously and fully in line with the GDPR rules.

Thank you, in advance, for your inputs and feedback.

The Joint Secretariat

Which country are you based in?
If you chose 'other' please specify:
Which type of organisation do you represent?
If you chose 'other' please specify:
Which level does your organisation represent?
If you chose 'other' please specify:
Do you have experience with the Interreg North Sea programme, e.g. in a project or in programme administration?
Are you considering participation in the new North Sea Programme 2028-2034?
Why / why not?

In which thematic areas will transnational cooperation make the biggest difference?

We invite you to contribute your views and ideas about the thematic areas the new programme might focus on.

Thematic areas

In this survey we ask for your input on five thematic areas:
Where do these thematic areas come from?

We have identified the five possible thematic areas based on an analysis of material available from the European Commission as well as programme evaluations, previous surveys, and our experience in the programme.

Each thematic area covers a range of themes. You can suggest additional themes for our attention.

All survey questions refer to transnational cooperation in the Interreg North Sea area, shown below.

Please note: Discussions about the content of the new programme are just beginning. The answers gathered in this survey will help inform the development of the new programme; however, the final programme may not cover all of the thematic areas and themes mentioned on the following pages, or it may include others not mentioned.

THEMATIC AREA 1
Climate resilience, biodiversity & marine environment
How important do you think transnational cooperation is within the thematic area 'Climate resilience, biodiversity & marine environment'?

(1 star indicating 'not important' and 5 stars indicating 'very important')
Below are themes within Climate resilience, biodiversity & marine environment.

For each theme, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation (1 star indicating 'not important' and 5 stars indicating 'very important').

Please note: If there are themes that you do not feel confident to rate, you can leave them blank. You can also add themes to the list.
Sea-level rise and coastal erosion:

Adaptive coastal protection and flood prevention.
Transnational water management:

Protecting groundwater and ensuring freshwater availability during droughts
Nature-based solutions:

Prioritising "building with nature" for flood risk and disaster management.
Marine spatial planning:

Coordinated transnational planning for the competing uses of the North Sea basin.
Marine and estuarine restoration:

Coordinated efforts to restore vulnerable habitats and wild nature.
Marine pollution and microplastics:

Prevention, monitoring, and remediation of plastic waste and harmful substances.
Biodiversity protection:

Managing invasive species and creating green corridors across borders.
Bio-based economy:

Developing innovative and sustainable value chains across land and marine sectors (agri-food, forestry, and maritime).
Environmental risk management:

Improving regional capacity to respond to oil spills and industrial hazards.
Climate adaptation corridors:

Integrated approaches linking water management with biodiversity restoration.
Additional theme 1
For additional theme 1, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Additional theme 2
For additional theme 2, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Additional theme 3
For additional theme 3, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Do you have any comments about the thematic area 'Climate adaptation, marine environment & biodiversity', on the suggested themes, or on the themes you have added?

THEMATIC AREA 2
Energy transition & energy security
How important do you think transnational cooperation is within the thematic area 'Energy transition & energy security'?

(1 star indicating 'not important' and 5 stars indicating 'very important')
Below are themes within Energy transition & energy security

For each theme, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation (1 star indicating 'not important' and 5 stars indicating 'very important').

Please note: If there are themes that you do not feel confident to rate, you can leave them blank. You can also add themes to the list.
Renewable energy:

Large-scale development of wind, solar, wave, hydrogen energy generation.
Energy security and independence:

Reducing external dependencies through regional self-supply and transition capacity.
Integrated energy systems:

Developing energy islands and multi-source offshore energy parks.
Smart grids and energy storage:

Advancing transnational infrastructure for grid stability and storage solutions.
Clean energy corridors:

Strategic infrastructure linking energy production hubs with industrial consumers.
Decarbonisation technologies:

Accelerating the transition to a carbon-neutral economy through carbon capture and storage.
Circular economies:

Interconnecting value chains to reduce waste intensity across the North Sea region.
Industrial symbiosis:

Promoting the reuse of waste streams and underutilised resources between industries.
Sustainable consumption:

Efforts to reduce food waste and shorten supply chains.
Additional theme 1
For additional theme 1, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Additional theme 2
For additional theme 2, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Additional theme 3
For additional theme 2, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Do you have any comments about the thematic area 'Energy transition & energy security', on the suggested themes, or the themes you have added?

THEMATIC AREA 3
Innovation, competitiveness & industrial transition
How important do you think transnational cooperation is within the thematic area 'Innovation, competitiveness & Industrial transition'?

(1 star indicating 'not important' and 5 stars indicating 'very important')
Below are themes within Innovation, competitiveness & industrial transition.

For each theme, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation (1 star indicating 'not important' and 5 stars indicating 'very important').

