http://www.eeagrants.org/ EEAGrants.org RSS Feed en-us http://www.eeagrants.org/images/logo.gif http://www.eeagrants.org/ admin@eeagrants.org http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=184 Estonia’s €2.3 million NGO Fund concluded its second call for NGO projects in July, awarding €400,000 in grants to 31 NGO projects. A total 145 applications were submitted in response to the second open call under the Estonian €2.3 million NGO Fund. The largest number of project proposals came under the focus area for social integration and local development, counting for 25 percent of the available grants under the NGO Fund. NGO Fund coordinator Maris Jõgeva related the significant demand for grants within the focus area for social integration to the challenges facing Estonia’s social sphere and attempts by NGOs to play part in tackling these issues. According to Jõgeva, NGOs can provide support to activities such as care giving to family members, comprehensive integration of people with special needs, and towards the protection of children’s rights. The projects to receive grants under the second call include efforts to encourage volunteer work in Estonia, activities aimed at involving people with special needs within policy-making, spreading knowledge about organic farming and reviving Estonian cinema culture in rural areas. One third of the submitted proposals were applications that had been further developed following rejection in the fund’s first call. “Consultations with applicants and feedback that was given to projects after the first open call are now bearing fruits, as 17 among the 31 supported projects are applications that were further developed according to feedback from the fund’s first project round,” Jõgeva said. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway support the Estonian NGO fund with €2.1 million, with the Estonian government providing the remaining ten percent of the fund. Over the coming three years small-scale grants will be provided to Estonian NGOs and social partners within the focus areas democracy and civil society, environment and sustainable development, and social integration and local development. A total six calls will be held under the fund, and the third open call has a deadline in September this year. Descriptions of the supported projects are available at the web page of fund manager Open Estonia Foundation http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=183 On 21 July 2008, Bulgaria launched its first open call under the €2 million NGO Fund supported by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Earlier this month, Bulgaria became the eleventh country to launch a fund for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with support from EEA Grants. The highly anticipated NGO Fund will provide a much needed source of funding for Bulgarian civil society, and by 2010, a total amount of €1,858,000 will be re-granted to Bulgarian NGOs. Under the present call, applicants can apply for funding for projects within the following priority areas: Protection of the environment and promotion of sustainable development; Provision and development of social services, such as in health and childcare; Development of civil society and protection of human rights. All Bulgarian NGOs functioning on a not for profit basis are eligible applicants, and projects that involve partners from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are encouraged. Applications can be submitted to fund managers Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation and Foundation for Local Government Reform until 15 October 2008. Further information about the application process, eligibility and priority areas can be found in the open call text. Questions may also be directed to the Frequently Asked Questions section on ngofund.flgr.bg. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=182 The Kiltsi manor house in Estonia, dating back to the 1790s and currently housing Kiltsi elementary school, is given a new lease of life with a €1.1 million renovation grant from Norway. After being derelict for almost a century, Kiltsi manor, located in north-eastern Estonia, will now be renovated to enable the building to remain in use as the local community’s public school. The manor repair was put on a fast track in November 2007, when the municipality was awarded a €1.1 million grant from Norway to its €1.36 million project aimed at restoring the building to its former glory. Ruin and decay Kiltsi manor house was built in the 1790s on top of the ruins of a 13th century fortification. At the heyday of the manor houses, Estonia boasted close to 2000 manors across the country. But, over the last century, most of these unique buildings fell into decay and ruin. Today only a third of the houses remain, largely due to having been in use as school buildings since the 1920s. While the schools might have saved the buildings from total decay, the local municipalities never had the means to restore the often exquisite interiors or even the façades. New gym At the Kiltsi manor a crumbling roof, cracks in ceilings and walls, worn out floors, poorly isolated windows and moisture damage have for decades hampered the school’s social life. Now, the building's medieval foundation, façade and interior are up for a complete revamp. In addition to preserving an important cultural monument, the teaching and learning conditions will significantly improve. Upon completion, the school’s physical education classes can be moved from the hall to the new gym, new rooms for hobby group activities and recreation will be put to use, and the teachers will have a renovated common room. Baltic-German nobility Although a relatively small manor, the long list of previous owners of the Kiltsi manor is an excursion through Baltic-German nobility – von Gilsens, Uexkülls, Zoegas, Manteuffels, Rosens, and von Benckendorffs. The most honoured among the previous owners is Adam Johann von Krusenstern, an admiral of the Russian Empire that led a voyage around the world in 1803-1806. The project also includes an establishment of a heritage museum of A.J. Krusenstern. Read further projects facts by running a search for EE0029 in the EEA and Norway Grants project database. