MARGULLAR PROJECT, A FINALIST IN THE 2026 EUROPEAN FUNDS AWARDS: SUPPORT ITS NOMINATION WITH YOUR VOTE!
MARGULLAR project, funded by the Interreg MAC 2014–2020 Programme and dedicated to the protection and enhancement of Macaronesia’s underwater archaeological heritage, has been selected as a finalist for the 2026 European Funds Awards. This initiative recognises projects funded by European funds and highlights their contribution to regional development.
MARGULLAR is competing in the ‘Portugal + European Territorial Cooperation’ category and is also in the running for the ‘People’s Choice’ award (Escolha do Público), which is decided by public vote.
Voting will remain open until 4 November 2026 at 23:59 (Portuguese and Canary Islands time) on the awards’ official website. To vote, simply find the project ‘MARGULLAR – Underwater Archaeological Heritage and Tourism in Macaronesia’ and follow the instructions. The awards ceremony will take place on 5 November in Lisbon, as part of the Mostra dos Fundos Europeus 2026.
You have until 4 November to support MARGULLAR with your vote!
MARGULLAR: cooperation to protect the heritage hidden beneath the Atlantic
MARGULLAR was carried out under the Interreg MAC 2014–2020 Programme. Its main objective was to protect, conserve and showcase the underwater archaeological heritage of the Macaronesian archipelagos, linking the preservation of this historical legacy with the development of sustainable maritime tourism.
Through research, documentation and archaeological conservation work, the project promoted awareness of the cultural heritage lying beneath the waters of the Atlantic, encouraging its dissemination and integration into the diving tourism offerings of the participating territories.
We at the Interreg MAC Programme encourage the public to take part in the vote and to support MARGULLAR’s nomination. Its selection as a finalist highlights the results of territorial cooperation and the role of European funds in the protection and promotion of our shared cultural heritage. It is also an example of how cooperation between the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Senegal helps to preserve our cultural heritage and generate new opportunities for sustainable development.
Link to find out more about the project: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/projects/projects-database/valoriser-le-patrimoine-subaquatique-en-macaronesie_es
EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSE DECLARATION PERIOD NOW OPEN
The Interreg MAC 2021–2027 Programme announces that an extraordinary expense declaration period is now open. During this period, expenses paid between 1 September and 31 October may be declared. The declaration must be submitted via e-MAC between 3 and 13 November.
You are therefore requested to expedite any outstanding payments and to declare as much expenditure as possible that has actually been paid and is properly justified during this forthcoming special period. This is not a mandatory period; in other words, any expenditure not declared now may be declared during the next period. However, we urge you to make every effort to ensure, collectively, that the Programme’s financial commitments are met and that the funds allocated to the Interreg MAC cooperation area are fully preserved.
Information meeting
The Managing Authority invites beneficiaries to an online meeting on 26 October at 10.00 (Canary Islands, Madeira and Lisbon time; 9.00 in the Azores). It is essential that those responsible for the implementation and the administrative and financial justification of the projects attend.
The link to the meeting has been sent to all beneficiaries by email.
THE SMART-ECO PROJECT, PART OF THE MAC 2014–2020 PROGRAMME, IS A FINALIST IN THE #EUROPASESIENTE COMPETITION
The SMART-ECO project (Smart Territories for improving the digital competitiveness of businesses and entrepreneurs in the MAC Area) is one of the finalists in the #EuropaSeSiente competition.
The #EuropaSeSiente awards, organised by the General Secretariat for European Funds at the Ministry of Finance, recognise projects co-financed with European funds across six categories: Competitive, Green, Connected, Social, Local and Strategic Autonomy.
Our SMART-ECO project is one of the nine finalists in the #EuropaSeSiente Competitive category
Link to view the finalist projects and vote:
https://fondoseuropeos.gob.es/es-es/europasesiente/2026/Paginas/participantes.aspx
Cast your vote for SMART-ECO as soon as possible!
