RegioStars Awards 2020: applications now open to reward the best EU Cohesion Policy projects

Today, the European Commission kicks off the 13th edition of the RegioStars competition. From 2 March to 9 May 2020, EU-supported Cohesion Policy projects can submit an application in hopes of receiving an award in one of the five thematic categories: smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, urban development and the 2020 special “topic of the year” on the 30 years of Interreg, the EU’s emblematic scheme for cooperation across borders. Commenting the competition launch, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “RegioStars are a way to put excellent EU projects in the spotlight. We want to reward our colleagues in regions and cities for their hard work in improving their local community’s quality of life with the help of EU funds. The winning projects can also be an inspiration for other future projects.” The online application platform is accessible here. An independent jury of high-level academics will assess the submitted project applications and crown the winners during the festive RegioStars Awards ceremony, taking place in Brussels in October 2020 during the European Week of Regions and Cities. The public will also be invited to choose its own favourite project through an online public voting system. The guide for applicants is published here. The overview of last year’s RegioStars winners is available here.