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=181 Tábor Botanical Garden has renewed 500 metres of pathway, created aviaries for handicapped birds, and planted 1300 trees and plants with support from the EEA and Norway Grants. Across 2.5 hectares in Tábor, the Czech Republic’s second oldest botanical garden features a network of paths through a diverse flora of cactuses, mushrooms, trees, cotton and carnivore plants. Dating back to 1886, the park was world renown in the early 20th century for its classification of plants according to agricultural and industrial importance. A continuous wide range of collections was ensured after 1907, when the garden began swapping seeds and plants with other botanical gardens across the world. Today, the garden is co-operating with some 400 botanical gardens. The over 140 year old garden has however been troubled by road development in recent years. After being cut asunder by a panel road in 1975, the park was faced with the prospect of being permanently covered in concrete in 1990. The foreseen permanent road was nonetheless blocked by public voting, a one of its kind referendum in the Czech Republic. In November 2000, 80 percent of the locals voted against the road. The Czech Ministry of Culture followed swiftly and declared the garden a Czech cultural monument the same year. Reconstruction works in the garden were initiated in 2002. The pace of the works was however significantly upped in 2007, when the park was awarded a €22,500 grant from the Czech NGO fund established under the EEA and Norway Grants. The town of Tábor is co-financing the renovation project “The Botanical Garden – a place for meeting, a place for learning, a place for resting” with €3,525. Over the last year, the Botanical Garden Protection Association in Tábor has renewed 537 metres of pathway, planted 1300 trees and plants, constructed aviaries for handicapped birds, and installed new benches and dust bins in the garden. “The project covers costs on materials and services that we are not able to provide by ourselves. The rest of the work, such as reconstruction of paths, expositions, planting, is completed with own forces for free”, botanical garden manager Radoslav Kacerovský said. The botanical garden forms part of the Tábor College and Secondary School of Agriculture, and the project will also offer environmental education in the garden. For further information about the project and the botanical garden in Tábor, click here. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=180 On 7 July Slovak environmental NGOs received a second tranche of €0.7 million in support for their sustainable development projects. Slovakia’s three NGO funds supporting projects within the fields of environmental protection, human rights and social inclusion have been up and running since November 2007. The total amount earmarked to NGOs through the three funds is €5 million, of which Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are contributing with 85 percent and Slovakia 15 percent. Slovak environmental NGOs are now up for a second funding round, with fund manager Ekopolis Foundation accepting project proposals until 7 October 2008. Grants in the range of €20,000 to €100,000 will be awarded to projects within the areas of protection of the environment, sustainable energy, food safety and environmental education. The €2 million environmental NGO fund, managed by the Ekopolis Foundation, is aimed at increasing the participation of environmental NGOs in addressing challenges related to sustainable development in Slovakia. For further details, see the open call text and the guide for applicants at www.ekopolis.sk. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=179 On 1 July, Bulgaria became the eleventh country to launch a fund for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with support from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The NGO funds under the EEA and Norway Grants make available funding to civil society organisations within areas such as the environment, human rights and democracy, social services and capacity building. The overarching aim of the EEA and Norway Grants is reduction of social and economic disparities in the enlarged EU and European Economic Area (EEA) after 2004, and the strengthening and development of the civil sector is seen as a pivotal part of this. The €2 million Bulgarian NGO fund will support NGO activities within the fields of environment and sustainable development, provision and development of social services, and development of civil society and protection of human rights. The fund will be managed by the Foundation for Local Government Reform in Bulgaria, in partnership with the Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation. “This support to NGOs is extremely valuable, timely and noble in a crucial moment, when for many years donors are in the process of withdrawing, the EU funding system is still unstructured and not functioning, and the support of the Bulgarian government limited” , stated Mr. Zdravko Sechkov, Acting Director of the Foundation for Local Government Reform. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004, and Romania and Bulgaria became members in 2007. Several major international donors have gradually pulled out as countries became members of the EU. This makes the contribution from the EEA and Norway Grants even more valuable to NGOs in these countries. Lubomira Kolcheva, Director of the Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation, said the Bulgarian NGO fund’s accessibility for smaller organisations would be of major importance. “The EEA Grants will make a difference through its flexibility to respond to real needs and to enable not only big organisations, but also small ones to have access to funding. I expect that the EEA Grants will have significant impact on the improvement of the environmental conditions in the country,” she said. So far, the EEA-EFTA states have approved 18 NGO funds in 11 countries totaling more than €83 million in assistance from the EEA and Norway Grants. An NGO fund is also in the pipeline in Cyprus. With more than €80 million earmarked for NGOs, Norway - as the largest donor – is turning into one of the primary supporters of civil society in Central Europe. The open call under the Bulgarian NGO fund will open on 21 July 2008, and applications can be submitted until 15 October 2008. For further information on the Bulgarian NGO fund, see www.flgr.bg. