13. Selection | npa-pm

All application forms received in Jems by the call deadline are assessed based on the Selection Criteria agreed by the Interreg NPA Monitoring Committee.

The assessment consists of three steps:

The admissibility assessment checks if the application is complete.

The eligibility assessment checks against the eligibility criteria to ensure that the application fulfils the technical requirements of the Programme. At this stage it is also assessed if the Lead Partner and the partnership are eligible.

Eligible applications undergo a quality assessment, looking at the fit of the project with the youth criteria, programme objectives, a coherent and logical, a budget that presents value-for-money, and a suitable partnership.

In addition, the Regional Advisory Groups (RAGs) will evaluate the regional relevance of the project proposal and the partnership seen from their point of view.

The Monitoring Committee will decide which projects to approve based on the assessments outlined above.

Your questions

How long does it take to know the outcome of the assessment?

Project applicants will be informed on the decision of the Monitoring Committee few days after their meeting on 8^th December 2026. An email will be sent to the contact person of the Lead Partner indicated in the application form. The Lead Partner will share the information with the partners.

Is it possible to provide additional information during the assessment?

No. Applications are assessed exclusively on the basis of the information provided in the Application Form and the mandatory attachments. Any additional documents submitted or sent after the deadline cannot be taken into account in the assessment. This ensures a fair and equal assessment of all applications.

What happens next?

The Joint Secretariat will share a document outlining the Monitoring Committee’s decision with the Lead Partner of each project.

In the case of non-approved projects, a letter will explain the reasons for non-approval. For approved projects, the letter will outline the conditions that must be met before the project can be contracted. These conditions usually involve minor corrections to the Application Form and are addressed by the partnership with direct support from the Joint Secretariat. The Lead Partner can expect one or more meetings with the Desk Officer to fulfil these conditions.

At this stage, the start-up payment, milestones, and corresponding payment amounts will also be defined.

Normally, the conditions are met within two to three months after approval. The project is then contracted and can begin implementation.

When is a project expected to start?

Normally, projects are contracted and can start within 2 to 3 months from the date of approval, which would be February – March 2027. The project can only start on the 1^st day of a month.