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Over the last years and months, the 3DP Pilot was able to design various SMEs-led ‘application-specific projects’ generated by active demo-cases. For some of these company led use cases, the Pilot was able to describe the activities and associated costs for each project in detail. For some projects, full business models and business plans were generated (with the support of the DG REGIO Pilot Action which supported 3DP Pilot in 2018-2019). 

On that basis, the 3DP Pilot invited regional experts from 8 regions involved in a selection of cases to discuss the availability of current and upcoming funding instruments. Preparatory materials, including a description of the characteristics of the cases (partners, roles, activities, costs, etc.) were sent beforehand to the experts.

The overall guiding question during the workshop was; are there (currently/in the future) programmes/funding instruments available to address presented funding needs (taking into account e.g. the compatibility with amount, funding needs, multi-regional dimension?). The main barriers to such cross regional dimensions were also discussed as well as the expectations and opportunities related to next programming period. 

The workshop, organised by José Caldeira (NORTE Region/INESC TEC), Wim De Kinderen (Brainport Development) and Jean-François Romainville (IDEA Consult), took place on 17 November and gathered around 20 persons. It was also organised as a joint effort by the 3DP Pilot and the Co-finance and Co-funding Task Group. Specific and detailed regional insights were shared and highlighted that

1. Funding opportunities are available but
2. Limitations to fund cross-regional demonstration cases are to be taken into account and eventually addressed for the next programming period.

As next steps, the 3DP Pilot will map the relevant information in order to build a basis for a ‘usable’ matrix of regional funding opportunities, to be updated and upscaled taking into account insights from other regions. The 3DP Pilot will work towards replicating this exercise in the future with new use cases, especially when the details of the new programming period will be available et regional level. 

This meeting was an opportunity for the 3DP Pilot to highlight again the importance of taking such cross-regional funding needs into account when designing new programmes and instruments at regional level, an action to which we invite all Vanguard regions to take. The 3DP Pilot remains available in case regional experts would be looking for information illustrating such funding needs.