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=178 A €5 million NGO Fund is now in place under the EEA Grants in Romania to help scale up the response by civil society organisations to European disparities. At the launch event in Bucharest on 30 June, State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Environment, Heidi Sørensen said it had been Norway’s ambition from the very start to have civil society organisations play a role in creating development in the new EU member states. “NGOs might not always make life pleasant, but they play a crucial role in putting the finger on problems and they make policy-making faster and more interesting,” she said, adding: “Never underestimate the power of dedicated people with a passion”. The €5 million fund in Romania, which is financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway under the EEA Grants, has a split focus on supporting watch-dog activities and developing model projects providing social services. “We will target areas that are strategically important for Romania. Grants will be awarded to public policy initiatives, activities aimed at further developing issues such as child and youth involvement in the community, social inclusion, cultural heritage preservation, as well as creating responsibility regarding environmental issues”, said Executive Director Ionut Sibian of the Civil Society Development Foundation, managing the NGO fund. NGOs in transition The NGO fund has been eagerly anticipated in Romania, arriving at a time when other donors are pulling out and shifting focus to non-EU members. With little funding sources to tap into, a period of transition had been forced on the NGO community. “Several grant schemes have closed down and the EU funding is hard to digest for NGOs. We hope this fund will be an easy financial tool for Romanian NGOs, and help this transition,” fund manager Sibian said. The NGO fund will provide funding to Romanian NGOs until 2011, with the first of a total two calls for project proposals set to open in July this year. Civil Society Development Foundation promises an efficient evaluation process. “Projects submitted by the deadline in October will be started in January 2009”, Simona Constantinescu said. To ensure wide participation by also smaller NGOs, a micro and macro scheme will apply to each of the five thematic areas, with grants ranging from €5,000 to €75,000. In addition to supplying sustainability to Romanian NGOs, the new fund has set itself a target of creating viable results. A core aim is bringing Romanian NGOs, local communities and public administrations together in solving local challenges. “One of our focus areas is local level initiatives, which need to be carried out in partnerships between local governments and NGOs. If we work on our own it will just be islands of good practices. We end up with applaudable projects, but not the ones that are sustainable on a long term basis”, Sibian said. Bilateral collaboration Norwegian NGOs have engaged strongly in making sure that the EEA cohesion funding mounted in NGO funds in the new EU member states receiving support from the three EEA EFTA countries. “Civil society organisations are crucial stakeholders in promoting a sustainable development,” Rasmus Hansson, General Secretary of WWF Norway, said in his speech at the launch event. “NGOs have a powerful ability to mobilise new ideas and challenge established truths. By having the power to set the agenda, NGOs can change politics,” he said. Collaborative efforts by NGOs are also an opportunity under the fund. In addition to pooling ideas with national counterparts, Romanian NGOs have the option of reaching across the country’s borders for project partners from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Details on the July open call for projects will be made available on www.eeagrants.org shortly. For further information on the NGO fund in Romania, see Civil Society Development Foundation’s web page The NGO portal www.ngonorway.org has been set up to facilitate searches for Norwegian NGOs for partnership projects. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=177 The Polish €41.5 million NGO fund, supported by a €37.5 million grant from Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland, has released a short film to showcase its progress made in promoting democracy and civil society in Poland. Appearing in the film, Mohamed-Zanussi-Bah, bus driver in Warsaw, said: “There are some people who don’t like other people’s clothes, hairstyle or skin colour. They might not like it. There are such people. But there are many people in the world.” Directed by award winning documentary maker Cezary Ciszewski, the short film ‘Bus to Democracy’ portrays some of the individuals whose lives have been touched by the Polish NGO fund. The film was made on behalf of fund operator Co-operation Fund Foundation, and features examples of projects that have received financial support under the focus area ‘democracy and civil society’. While the community of Orelec saved its school in dire need of renovation from closure, Warsaw high school students have taken part both in a campaign attacking xenophobia, racism and discrimination and in complimentary drama and theater workshops. According to Bartosz Mielecki of the the Co-operation Fund Foundation, the film 'Bus to democracy' presents a small picture of the wide spectrum of projects supported under the Polish NGO Fund. "In a fun way, the film inspires individuals and civil society organisations to act. Everybody is invited to hop on the bus and contribute towards strenghtening democracy and civil society", he said. A boost for civil society The €41.5 million NGO Fund in Poland is the largest of the 18 NGO funds supported under the EEA and Norway Grants. Since the fund was launched in April 2007, around 3800 applications have been submitted for NGO projects, and the fund is set to support more than 1000 projects in the coming years. Due to the considerable size and scope of the Polish NGO fund, the three focus areas are managed by two organisations with ties to civil society and the areas of intervention. The Co-operation Fund Foundation is responsible for the focus area of democracy and civil society. Environmental protection and sustainable development as well as equal opportunities and social integration are managed by Ecorys. “Looking at the number of applications we have received, you can see that the NGO sector was waiting for an opportunity like this. The establishment of these funds was so important and so necessary for them,” Bartosz Mielecki, fund coordinator for the component for democracy and civil society, said. Rafał Szakalinis, fund coordinator at ECORYS Polska, echoed this: “Although funding opportunities for the Polish NGO community exist, these funds are unique in both size and duration,” he said. Watch the film ‘Bus to Democracy’ here. Read more about the Polish NGO fund in this article. For more information on the Polish NGO Fund and its supported activities, see the fund’s web page, www.funduszngo.pl. Read more about funded projects in Poland here. