A European programme for the blue economy
The European Interreg Marittimo fund brings together several partners in France and Italy. It supports various cross-border initiatives for the blue sector, including the BlueConnect programme. The Var CCI is preparing to launch its 2nd component. "BlueConnect2 is aimed at the blue sector as a whole. After a 1st stage with a more general vision and in particular the creation of a Port Observatory, this second component is the capitalisation of the 1st. It focuses on supporting companies. 50% of the budget is intended for companies in the cross-border zone" explains Nathalie Peberel, nautical consultant at the Var CCI and referent of the dossier. The Var CCI is the lead partner in the BlueConnect2 project, working in partnership with the Pôle Mer Méditerranée, the Nice Côte d'Azur CCI, the port authorities of La Spezia in Liguria and Promo Camera in Sardinia.
Financing innovative projects in the maritime and nautical sectors
In January 2021, the Var CCI will launch a Call for Expression of Interest (AMI) aimed at Italian and French companies in the area concerned. "It is open to companies more than 2 years old and less than 5 years old, which will be supported in innovative projects in the blue economy, and the applications will be studied by a Franco-Italian college. The winners will receive a voucher of ?9000 to be spent on their support in our catalogue of partner companies. This may involve drawing up a business plan, market research, etc. At the same time, we will launch a call for referencing to update our catalogue of service providers created during the 1st part of BlueConnect"
Following the appraisal, the 29 winning companies will receive direct assistance from the European programme. "This is one way of starting the process. They choose their approved service provider and pay them directly. If necessary, they can also supplement the 9,000 euros for further studies and go further. Concludes Nathalie Peberel.
