The final call for proposals under the Interreg NEXT Mediterranean Sea Basin (NEXT MED) Programme 2021–2027, for which the Directorate for EU Affairs acts as the National Authority, has been launched to support the best ideas in the field of sustainable tourism.
A new call for proposals has been launched to enhance the impact of successful Interreg projects across the Mediterranean region. Implemented under the Mediterranean Multi-Programme Mechanism (MMM), which brings together 10 Interreg Programmes, the call promotes a common approach to fostering more sustainable, innovative, and inclusive tourism across the region.The call aims to support the reuse, adaptation, replication, transfer, and upscaling of successful project results developed under previous Interreg programmes. Rather than creating entirely new solutions from scratch, project proposals are expected to build on existing Interreg outputs, focusing on extending and scaling up proven practices with demonstrated effectiveness to maximize their impact across the Mediterranean.
With a total budget of EUR 8.2 million, the third and final call of the Interreg NEXT MED Programme is open to beneficiaries from the following eligible provinces in Türkiye: Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli, Balıkesir, Çanakkale, İzmir, Aydın, Denizli, Muğla, Manisa, Afyonkarahisar, Kütahya, Uşak, Antalya, Isparta, Burdur, Adana, Mersin, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, and Osmaniye, located in the Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean regions. Eligible applicants include public authorities, central government institutions, municipalities, sectoral organizations, universities, research centers, associations, foundations, unions, civil society organizations, SMEs, private sector entities, international organizations, and other institutions meeting the eligibility criteria specified in the call guidelines.
Applicants are expected to establish partnerships with eligible organizations located in the programme areas of the participating countries. Each project consortium must include partners from at least three countries, including at least one EU Member State and one non-EU country. A maximum of two organizations from the same country may participate in a single project.
The Programme is co-financed by the European Union. Beneficiary organizations are required to provide 8% co-financing; however, the national co-financing contribution for Turkish beneficiaries will be covered by the national budget.
All Projects Must Be Developed Around Sustainable Tourism
Under the final call, all project proposals must focus on sustainable tourism and be developed under one of four programme priorities. The first priority, Innovative and Smart Tourism Products, aims to create a more competitive and smarter Mediterranean by strengthening research and innovation capacities, enhancing the sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs, and promoting employment creation. The second priority, Tourism and the Green Transition, contributes to a greener, low-carbon, and more resilient Mediterranean by supporting climate change adaptation, disaster risk prevention and resilience, sustainable water management, access to water resources, and the transition towards a circular economy.
The third priority, The Social Dimension of Tourism: Inclusive and Accessible Tourism, promotes a more social and inclusive Mediterranean through measures such as improving equal access to education and lifelong learning via accessible infrastructure that supports distance and online education. For projects developed under these three priorities, the maximum total project budget is EUR 1,304,000.
The fourth priority, Shared and Strategic Governance, focuses on better cooperation governance for the Mediterranean by supporting local governance models and participatory approaches, encouraging transnational cooperation, and addressing issues of common interest through bottom-up initiatives. Projects under this priority may receive a maximum total budget of EUR 2,445,000.
The deadline for submitting project proposals is 29 October 2026. During the application period, a range of project development trainings, information sessions, and partnership forums will be organized for interested institutions and organizations. Selected projects are expected to have an implementation period of 18 to 24 months.
Please click here for information regarding the call.