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=176 The most notable example among the NGO funds supported under the EEA and Norway Grants is the €41.5 million fund in Poland, representing a considerable push for civil society development, opening up for small grants to grassroots organisations over several years to come. Due to the considerable size and scope of the Polish NGO fund, the three focus areas are managed by two organisations with ties to civil society and the areas of intervention. The Co-operation Fund Foundation is responsible for the focus area of democracy and civil society. Environmental protection and sustainable development as well as equal opportunities and social integration is managed by Ecorys. Since the launch of the NGO fund in 2007, around 3800 applications have been submitted for NGO projects to the two intermediaries. “Looking at the number of applications we have received, you can see that the NGO sector was waiting for an opportunity like this. The establishment of these funds was so important and so necessary for them,” Bartosz Mielecki, fund coordinator for the component for Democracy and civil society, said. Rafał Szakalinis, fund coordinator at ECORYS Polska, echoed this: “Although funding opportunities for the Polish NGO community exist, these funds are unique in both size and duration,” he said. The current 165 project portfolio under the Polish NGO fund includes efforts to involve people in activities in support of human rights during the buildup to the Olympic Games in Beijing, promotion of social participation and rehabilitation for children with special needs through theatre and drama therapy, as well as support to the international film festival WATCH DOCS and their goal of fostering social change and raising awareness about human rights. The NGO fund opens up for cooperation projects between Polish civil society organisations, including social partners, and their counterparts from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to further the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation between Poland and the EEA EFTA states. “We encourage the applicants to get the partners on board as early on in the process as possible, even in writing the applications. Fresh ideas and exchange of know-how can help the candidates at this crucial stage of the process,” Szakalinis said. Both intermediaries have attempted to achieve a fair distribution of the available resources. “Although it has been a challenge to attain a fair geographical distribution, we are pleased to see that our funding is also reaching grass root projects in smaller towns, not only the larger organisations based in Warsaw,” Mielecki said. Also Szakalinis, fund coordinator at Ecorys, underlined the fact that the Polish NGO sector has appreciated the way their funds have been distributed. “From our funds, it is not only the most powerful organisations who receive support,” he said. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=175 The number of students from Central and Eastern Europe in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway has increased dramatically with the €21 million scholarship funds under the EEA and Norway Grants. The EEA and Norway Grants’ student exchange programmes are growing in popularity in Central and Eastern Europe. Scholarship funds are already in place in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia, with funds amounting to an additional €7.5 million in the pipeline in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia and Spain. Some 140 students have already studied in Norway with help from the Czech and Portuguese scholarship funds, and the amount of students coming to Norway is set to explode this fall when the scholarships from the funds in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia are set to kick in. Both the Czech Republic and Hungary are looking at a doubled number of students in Norway following the set up of EEA and Norway Grants scholarship funds in these countries. “It has been amazing to see how the Czechs have grasped the opportunity the scholarship funds represent. And this is only the beginning. A further 400 students from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia, are expected only to Norway in the coming year”, said Sigve Soldal Bjorstad, Head of Information for the EEA and Norway Grants. The Czech scholarship fund was the first to become operational, and 147 students have already benefited from the grant scheme. Czech students have attended more than 30 Norwegian educational institutions from Agder in south to Karasjok in the very north of Norway, as well as five institutions in Iceland and four in Liechtenstein. “For the small country of Liechtenstein with only 35,000 inhabitants, it’s quite remarkable having Czech students in four different institutions, ” Bjorstad said. Enhanced educational cooperation Cooperation between educational institutions is an important element of the scholarship funds. By end-2008 more than 100 partnership projects between institutions in the EEA EFFTA states and institutions in Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary will have received support. A total 21 cooperation projects between Czech schools and partners in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are already underway, and 50 Hungarian partnership projects are expected to be launched this autumn, along with further Czech, Polish and Slovakian projects. Cooperation activities supported by the scholarship funds also include exchanges of staff within both secondary and higher education. Over the coming year, more than 200 Hungarian teachers and lecturers are up for a work stay in Norway, and several Latvian teachers are off to Iceland. T Through transfer of know-how between educational institutions, schools find inspiration to develop curricula and ideas for new material that can be used in everyday teaching. “Czech schools are really appreciating the opportunity to work with schools in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. With different systems and different education, we have a lot to learn from each other”, commented Barbora Zavodska, manager of the Czech scholarship fund. Scholarship funds are already established in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, and Slovakia. Scholarship funds in Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia and Spain are expected to be launched by 2009. