The challenge

The Vanguard Initiative (VI) had the ambition to create a mechanism that would enable the activation, alignment and integration of regional funding (own regional funding or ERDF) to support interregional innovation projects. The challenge was to bring together multiple regions with different priorities and funding systems, creating a smooth, coordinated process for applicants while building a model that could grow and evolve over future calls. IDEA Consult’s role was to turn this ambitious vision into a clear, workable mechanism.

This led to VInnovate being launched and operationalised, through the support of IDEA Consult. VInnovate is an interregional funding scheme, occupying a unique position in the interregional funding landscape, through the combination of the following characteristics: integrated innovation support (from roadmap to funding), full regional anchorages and ‘framed’ bottom-up approach.

Following the design of the VInnovate funding mechanism, IDEA Consult was appointed to manage the implementation of the VInnovate Calls 2024 and 2025. The challenge was to translate the mechanism conceptual framework into operational calls that would attract high-quality international projects, align regional funding streams, and deliver meaningful innovation impacts across Europe.

Approach & results

Regarding the design of the Interregional Funding Scheme, the following methods were implemented: establishing funding principles (‘juste-retour’, etc.), analyzing and prioritizing funding needs, conceptualizing a set of possible funding models (varying according to the degree of ‘centralization’, mainly), consulting regions (their preferences and conditions) towards various models and establishing the model.

Following those steps, IDEA Consult, acting as VInnovate Secretariat, coordinates the actual Calls (2024 and 2025) implementation, in close cooperation with participating regions and Vanguard Initiative (VI) pilots. Key elements of the approach include:

• Call Design and Documentation
  • Elaborating call documents, defining application procedures, and setting clear rules for collaboration and funding alignment.
  • Co-creating the process with regions to ensure that the call reflects their ambitions, conditions, and constraints.
• Proposal Generation and Submission Management
  • Coordinating the workflow for applicants, supporting proposal preparation, and managing submissions.
  • Ensuring transparency, fairness, and efficiency in interactions between regions and applicants.
  • Supporting applicants in developing projects ideas and being connected to adequate international counterparts.
• Implementation and Oversight
  • Monitoring project selection, alignment with strategic priorities, and proper use of allocated funds.
  • Supporting knowledge sharing and best practices between regions and project teams.

The VInnovate Calls 2024 and 2025 turned out to deliver on its promises.

In particular, regarding the VInnovate Call 2024:

• The call was launched with a budget of €4 million grants.
• Received applications from 109 distinct organizations, far exceeding expectations.
• Resulted in 12 international projects, spanning advanced manufacturing and additive/digital production, advanced materials for health technologies, circular and low-carbon industry, and renewable energy/bio-based transformation.
• Projects are now testing and demonstrating innovative solutions directly in operational environments, moving them closer to market readiness.

VInnovate Call 2025 was launched with a budget of €5 million grants and is marked by a consolidation and expansion (more phase 2 proposals submitted, more balanced distribution across regions, larger project proposals, etc.).

Outcome: Through IDEA Consult’s coordination, the VInnovate Calls have established a robust and scalable funding mechanism that not only accelerates innovation projects but also strengthens interregional collaboration across Europe, creating a foundation for long-term, cross-border industrial impact.