In 2021, we launched an independent impact evaluation of our 2014-20 funding programme. In their final report, a group of external experts found evidence that the programme played a significant role in enhancing stakeholder capacity, building trust, and delivering innovative and high-quality products and services, thus contributing to strengthening the foundations for economic, social, and territorial cohesion in the Central European region.
The evaluation was conducted in two phases over a period of three years, between 2020 and 2023. It involved a thorough analysis of the programme, which employed a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Evidence suggests four main distinctive features of the Interreg CE programme: (1) its unique territorial and thematic coverage, (2) its accessibility for smaller organizations compared to other EU-level programmes, (3) the design of its projects’ partnerships, which encourages the involvement of many different partners, (4) innovative character and design of its interventions, which encourages projects to test innovative solutions through pilot actions and, at which, at programme level, manifested best in the novel approach used for call 4.