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=174 On 9 June, the €6.5 million Hungarian NGO fund closed its first open call for NGO projects. . The €6.5 million NGO Fund launched its first call on 10 April, and in order to better target the Hungarian NGO sector two categories of grants were available. NGOs could either apply for macro projects ranging from €25,000 to €80,000 or micro projects from €5,000 to €25,000. A second round for micro projects will be held in early 2009. By the submission deadline, the Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation had received 955 applications. The projects were spread over the four thematic areas: Environmental protection and sustainable development:179 received applications Civil liberties and capacity building - 341 received applications Social cohesion, and health and childcare - 238 received applications Cultural heritage – 197 received applications The separate grant scheme for Hungarian NGOs comes on top of the opportunities for NGOs to submit project proposals under the previous open calls in Hungary. For further information on the Hungarian NGO Fund, see the website of the program: www.norvegcivilalap.hu. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=173 The cement industry is a major polluter of greenhouse gases, and AS Kunda Nordic Tsement will in a €3.4 million project cut its CO2-emissions through enabling its plant to use waste for energy production. AS Kunda Nordic Tsement (KNT) is applying a €0.8 million grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to its waste combustion project in Kunda. The company went ahead with its project to incinerate waste for energy production in mid-May, following the signing of the project’s grant agreement in Tallinn on 12 May. Until March 2010, the Estonian company will contribute to a reduction of pollution from its plant in Kunda, by recycling waste and decreasing the plant’s use of oil-shale as a source of energy. Following the investment of some 54 million EEK in technology, waste from Kunda and the town’s surrounding region will be burnt in the cement kilns instead of traditional fuels. According to Meelis Einstein, Purchasing Manager at Kunda Nordic Tsement, the company aims to replace 25 percent of the present fuels with waste materials by 2011. The cement industry is a major polluter of greenhouse gases, contributing about five percent to man-made CO2 emissions. In Estonia the cement production is heavily dependant on the combustion of oil shale, a low grade fuel known for its polluting properties both with regard to extraction and processing. In addition, most waste is still placed in landfills in Estonia. The project at the Kunda plant is in line with both national and EU waste strategies, and holds strong backing in the Estonian Ministry of Environment. At the signing of the grant agreement, Chancellor Annika Uudelepp of the Ministry of Environment commended KNT for their innovative project. ”It is only with the help of environment-friendly companies like Kunda Nordic Tsement and its partners that innovation comes about. Estonia is only at the starting phase of using waste for energy. KNT with its unique kilns makes a great contribution to the promotion of this idea”, Uudelepp said. Kunda Mayor Allar Aron congratulated KNT for being among the nine environmental projects approved for an EEA Grant. "Considering the increasing amount of waste produced, the KNT project is more than welcome”, he said and wished the company good luck with their project. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=172 A €650,000 project by municipal heating company OÜ Lihula Soojus, supported with a 50% grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, will swap the area’s energy production from oil-shale to straws and wood. By swapping oil-shale for biofuels in OÜ Lihula Soojus’ boiler house in Lihula, local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions will be drastically reduced. The change to biofuels is expected to reduce today’s 1350 tonnes of yearly emitted CO2 to an estimated 27 tonnes, a mere 2 percent of the current air pollution. The effect spurred by the change to biofuels, will be further boosted through the choice of using locally available biofuels to feed the new boilers. While the export of reed is a financially important in the Lihula area, the reed industry also causes significant air pollution. The average use of the dry grass is 20 percent, leaving as much as 80 percent left to be burned on the local fields. These leftover straws will now be used for OÜ Lihula Soojus’ energy production, along with wood fuel. In addition to reducing air pollution in Lihula, the new solution will contribute to keeping the fuel prices stable. The company is opting for a duo-fuelled biomass system consisting of two bioenergy boilers. This solution allows for a more secured fuel supply, as the company can choose to use different mixes of herbaceous fuel, such as straw and reed, and woodfuel according to varying supply conditions and price fluctuations. In addition, an important added value of the project is the creation of seven to eight full-time positions and three part-time positions for the work in the boiler-house and the follow up of the biofuel supply chain. The project will run until October 2009. Estonia’s minister of Finance, Ivari Padar, was present at the project’s formal launch on 23 May. Padar commended Lihula parish for using local fuels as the source for heating. Norway’s Ambassador to Estonia, Stein Vegard Hagen, was also present at the event. He congratulated OÜ Lihula Soojus for the successful completion of the EEA Grants selection process and thanked the Estonian Ministry of Finance for their good cooperation in implementing the EEA and Norway Grants in Estonia. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=171 The deadline of the ongoing open call for applications in Romania has been prolonged by one week for all priority sectors. Project proposals can be submitted until 20 June. A €40.5 million call for projects under the EEA Grants in Romania has been ongoing since 25 March this year. The deadline for project submission has been extended from 13 June until 20 June. Project proposals can be submitted within the sectors for protection of the environment, human resource development, health and childcare and conservation of cultural heritage. For further information on the call, see the open call text. In addition to the open call for individual projects, a specific NGO Fund under the EEA Grants is currently being prepared, as is a grant scheme for secondary schools, universities, students and teaching staff. Suspended call under the Norwegian Cooperation Programme EEA newcomer Romania is also benefiting from a separate bilateral program with Norway. The rolling call under the Norwegian Cooperation Programme with Romania will be suspended as of 18 June, and may be re-opened in September. Please see www.norwaygrants.org for further information on this programme. