Background. Globalization and growing concerns for good governance and effectivenessput emphasis on addressing cross-border challenges to which single public organizationsor private companies face barriers. Transnational public-private partnerships (PPPs) areincreasingly used to bring multi-actor and cross-sector solutions to global issues rangingfrom economic development to environmental sustainability to social policies. As privateand public actors participating in transnational PPPs are guided by their own motives thatsignificantly differ from each other, they might enter into conflict with those of thecollaborating sector. Moreover, attention paid by private and public actors to sustainingtheir own identities and fulfilling their own motives might lead to a situation when actorswould be more oriented to achieving their specific goals that are not closely related to thepurposes of partnerships. Partners should consider possible impacts of their decisions onthe overall purpose of partnership in order to not undermine the ability to deliver theexpected results and services.Purpose. The purpose of this study is to investigate the motives of private actors forparticipating in short-term transnational PPPs and their influence on the achievement ofpurposes of such partnerships.Hypotheses. Based on the literature review, three research hypotheses are formulated: 1.Private actors participating in short-term transnational PPPs are guided by financialmotives to the least extent. 2. The specific motives of private actors differ considerablydepending on which type of short-term transnational PPPs they participate in. 3. Themotives of private actors except from financial motives have a positive influence on theachievement of purposes of short-term transnational PPPs.Method: Primary data have been gathered through a questionnaire-based surveyconducted among private companies participating in North Sea Region and CentralEurope programmes within INTERREG B - initiative for transnational cooperation.Empirical data have been analyzed using statistical methods such as factor analysis andmultiple regression analysis.Conclusion. By examining the underlying structure through factor analysis, the motivesof private actors have been divided into four groups such as financial, market-related,capacity building and social and political motives. According to the results of the analysis,private actors participating in short-term transnational PPPs consider financial motives asless important than capacity building, social and political and market-related motives.ivComparisons of the most important motives indicated by private actors have not detectedconsiderable differences depending on the types of PPPs. As identified through regressionanalysis, the influence of capacity building and market-related motives of private actors onthe achievement of overall purpose of partnership is positive, while their financial motivesaffect negatively the result of short-term transnational PPPs.