
We bring people together across borders to make the North Sea Region a better place for its sixty million citizens. We are part of Interreg, driving a more sustainable and inclusive Europe through targeted use of EU funds.

Who we are
We are the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg North Sea Programme. Our team is dedicated to supporting our stakeholders, ensuring good project performance, and providing visibility for our projects.
Our work is guided by our Monitoring Committee. Our National Contact Points provide invaluable support in servicing our project community.
Have an inquiry? We are delighted to help!

Where we work
Our programme covers the North Sea and adjacent territories. It is a joint effort by seven countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Organisations based in the North Sea Region may apply for funding.
The Joint Secretariat takes care of the programme’s daily management and is located in Viborg, Denmark.

Promoting cooperation since 1997
We have supported project partnerships to work together across borders for 25 years. Since 1997, we have supported over 260 projects to make a difference in the North Sea Region.
The North Sea Commission played a key role in shaping our programme and remains an important partner.

We are part of Interreg
Interreg North Sea is part of the European Union's drive towards a greener and smarter Europe where no one is left behind. We are one of 79 Interreg programmes putting EU Cohesion Policy into practice.
As such, we enable people to connect and cooperate across borders to solve the most pressing issues in our region.
The total EU budget for all Interreg programmes is €8 billion in the period 2021-2027. While this may sound like a lot, it is in fact less than €2.5 per citizen a year.
The ABC of Interreg
Interreg is divided into three strands:
Cross-border
Supports cooperation in the border zone between two or more countries. There are 60 cross-border programmes.
Transnational
Supports cooperation across several countries with a shared geography and culture. Interreg North Sea is one of 15 strand B programmes.
Interregional
Supports Europe-wide cooperation, for example on policymaking. This strand includes 4 programmes.
Photos on this page by Shane Woodford (top and bottom), Albin Hunia (group photo), and the Interreg North Sea project Lean Landing (photo from a matchmaking event).