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=170 A Hungarian cross-border programme has made available €2.4 million to non-profit organisations in the Hungarian-Ukraine border region with support from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The programme ‘Development of cross-border co-operation at the Hungarian-Ukrainian border’ is expected to foster comprehensive cooperation between non profit organisations in the border area. On 6 June 2008, the fund launched its one and only call for joint project proposals by organisations from both sides of the frontier. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are supporting the fund with an 85 percent grant, and Hungary is covering the remaining 15 percent of the fund’s costs. Grants in the range of €11,000 to €114,000 (HUF 2,750,000 - 27,500,000) will be awarded to support activities that contribute to sustainable economic, social and environmental development in the border region. Projects can be developed within the following four priority areas: Promotion of sustainable economic development; Human resource development, education and cooperation in the field of culture and innovation; Protection of the environment and nature; and Local infrastructure development. Projects need to be developed in collaboration between a lead Hungarian applicant and at least one project partner from Ukraine. Eligible applicants are non profit organisations in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County in Hungary and the Sub-Carpathia region in Ukraine. Proposals can be submitted to fund manager VÁTI Public Nonprofit Company until 5 September 2008. For further details see the open call text. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=169 Estonia’s second call for projects this spring will be rounded off in July, when grants amounting to approximately €400,000 will be committed to NGO projects across the country. A total 145 applications were submitted in response to the second open call under the Estonian €2.3 million NGO Fund. The largest number of project proposals came under the focus area for social integration and local development, counting for 25 percent of the available grants under the NGO Fund. NGO Fund coordinator Maris Jõgeva related the significant demand for grants within the focus area for social integration to the challenges facing Estonia’s social sphere and attempts by NGOs to play part in tackling these issues. According to Jõgeva, NGOs can provide support to activities such as care giving to family members, comprehensive integration of people with special needs, and towards the protection of children’s rights. In addition to funding to projects run by Estonian NGO’s, the fund is instrumental in strengthening Estonian NGO’s organisational capacity and influence. “The fund can kick-start the development of necessary services in the social sphere, but there is a significant need for the Estonian government and local governments to cooperate with NGOs in the longer run to solve social problems and make sure the services will be provided on an ongoing basis,” Jõgeva said. The NGOs that submitted proposals under the second call applied for a combined grant of 30 million kroons, more than three times the available amount of 6.2 million kroons. One third of these proposals were applications that had been further developed following rejection in the fund’s first project round. A total 125 of the 145 applications passed the technical evaluation, of which 58 proposals concerned small-scale projects and 67 large-scale projects. Open Estonia Foundation, managing the fund, will conclude the project evaluation in July. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway support the Estonian NGO fund with €2.1 million, with the Estonian government providing the remaining ten percent of the fund. Over the coming three years small-scale grants will be provided to Estonian NGOs and social partners within the focus areas democracy and civil society, environment and sustainable development, and social integration and local development. A total six calls will be held under the fund, and the third open call has a deadline in September this year. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=168 On 30 May 2008, a €625,000 call for projects aimed at implementing regional development strategies in East Slovakia and promoting the area’s cooperation with bordering Ukraine was launched under the EEA and Norway Grants in Slovakia. The €1.9 million fund, “Opening doors to new arenas of co-operation”, has been set up to provide grants to capacity building projects by non-profit organisations and public administrations in the poorer regions in East Slovakia bordering with Ukraine. Grants will be awarded to enhance the region’s cross-border cooperation with Ukraine and the implementation of sustainable regional development strategies. Norway is supporting the fund with a €1.8 million grant through the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. The open call for project proposals was launched on 30 May and applications can be submitted to the fund intermediary, the Civil Society Development Foundation (NPOA), until 1 August 2008. Capacity and competence building, educational activities, training, workshops, research, information forums, expert exchange and bilateral cooperation are some of the activities to be supported by the fund. Both non-profit organisations and public administration bodies registered in Slovakia are eligible to apply for grant support in the range of €5,000 to €150,000. Information seminars about the open call will be held in Bratislava, Košice and Prešov in June and July 2008. Information about the seminars will be published and updated on www.npoa.sk. Further information on eligibility and application procedures can be found on in the open call text and on the Civil Society Development Foundation website . http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=167 The preliminary results of the Bulgaria’s €17 million open call for projects this spring was concluded with a press conference on 28 May. Bulgarian Minister of Finance Plamen Oresharski expressed belief that the projects to be supported under the EEA Grants would contribute to strengthening Bulgaria’s capacity in Europe. More than 260 project proposals were submitted under Bulgaria’s highly popular €17 million call for proposals launched on 23 January this year. By end-April, a vast array of Bulgarian NGOs, public and private sector bodies had submitted applications for grants to realise projects in the public benefit. The call was also open for partnership projects with institutions from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. By the 25 April deadline, the national Focal Point had received a total 264 project proposals applying for €190 million in grants, ten times the amount available for re-granting. The call had been much anticipated by Bulgarian non governmental