On 23 September 2026 the Interreg South Baltic Programme held its Annual Event at the Mercure Palanga Vanagupe Resort in Palanga, Lithuania. The day’s highlight was the TakeUP Capitalisation workshop – a hands-on, interactive session aimed at helping projects turn their results into lasting impact.
Around 100 participants attended this year’s Annual Event, including 74 representatives from 35 projects.
The event opened with a welcome address by Mr. Šarūnas Vaitkus, Mayor of Palanga, followed by remarks on the Programme’s future from Mrs. Monika Jurczyk, Representative of the Managing Authority (Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy of Poland), and an update on its current status from Mrs. Małgorzata Skolmowska, Head of the Joint Secretariat. The workshop was moderated by Joint Secretariat colleagues Katarzyna Sempołowicz-Lipska (Communication and Capitalisation Officer) and Belén Benzaquén (Project Officer).
The TakeUP workshop offered a rare chance for project teams to learn capitalisation in practice, strengthen their networks and accelerate uptake of their results. Participants were seated at round tables grouped by the Programme measures and supported by two Table Facilitators from across the Programme family: colleagues from the Joint Secretariat, the Managing Authority, the Programme’s Regional Contact Points, and representatives of three projects that had taken part in a pilot edition of the workshop earlier this year. That pilot, organised in February by the Interreg North Sea Region Programme together with the Interact Programme, involved five Interreg programmes and their projects and proved highly successful.
The TakeUP method is based on the Seven Essentials concept developed by the Interreg North Sea Region Programme. The Interreg South Baltic Programme is the first Interreg programme to introduce the Seven Essentials in full to its projects; the concept will soon be available to all Interreg programmes via the Interact library for wider use.
The workshop used a tried-and-tested method with hands-on coaching and group learning. Participants worked with the 7 Essentials toolbox to create clear, practical roadmaps, did interactive exercises with a workbook to leave with concrete next steps, and met others working on similar topics. Small coaching groups kept the focus on real follow-up actions.
Capitalisation is a required part of running projects, and the workshop offered practical help to meet those obligations. Many projects are now at a stage where capitalisation can significantly increase their long-term impact. The Annual Event brought many project partners together in one place, boosting networking and collaboration. A song about capitalisation – the event’s “song of the day” titled “South Baltic Star” highlighted the projects’ core ambitions, reflecting the key impacts they aim to achieve both during their lifetime and beyond.
The day concluded with a lively celebration for Interreg Cooperation Day and a Projects Karaoke session. Six brave project representatives took part: BalticBeat, Reelooped, N‑B‑Well, SCONE, T.A.B. and D‑effect. Projects Karaoke was a fast-paced exercise designed to make project stories clear, concise and easy to present: participants prepare short, accessible presentations anyone can deliver, an excellent way to increase visibility and stimulate cross‑programme collaboration. The format generated laughter and learning in equal measure, while highlighting the value of clear, transferable project messages for capitalisation and future cooperation.
The Annual Event closed with dinner and a performance by the folk ensemble Kuršių ainiai (Curonian Spit), featuring traditional dance and local drinks, which was a fitting local touch to round off a productive day.
Following the success of this year’s TakeUP workshop, the Joint Secretariat encourages project teams to build capitalisation into their planning from the start. While the Joint Secretariat does not plan another event of this scale in the near future, the tools and connections developed in Palanga should help projects turn ideas into meaningful, long-term impact. To support this process, the Joint Secretariat plans to organise a follow-up online meeting in the upcoming months.
As projects move forward, they should keep capitalisation at the heart of their work, collaborate openly, and use the tools and connections made at the event to scale successes beyond the project lifecycle. Together, these efforts will help build a more resilient, connected South Baltic region – one shared result at a time.