The objective of this Call for Expression of Interest is to draw a list of up to sixteen (16) national/regional authorities with cluster organisations that commit to organising a European workshop, ‘Clusters Meet Regions’, in a specified period.

The European Commission will select particular locations and dates for these workshops based on the criteria presented below and also take into account political priorities and supply chain problems related to the current geopolitical situation affecting not only the host region but also a critical number of regions in other Member States. 

Each workshop should be helpful for cluster managers and policymakers, resulting in the engagement of clusters in the implementation of regional priorities.

At our ‘Clusters meet Regions’ events, national and regional clusters and policymakers come together to share experiences, secure new partnerships, and learn from one another how we can all make better use of clusters to: 

• strengthen our industrial ecosystems, 
• address disruptions in our supply chains, 
• drive the green and digital transition, and 
• build resilience in our regions.  

This call for applications is addressed to any cluster stakeholder who is either actively participating in or interested in the economic development of their region. It is open to institutions such as clusters, regional agencies for economic development, and business network groups. Please note that a letter of support from your regional authority is needed if you want to apply. Proposals from national and/or regional authorities are also welcomed. 

The application must be filled out in English. Only submissions that are complete and submitted on time will be evaluated. This Call is an Expression of Interest invitation only. It is not an offer, and the submission of an Expression of Interest does not establish any sort of contract or agreement between the European Commission, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform, and the organisation expressing interest in hosting a ‘Clusters meet Regions’ event.

The selection of the hosting regions will follow up based on the respective cut-off dates, further specified in the Call for Expression of Interest.

The next deadline for making your application is 22 December 2023, at 18.00 CET (Brussels time).

If you need an inspirational example of what kind of event is desired, you can visit the ECCP website, where you will find all the background information of all ‘Clusters meet Regions’ events held in the period 2022-2023, and those scheduled till the end of this year.

If you think you could organise one of these 16 events and you need more information about what to do next, please contact us at: clustersmeetregions@clustercollaboration.eu 

Read the Call for Expression of Interest 

Annex I: Application Form 

Annex II: White Book

The application must be filled out in English. Only submissions that are complete and submitted on time will be evaluated. This Call is an Expression of Interest invitation only. It is not an offer, and the submission of an Expression of Interest does not establish any sort of contract or agreement between the European Commission, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform, and the organisation expressing interest in hosting a ‘Clusters meet Regions’ event. For more information on the organisation of a ‘Clusters meet Regions’ event, please read our White Book.