organisations, who accounted for the largest share of submitted applications. Close to 40 percent of all submitted projects came from civil society, while Bulgarian municipalities came second-up among the applicants with a total 28 percent of the proposals. At a press conference in Sofia on 28 May on the closed call, Bulgarian Minister of Finance Plamen Oresharski stressed the fact that the projects will contribute to reducing social and economic disparities, while also strengthening the capacity of Bulgaria as a new EU member state. Oresharski thanked Norway’s ambassador to Bulgaria, Tove Skarstein, and her team for their commitment to the program and the valuable and timely assistance rendered to the Ministry of Finance for the successful launch of the EEA Financial Mechanism in Bulgaria. Ambassador Skarstein, also present at the press conference, expressed satisfaction with the completed call. “Excellent relations have been established not only between the institutions of the two countries but also between Norwegian and Bulgarian companies,” Skarstein said. Grants over €250,000 will be awarded to projects within the priority sectors for protection of the environment and promotion of renewable energy, human resource development, health and childcare, and conservation of European cultural heritage. While projects were submitted within all sectors in response to the call, the largest number of applications came under the sectors for health and childcare and for the protection of the environment. A list of the selected projects will shortly be sent to the Bulgarian Program Monitoring Committee for approval, before being forwarded to the Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels for appraisal, European Commission screening and approval by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Successful call: Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Finance Lyubomir Datzov, Minister of Finance Plamen Oresharski and Norwegian Ambassador Tove Skarstein were pleased with the high interest for the EEA Financial Mechanism in Bulgaria. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=166 On 13-15 June 2008, the seminar “Civilisation competences and sustainable development” will be organised in Warsaw, Poland. The seminar is part of a research project supported with a €225,000 grant from Norway. The seminar will offer insights to the issue of regional socio-economical growth differences in Poland, and is the first in a series of workshops and seminars in connection with a €265,000 research project led by the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Economics. The project is implemented in partnership between Warsaw University, Østfold University College in Norway and Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The universities aim to develop a research methodology and diagnosis of the issue of Polish regional socio-economic growth differences, and the June seminar will serve as an introductory conference to generate ideas and approaches. Researchers from different parts of the world, in particular Norway and Poland, will explore the relationship between local inhabitant’s ability to take advantage of social and economic progress, and the corresponding level of regional development. “We hope this conference will give impetus and visibility to the research project,” Anna Grochowska, one of the project researchers and organiser of the conference, said. Regional growth differences as a function of ‘civilisation competences’, understood as a combination of social, cultural and human capital, has already been the topic of an open call for research papers within the project. The call resulted in 40 paper proposals, and 25 selected speakers will present their papers at the conference in June. Professor Barbara Liberda at Warsaw University underlined the importance of having both Polish and international speakers present at the conference in order to achieve a multifaceted project outcome. Two additional seminars will be held at a later stage. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway have allocated a total €344.8 million to Poland under the financial mechanisms, of which €28 million has already been channelled to academic research projects. Additionally, Norway and Poland have established a €15.3 million research fund earmarked to partnership projects between the two countries. Further details about the seminar and the research project can be found at www.compete.pl, and by running a search for PL0104 in the financial mechanisms’ project database. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=165 In Estonia, ten partnership projects between Estonian and Norwegian or Icelandic research teams have been selected for funding under the €480,000 Transfer of Knowledge Fund. The selection of the ten research projects marks the completion of the evaluation of applications from the fund’s popular call for proposals this spring. The ‘Transfer of Knowledge Fund’ was highly anticipated by the Estonian research community, providing a much needed source for financial support for research within the field of “basic sciences” in Estonia. According to the Estonian Science Foundation, the quality of the submitted projects was “over average”, with several very good projects having to be turned down due to oversubscription. Of the over 50 applications received, 32 projects met all the submission criteria, and ten projects will now receive grants between €28,800 and €57,500. The projects were selected according to scientific value, and the approved projects cover a wide range of research areas, from improving satellite remote sensing products for large lakes to developing ethical frameworks for recording genetic information in databases. In order to be considered for a grant, the applicants were asked to indicate existing or planned scientific cooperation with one or several research teams from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway. From the ten approved projects, eight involve a Norwegian partner, while the two remaining projects have Icelandic partners. Grants were available for projects within the following priority sectors: Protection of the environment; Sustainable development; Conservation of European cultural heritage; Human resource development; Health and childcare; Implementation of Schengen Acquis; and Regional policy and cross-border activities. More than 40 percent of the submitted research projects came under the sectors for health care and environment. You can read more about the fund on the Estonian Science Foundation’s website , or by running a search for EE0015 in the project database. