Councils and colleges in Tayside and Fife have pleaded with ministers to protect European funding programmes after Brexit.
More than 50 organisations backed a campaign to secure programmes that have invested £56 million in 127 projects in Scotland since 2014.
They included Dundee, Angus and Fife councils and Dundee and Angus College.
Projects under the European Territorial Cooperation umbrella (Interreg) include Clipper, which supports shipyards and other maritime industries in Fife, and creative technology in Dundee.
Will Dawson, chairman of the East of Scotland European Consortium (ESEC) said: “The EU has already made provisions for the UK taking part in the Interreg programme post-Brexit, a testament to the knowledge and experience we bring to partnerships.
“The ball is now in the court of the UK Government, which needs to make this happen.”
