Discussion Group  - How to engage Managing Authorities (MAs) in interregional collaboration

The support of MAs is crucial for I3 projects as they play a key role in ensuring the project’s success, sustainability, and alignment with regional priorities. 

The work of the discussion group in 2025 intends to significantly strengthen MAs engagement in the I3 projects making actionable recommendation and proposing new policy approaches around the following questions: 

How to ensure political engagement for interregional collaboration along the project?

• How to obtain strong and political mandate for inter-regional collaboration?   

• Who are the ERDF Managing Authorities supporting the projects?    

• Should S3 regional authorities be also considered?   

• How to best justify/communicate the value-added (outcomes) of interregional collaboration to regional decision-makers?   

How to reinforce the capacities and willingness of structural funds’ managing authorities to facilitate the implementation of interregional collaboration projects?

• What specific skills or competencies do managing authorities currently lack for supporting interregional collaboration projects?   

• What training or support programs could be implemented to build these capacities?   

• What are the main barriers (institutional, political, or motivational) that affect the willingness of managing authorities to engage in interregional collaboration?   

• How can incentives be structured to enhance the motivation of managing authorities to support such projects?