What makes or breaks a startup? What happens when you reject the silo mentality? Those were questions bounced around during the iEER project, which resolved to empower European regions and their youth to be more entrepreneurial. 

The iEER achieved a return on investment of 1500% of Interreg Europe and EU funding. We are proud of the iEER and want to share its story and good practices with Europe via the RegioStars!


Since 2016, the iEER has ignited transformation in ten European regions’ support to young people and entrepreneurship.  We jointly investigated the components of business environments in these regions, exchanged knowledge and experience, transferred ood practices to develop a set of actions to improve their business ecosystems and supported each other in the process.

As a result, the iEER project triggered an investment of €36.8 million of European Structural Funds in supporting the youth development and entrepreneurship. It includes entrepreneurship teaching and mindset activation in schools, early startup support etc. The result is equivalent to a return on investment of 1500% of Interreg Europe and EU funding.


Furthermore, through the pilot project ‘train the trainers’, the iEER has successfully involved 31 universities, trained 352 teachers and professors and directly engaged 1100 students to learn about entrepreneurial skills and mindset in nine regions.

With this impressive result, the iEER was nominated and supported by the Interreg Europe for the RegioStar Competition in the 5th category of 30 years of Interreg: Youth empowerment for cooperation across borders.

We are proud of the iEER and want to share its story and good practices with Europe via RegioStars Aaward! Would you help us achive that?  If your answer is yes, please give your vote to the iEER for the RegioStars 2020 here in the category of 30 years of Interreg: Youth empowerment for cooperation across borders.

This year there are 206 applicants to the RegioStars award.  An independent jury will choose up to 5 finalists per category, to be announced on 9 July.