Please note: If there are themes that you do not feel confident to rate, you can leave them blank. You can also add themes to the list.
Industrial transition:

Building resilient industrial ecosystems for the net-zero manufacturing shift.
SME innovation and internationalisation:

Strengthening the capacity of small businesses to innovate and participate in green value chains.
Supply chain resilience:

Securing value chains for critical raw materials and net-zero technologies.
High Technology Readiness Level technology uptake:

Piloting and adopting advanced innovations like robotics, drones, and applied AI.
Digital infrastructure access:

Closing the rural-urban gap in broadband and 5G connectivity.
Digital interoperability and data sharing:

Establishing shared data spaces for public services and regional logistics.
Future skills:

Workforce training for green and digital production technologies (e.g., 3D printing, digital security).
Public service innovation:

Digitalising healthcare and public administration to improve cross-border service delivery.
Digital sovereignty:

Contributing to a secure and inclusive Union through ICT connectivity and public data control.
Blue Growth innovation:

Collaborative R&D in maritime industries, life sciences, and health technology.
Additional theme 1
For additional theme 1, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Additional theme 2
For additional theme 2, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Additional theme 3
For additional theme 3, please also rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Do you have any comments about the thematic area 'Innovation, competitiveness & industrial transition', on the suggested themes, or the themes you have added?

THEMATIC AREA 4
Sustainable mobility & connectivity
How important do you think transnational cooperation is within the thematic area 'Sustainable mobility & connectivity'?

(1 star indicating 'not important' and 5 stars indicating 'very important')
Below are themes within Sustainable mobility & connectivity.

For each theme, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation (1 star indicating 'not important' and 5 stars indicating 'very important').

Please note: If there are themes that you do not feel confident to rate, you can leave them blank. You can also add themes to the list.
Sustainable rail connections:

Improving cross-border passenger and freight rail, including night trains.
Modal shift:

Encouraging a transition from road transport to rail and eco-efficient short-sea shipping.
Decarbonised logistics:

Greening offshore logistical means, including boats and helicopters.
Mobility for security:

Coordinating regional infrastructure to facilitate the movement of security assets.
Dual-use solutions:

Infrastructure projects that serve both civilian and security purposes.
Remote and island accessibility:

Improving connectivity and sustainable mobility for peripheral and less-connected areas.
Urban-rural mobility links:

Developing integrated transport services that bridge the divide between hubs and rural hinterlands.
Smart mobility hubs:

Developing shared mobility solutions and integrated ticketing systems across borders.
Transport infrastructure resilience:

Completing the TEN-T network while ensuring it can withstand climate impacts.
Additional theme 1
For additional theme 1, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Additional theme 2
For additional theme 2, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Additional theme 3
For additional theme 3, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Do you have any comments about the thematic area 'Sustainable mobility & connectivity', on the suggested themes, or the themes you have added?

THEMATIC AREA 5
Societal resilience, crisis preparedness & security
How important do you think transnational cooperation is within the thematic area 'Societal resilience, crisis preparedness & security'?

(1 star indicating 'not important' and 5 stars indicating 'very important')
Below are themes within Societal resilience, crisis preparedness & security.

For each theme, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation (1 star indicating 'not important' and 5 stars indicating 'very important').

Please note: If there are themes that you do not feel confident to rate, you can leave them blank. You can also add themes to the list.
Societal and organisational resilience:

Boosting the region’s capacity to absorb external, hybrid, or environmental shocks.
Crisis preparedness:

Joint planning and risk prevention systems for sudden transnational emergencies.
Food security:

Reducing external dependencies through regional self-sufficiency and resilient food supply systems.
Security and hybrid threats:

Coordinating regional responses to cyber threats, disinformation, and security paradigms.
Affordable and social housing:

Addressing the intensified challenge of high housing prices and promoting social inclusion.
Demographic transition:

Managing the impacts of an ageing population and shifting migration patterns on labour markets and services.
Public health innovation:

Digitalising healthcare for cross-border data sharing and addressing youth mental health.
Just Transition:

Ensuring the green and digital shifts are fair and inclusive for socially disadvantaged groups.
Citizen and community engagement:

Strengthening democratic participation and including citizens in political cooperation processes.
Cultural heritage and resilient tourism:

Leveraging cultural assets to support territorial identity and sustainable local economies.
Additional theme 1
For additional theme 1, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Additional theme 2
For additional theme 2, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Additional theme 3
For additional theme 3, please rate the importance of transnational cooperation:
Do you have any comments about the thematic area 'Societal resilience, crisis preparedness & security', on the suggested themes, or the themes you have added?

TRENDS
Emerging trends in the North Sea Region
Based on the preliminary material available from the European Commission, we have identified certain trends. To what extent do you agree with the statements below? Please rate each statement (1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree').
a) Security and crisis preparedness have become more important for transnational cooperation in the North Sea Region.
b) Energy security has become more important for transnational cooperation in the North Sea Region.
c) AI security and digital security have become more important for transnational cooperation in the North Sea Region.
d) Demographic change and its impact on societies and health services have become more important for transnational cooperation in the North Sea Region.
Do you have any additional comments on the listed trends or would you like to bring other trends to our attention?

We invite you to contribute your thoughts about a few aspects of project set-up in the new programme, including approaches, financial set-up, operational set-up, capitalisation, and communication.
APPROACHES TO PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
In your opinion, which specific approaches work well in transnational projects?