42 PROJECTS SUBMITTED TO THE 4th CALL FOR PROPOSALS ERDF-NDICI
In the 4th call for proposals for projects jointly funded by the ERDF and the NDICI under the Interreg MAC programme, a total of 42 projects have been submitted, seeking more than 80 million euros (4,15 times the amount of funding available).
| REQUESTED | AVAILABLE | Available vs requested | Requested vs available | |
| ERDF | 42.003.838,68 | 10.000.000,00 | 24% | 4,20 |
| NDICI | 38.029.964,45 | 9.300.000,00 | 24% | 4,09 |
| TOTAL | 80.033.803,13 | 19.300.000,00 | 24% | 4,15 |
A total of 118 different organisations are involved in the projects: 64 from the European part of the cooperation area (MAC) and 54 from the 7 African partner countries.
| Nº entities* | Nº projects | |
| Madeira | 6 | 15 |
| Azores | 13 | 21 |
| Canary Islands | 45 | 40 |
| Cape Verde | 18 | 28 |
| Ivory Coast | 4 | 5 |
| Gambia | 2 | 2 |
| Ghana | 2 | 2 |
| Mauritania | 12 | 17 |
| Senegal | 13 | 18 |
| St. Tomé and PrIncipe | 3 | 3 |
| * Entities without duplicates | 118 |
In terms of priorities, there is an equal distribution: of the 42 projects submitted, 21 were submitted under Priority 1_SMART MAC (50%) and a further 21 projects were submitted under Priority 2_GREEN MAC (50%).
| PRIORITY | Nº projects presented | ERDF available |
ERDF requested |
NDICI available |
NDICI requested |
| P1 - Smart MAC | 21 | 4.000.000,00 | 20.689.578,00 | 3.720.000,00 | 19.189.551,18 |
| P2 - Green MAC | 21 | 6.000.000,00 | 21.314.260,68 | 5.580.000,00 | 18.840.413,27 |
| TOTAL | 42 | 10.000.000,00 | 42.003.838,68 | 9.300.000,00 | 38.029.964,45 |
IMPORTANT: CHANGES TO ELIGIBILITY RULES AND FINANCIAL DATA SHEETS
We would like to inform you that certain aspects of the Eligibility Rules and Financial Data Sheets have been amended.
The changes are highlighted in green and focus on:
- Form 4: Expenditure on external services and consultancy. All provisions relating to aid to businesses have been removed and are now included in the new Form 9.
- Creation of a new Form 9 ‘State Aid’ and amendment of Annex II (Company Declaration).
- Form 5: Equipment costs (and Annex III – example depreciation schedule).
- Eligibility Rules: requirement for a bank statement confirming payment and inclusion of the new Annex ‘Technical Form 9’.
The new documents are available in the ‘Documentation/Financial Management’ section of the programme’s website, as well as in the ‘Guides/Manuals’ section of the e-MAC IT system.
The changes apply to the next expenditure declaration period, which ends on 15 September.
Ces modifications ne concernent que les partenaires FEDER des projets.
TECHNICAL WORKSHOP ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS APPROVED IN THE3RD CALL FOR PROPOSALS OF THE INTERREG MAC PROGRAMME 2021-2027
On 17/07/2026, a technical workshop will be held in which the Managing Authority, the Joint Secretariat and the Regional Controllers of the programme will address the basic aspects for the correct implementation and execution of the projects approved in the 3rd call.
The workshop is aimed exclusively at ERDF beneficiaries from the three European regions that are part of the 26 projects approved in this call.
The estimated duration will be a maximum of 2 hours. Interpretation will be provided in Spanish and Portuguese. There is no registration process or attendance limit per entity. The workshop will be recorded and published on the programme's YouTube channel.
Time: 17 July 2026, 10:00 Lisbon
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/95045245997?pwd=IXoE1f4twuXmdbQpmaFHHkbnUwqY6t.1
Meeting ID: 950 4524 5997
Access code: 770048
We look forward to seeing you there!
4th CALL FOR PROJECTS (ERDF-NDICI): PRESENTATION AND RECORDING OF THE ONLINE LAUNCH EVENT FOR THE CALL NOW AVAILABLE
Available the presentation and the recording of the lauch event for the 4th Call for Interreg MAC projects, held online on 17 June 2026, in the section Calls / 4th Call / Presentation event of the 4th call for proposals.
