The RegioStars awards application process for the year 2013 is now open. These awards are aimed at identifying good practices in regional development and to highlight original and innovative projects which could be attractive and inspiring to other regions. The candidatures can be sent no later than the 20 of April 2012.

Time for applications to the RegioStars awards 2013 is now open. These awards have as main objective to identify good practices in regional development and to highlight original and innovative projects which could be attractive and inspiring to other regions. The candidatures can be submitted until the 20 of April.

European regions are eligible for EU structural and Cohesion Fund support from a variety of national, regional or cooperation programmes. Either the Member State or the most relevant structural funds managing authority for the national or regional programmes – for the period 2000-2006 or 2007-2013 - may submit a maximum of one entry per category taking all the periods and the programmes together. The designated managing authority of each programme can therefore submit a maximum of five applications.

The submissions can be made to the following five RegioStars Awards categories for 2013:

1. Smart growth: connecting universities to regional growth
2. Sustainable growth: supporting resource efficiency in SMEs
3. Inclusive growth: social innovation - creative responses to societal challenges
4. Citystar category: integrated approaches to sustainable urban development
5. Information and communication category: promoting EU regional policy using short videos. The length of the video may not exceed 5 minutes.

The applications should be sent by e-mail and the project has been co-financed under the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund or the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) after 1 January 2000. Furthermore, applications must be submitted or endorsed by an EU structural funds managing authority for a regional or national programme.