The CESAM project A-AAGORA, in coordination with its sister project CLIMAREST, has just released a Policy Brief addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with cascade funding, in the context of the European Union’s Ocean Mission.
Cascade funding is a structured mechanism aimed at promoting the replication and scaling up of innovative project solutions in areas facing similar challenges, referred to as Associated Regions. These territories are not directly part of the project consortia but benefit from technical and financial support to apply and adapt solutions developed in the projects’ demonstrator sites.
The Policy Brief is the result of both projects’ experience in engaging and funding Associated Regions. Based on lessons learned and a co-creation process involving the Associated Regions themselves, three key recommendations were identified to improve the cascade funding mechanism:
- Accelerate payment processing, ensuring greater execution capacity for beneficiaries.
- Clarify the involvement of municipal authorities.
- Properly manage the expectations of Associated Regions.
The coordination between A-AAGORA and CLIMAREST reflects the spirit promoted by the Ocean Mission, which encourages the sharing of best practices and collaboration among projects with converging goals. By openly and systematically sharing their experience, the two projects aim to contribute to building more resilient and sustainable coastal communities.
The Policy Brief is available in English here.