UPCOMING CALL FOR PROJECTS WITH COMBINED ERDF-IVCDCI FUNDING
On 15 June, the 4th call for proposals under the INTERREG MAC Programme will open for the submission of projects with combined funding from the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) and the IVCDCI (Instrument for Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation).
In order to achieve the programme’s objectives, each project will have an ERDF component and an IVCDCI component with separate grant agreements, but which are interconnected and share the same Lead Beneficiary.
The actions will be subject to the provisions of European regulations relating to the Structural Funds for the ERDF component and to the provisions of European regulations relating to the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument, as well as to the provisions of the Contribution Agreement and its annexes for the IVCDCI component.
The ERDF funding allocated to the call amounts to €10.000.000 and the IVCDCI funding to €9.300.000.
Each application must demonstrate its contribution to climate resilience and job creation and fall within the Specific Objectives of Priorities 1 (Smart MAC) and 2 (Green MAC) of the MAC Programme.
The terms and conditions of the call for proposals and the eligibility and selection criteria for projects are now published in the Calls/4th Call section of the programme’s website.
An Information Session on this call will be held on 17 June (11:00 Lisboa), with interpretation into the programme’s four languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French and English).
Link to the information session: https://zoom.us/j/98953823686?pwd=u9MWFSujbrLeWZ43QJ68pXX8MvTKln.1
#EuropaSeSiente Project Competition
The General Secretariat for European Funds at the Spanish Ministry of Finance has just launched the call for entries for a new edition of the #EuropaSeSiente Project Competition. This competition, which has established itself as the ‘Oscars’ of European funds in Spain, aims once again this year to raise visibility and increase public awareness of the results and added value of European funding in Spain.
These awards are the best opportunity to highlight projects that transform neighbourhoods, change lives and demonstrate that Europe is felt in every corner of our country.
Categories:
- #EuropaSeSienteCompetitive
- #EuropaSeSienteGreen
- #EuropaSeSienteSocial
- #EuropaSeSienteConnected
- #EuropaSeSienteClose
- #EuropaTeMueve:Strategic Autonomy
The public will vote to select the three finalists in each category.
The outcome at the Annual Ceremony will combine the judgement of a technical jury (60%) with the live public vote (40%) to select the winners in each category.
For the first time, two top awards will be presented: the Jury’s Golden Star and the Audience’s Golden Star, thereby increasing the recognition and visibility of our best projects.
Calendar and key dates:
- Until 12 June: Deadline for submitting entries via the official form.
- 29 June: Official announcement of the semi-finalist projects.
- Until 31 July: Deadline for semi-finalists to submit their 3-minute short videos.
- Second half of September: Online semi-finals and public vote.
- November: Grand final as part of the 2026 Annual Event
All information and competition rules are available on the European funds portal:
Blue Challenge: Interreg Project Development Training Programme
Calling young adults (18-25) across the #Atlantic & #Mediterranean!
Apply to the #BlueChallenge Training Programme and gain hands-on skills to develop high-impact, fundable #Interreg proposals - plus a chance for major visibility at the #Atlantic-#WestMED Stakeholder Conference 2026.
The ‘Blue Challenge: Interreg Project Development Training Programme’ is a new capacity-building initiative designed to equip young talent with the skills to develop high-quality, fundable project proposals that advance the sustainable blue economy.
Aligned with the priorities of the Atlantic Sea Basin Strategy and the WestMED Initiative, the programme supports early-career students and professionals in gaining the practical tools needed to design, structure and submit strong Interreg proposals, while fostering transnational cooperation across sea basins.
Over four months, participants follow an interactive training pathway covering the full lifecycle of an Interreg project proposal – from programming and project design to budgeting, proposal writing and submission.
The course focuses on key Interreg programmes relevant to the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, including Interreg Atlantic Area, Interreg MAC (Madeira-Azores-Canary Islands), Interreg NEXT-MED and Interreg EURO-MED.
Apply by 19 May 2026!!
Info: https://westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu/calling-young-adults-build-impactful-fundable-interreg-project-proposals-with-the-blue-challenge-training-programme/
Registry: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/BlueChallenge2026