BackFrom Swedish Institute seed funding to solar energy communities: how cooperation in the Baltic Sea region can be scaled up
The County Administrative Board of Östergötland led a small Swedish Institute–funded project in the Baltic Sea region that later grew into a large initiative on energy communities. It illustrates the type of cooperation supported by the Swedish Institute Baltic Sea and Eastern Partnership Programme, and how it contributes to implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.
When the County Administrative Board of Östergötland in Sweden began exploring new avenues for international cooperation linked to the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the ambition was to learn from others in the Baltic Sea region and translate shared challenges into practical action. At the time, the cooperation was still at an early stage.
With seed funding from the Swedish Institute (SI), partners in Estonia, Latvia and Sweden were brought together to test how cooperation could support work on the Sustainable Development Goals. In the project IntAg2030 led by the County Administrative Board of Östergötland in Sweden, partnerships were established, common working frameworks developed and trust built across borders.
The cooperation initiated with Swedish Institute funding later evolved into StartSun, a larger EU‑funded project supported by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme. StartSun brings partners in Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia together to pilot local solar energy communities, supporting municipalities and local actors in developing tailored solar energy solutions. The project contributes to objectives under EUSBSR Policy Area Energy.
The pathway from a small exploratory project to a full‑scale Interreg initiative illustrates how early‑stage funding can help organisations move from ideas to implementation and from national cooperation to impact for the Baltic Sea region and beyond.
Read the full article about StartSun on the SI website: https://si.se/en/international-energy-project-si-seed-funding/
Swedish Institute funding to strengthen cooperation in the Baltic Sea region
This logic lies at the heart of the Swedish Institute Baltic Sea and Eastern Partnership Programme, recently launched by the Swedish Institute. The programme brings together several previous funding schemes into one consolidated framework for funding cooperation in the Baltic Sea region and the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries.
The programme consists of two geographical strands:
- The Baltic Sea Region strand supports cooperation addressing shared societal challenges in line with the objectives and Policy Area actions of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Partnerships may include actors from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden, and may also include Moldova and Ukraine.
- The Eastern Partnership strand focuses on strengthening democratic development, human rights, the rule of law and gender equality through cooperation with organisations in the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries. (Funding for arranging training programmes is also available within this strand.)
Within the Baltic Sea Region strand, two grant types are available: seed funding supports early‑stage partnerships, while funding for cooperation projects enables more established partnerships to further develop their work.
The StartSun example illustrates how cooperation in the Baltic Sea region can be built and scaled over time, with different funding forms supporting successive stages of development. Swedish Institute funding helps partnerships take initial steps, strengthen joint efforts and align their activities with the Strategy, enabling further cooperation through funding from Interreg and other EU programmes.
Clear links to the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Action Plan
Applicants under the Baltic Sea Region strand must demonstrate a clear link to the Strategy by specifying a relevant Policy Area action, as set out in the draft updated Action Plan. This ensures that funded projects deliver concrete added value to the strategy and the region.
Current call and opportunity for applicants
A call for applications is open, with a deadline of 19 May 2026. A Q&A session for Swedish main applicants will be held on 4 May, giving an opportunity to ask questions directly to Swedish Institute staff.
Find application material and registration details on the programme webpage: https://si.se/en/apply/funding-grants/si-baltic-sea-and-eastern-partnership-programme-2/