For example, a North Sea project may involve pilots/trials/demonstrations, skills development, feasibility studies, citizen engagement, bottom-up approaches, or triple/quadruple/multiple helix approaches, among others.
Please provide your input on project approaches that you would like to see available in the future programme.

FINANCIAL SET-UP
The following questions relate primarily to the financial set-up of Interreg North Sea projects.

The new regulations might allow for some changes and we are therefore keen to gather your views. Please answer the questions bearing in mind your experience with Interreg North Sea project implementation in the current programme.

Please rate to which extent you agree or disagree with the following statements (1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree').

If you don't know or if a question is not relevant to you, feel free to leave it blank.
PROJECT PREPARATION
The project preparation lump-sum, granted to Interreg North Sea projects (€40,000 in the 2021-2027 period), is helpful.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about the project preparation lump-sum?
STAFF COST
Using a fixed percentage to calculate staff costs is useful (fixed percentage of time spent on the project, as outlined in a mission letter, multiplied by the gross employer cost).

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about the use of a fixed percentage for calculating staff costs?
Creating mission letters was straightforward.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about the mission letters?
I appreciate not being required to keep timesheets to document staff costs.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about the advantages/disadvantages of not using timesheets?
In the next programming period, I would prefer to make use of a pre-defined unit cost for staff cost per hour worked on project implementation.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about using a unit cost per hour to calculate staff costs?
During this programme period, small-scale projects have worked on the basis of staff costs + a 40% flat rate to cover all other costs. The following question deals with the possible use of the same scheme for all North Sea projects.
The use of a 40% flat rate to cover all costs, other than staff costs, would be a welcome option.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about the potential option to apply a 40% flat rate to staff costs for all North Sea projects in the new programming period?
OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATION
The application of the flat-rate (15% of staff costs) to cover office and administration in the project is sufficient.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about the use of the flat-rate to cover office and administration costs?
TRAVEL AND ACCOMODATION
Reimbursement for travel costs based on real costs works well for our organisation in the project.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about the real cost basis for reporting travel costs?
Using a flat rate to cover project-related travel and accommodation costs, e.g. 10-15% of staff costs, would work well for our organisation.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about the use of a flat rate to cover travel and accommodation costs?
PROCUREMENT
The programme's procurement rules are easy to understand.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about the programme's procurement rules?
FACT SHEETS
Our fact sheets presenting the programme rules are well structured and easy to understand.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about our fact sheets?
FUNDING RATE
The difference in funding rates in the North Sea programme (60% for EU Member States and 50% for Norway) makes it difficult to attract Norwegian partners to projects.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Do you have any comments about the difference in funding rates?

OPERATIONAL SET-UP
We would like to hear your thoughts on which types of operational project set-up work best for transnational projects in the North Sea Region.
Is there anything you would like to change regarding the scope, duration, partnership size or other parameters of Interreg North Sea projects?

PROJECT IMPACT (CAPITALISATION)
The current Interreg North Sea Programme has an increased focus on project impacts (capitalisation), including extensive project guidance and workshops designed to help projects boost their impacts.

The purpose is to ensure high value of Interreg North Sea funding by amplifying and scaling the projects' impacts.

We would be keen to have your opinion about these efforts and whether you think they should be further strengthened in the future programme.
A project's expected impact should be an important focus of project development.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Project impact should be a strong focus point throughout project implementation.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Please share your additional ideas for how to increase the projects' impacts.

PROJECT COMMUNICATION
We would be keen to have your inputs on the role of communication and how Interreg North Sea project set-up can underpin strong and effective project communication.
Communication is vital for project success.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
It is important to have a communication budget (e.g. for communication specialists and external PR costs).

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
It is important that the project set-up encourages partners to engage in project communication.

(1 star indicating 'completely disagree' and 5 stars indicating 'fully agree')
Please share your additional ideas for fostering excellent Interreg North Sea project communication.

Do you have any additional comments you would like to share about the next programming period that are not included in your previous answers?
END OF SURVEY

Thank you so much for your contribution!

Do you know someone who might also have valuable thoughts to share? Please feel free to share the survey with them: https://form.jotform.com/262353204933049
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Stakeholder consultation

Thank you for joining

In which thematic areas will transnational cooperation make the biggest difference?

THEMATIC AREA 1Climate resilience, biodiversity & marine environment

THEMATIC AREA 2Energy transition & energy security

THEMATIC AREA 3Innovation, competitiveness & industrial transition

THEMATIC AREA 4 Sustainable mobility & connectivity

THEMATIC AREA 5Societal resilience, crisis preparedness & security

TRENDSEmerging trends in the North Sea Region

APPROACHES TO PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

FINANCIAL SET-UP

PROJECT PREPARATION

OPERATIONAL SET-UP

THEMATIC AREA 1
Climate resilience, biodiversity & marine environment

THEMATIC AREA 2
Energy transition & energy security

THEMATIC AREA 3
Innovation, competitiveness & industrial transition

THEMATIC AREA 4
Sustainable mobility & connectivity

THEMATIC AREA 5
Societal resilience, crisis preparedness & security

TRENDS
Emerging trends in the North Sea Region