The activities of the European Projects HUB for the social economy continue, an initiative co-designed with Weco Impresa Sociale thanks to the support of the Turin Chamber of Commerce and the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation.
On Friday, February 14, a workshop dedicated to the ALCOTRA Program, specifically focusing on microprojects, was held at ESCP Business School.
Microprojects are a new feature of the Interreg Italy-France ALCOTRA Program, characterized by limited budgets and duration. Their objective is to involve new actors in cross-border cooperation by supporting actions that directly engage citizens, raising awareness on key program themes.
The workshop, led by Maria Chiara Pizzorno from Weco Impresa Sociale, featured the participation of Davide Prette from Vol.To, an organization that secured funding for an ALCOTRA microproject last year.
The session included structured information on the program, the call for proposals, and the application form, followed by a peer-to-peer learning segment and experience-sharing. The event concluded with a Q&A session, where participants could present their project ideas and seek clarifications from experts.
The capacity-building process will continue in the coming weeks with individual coaching sessions, offering participants the opportunity to present their project ideas to European funding experts who will provide crucial support throughout the application process.
The ALCOTRA Program and Microprojects
The Interreg ALCOTRA Program, funded by the European Union, aims to strengthen cohesion between border regions of France and Italy. Supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), ALCOTRA promotes projects that contribute to the economic, social, and sustainable growth of Franco-Italian cross-border areas.
A key innovation in the ALCOTRA 2021-2027 Program is the introduction of microprojects—small-scale initiatives with budgets ranging from €25,000 to €75,000, benefiting from simplified application and management procedures. These projects aim to foster cross-border cooperation by engaging new public and private stakeholders.
The second call for microprojects focuses on two main areas:
- Education, training, and bilingualism, aimed at improving equal access to high-quality and inclusive education, training, and lifelong learning services. This includes the development of accessible infrastructure and the promotion of resilience in online and distance learning.
- Tourism and culture, which seeks to enhance the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion, and social innovation.