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=164 The Slovene town Jesenice has applied a €1.2 million grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to renovate its old town square and turn it into a local social venue. The renovation of the Old Sava square in Jesenice forms part of the larger €1,4 million “Lively Old Town” project, aimed at revitalising the old town centres of five cities in the Gorenjska region. Historical buildings in the cities Radovljica, Škofja Loka, Kranj, and Tržič will also undergo face lifts in order to preserve important Slovene cultural heritage and provide local inhabitants with new public venues. Hedmark County in Norway is actively involved in the project. Reopening the Old Sava At the opening event for the renovated town square in Jesenice in April 2008, more than a hundred locals showed up to celebrate their new meeting place. Representatives from Hedmark County were also present at the opening ceremony, and Norwegian partner Frode Bakken expressed hope that the renovation of the square would only signal the beginning for the Slovene town. At the opening event, the local community gave the delegation from Norway and rest of the audience a taste of their rich cultural traditions. Vice Mayor of Jesenice Boris Bregant emphasised that the newly renovated square is set to become a centre point in the city. “Cultural heritage is not only to be found in buildings, but in traditions. The square is a meeting point for the past, present and the future,” Bregant said, adding: "Last year Jesenice had 26 events, more will take place this year. The city has become lively". Successful cooperation The comprehensive cultural heritage project is the result of close collaboration between the Gorenjska Region’s Regional Development Agency BSC, the Association of Historical Cities of Slovenia, the municipalities of Radovljica, Škofja Loka, Kranj, Jesenice and Tržič, and their Norwegian partner, Hedmark County. The exchange of experiences on regional, urban and spatial planning has been crucial for the success of the project, and the partners have focused on developing environmentally friendly and attractive city centres to stimulate local business development and reverse negative population trends. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=163 On 30 April 2008, €19.2 million was made available for individual projects in Lithuania. Lithuanian public and private sector bodies as well as non-governmental organisations can now apply for grants over €250,000 towards projects in the public benefit. Grants will be awarded to projects within the priority sectors supported by both the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. Particular attention will however be given to the specific Lithuanian priority sectors and focus areas, which include the following: Protection of the environment; Conservation of European Cultural Heritage; Human resource development; Health and Childcare; and Implementation of Schengen acquis and the Judiciary. Eligible applicants can apply for grant assistance until 1 August 2008. Further information on eligibility, priority sector allocations, and focus areas under each sector, is available in the open call text. Application forms, information and guidelines can be found on the web sites of the Lithuanian Ministry of Finance and the Central Project Management Agency . Over the 2004-2009 period, the EEA EFTA states Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway have made available close to €50 million for individual projects in Lithuania. The Lithuanian project portfolio currently counts 46 projects and funds. Information and short descriptions of all supported activities in Lithuania can be found in the project database. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=162 The Greek Focal Point has issued clarifications concerning partnership projects, priority sectors and focus areas and needed attachments for applications to be submitted under the ongoing Greek €38 million call. Greece announced an open call for proposals on 11 January 2008 making more than €38 million available for individual project applications under the EEA financial mechanism. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are contributing with €30.9 million, while Greece is covering the remaining 20 percent of the call amount. Please note the following clarifications from the Greek Focal Point: Partnership projects: Partnerships between Greek project promoters and foreign partners are welcomed under the current open call in Greece. Reference is made to article 8.A.a. bullet point 11 of the open call text which reads: “The project promoter and any domestic partners(s) must be legally established and operate within the Greek territory. Any foreign Partner (s) must legally established and operate within the European Economic Area.” Costs incurred by foreign partners are eligible regardless of which EEA Country they are incurred in. Furthermore the Focal Point advises applicants to read carefully other relevant requirements stated in the open call text. Priority Sectors and Focus Areas: In order to be eligible, the proposals must be within the eligible priority sectors. Particular attention shall be given to the focus areas listed in article 4.3 of the open call text, which does not exclude good quality projects outside the focus areas. Eligible proposals may concern one or more of the focus areas. Academic research project proposals have to be within the eligible priority sectors, without specific reference to any of the focus areas. Attached documents: The official language used during the evaluation processes carried out by the Focal Point is Greek. Therefore, the applicant, at his own expenses, must translate the relevant documents (formal documentation) into Greek before submitting them to the Focal Point. http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=161 A new scholarship and training fund in Poland, set up with support from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, is now open for grant applications from Polish students, researchers, and educational institutions. The overarching aim of the €13.3 million grant scheme is to facilitate cooperation in the sphere of education between Poland and the EEA EFTA states. A total €3.6 million will be re-granted to doctoral students, researchers, educational institutions and organisations in Poland. Educational institutions in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will be involved as project partners in four of the funds five measures. The three EEA EFTA countries are supporting the fund with €12 million, while Poland is covering the remaining ten percent of the fund’s costs. The fund will provide financial support for the following measures: Mobility projects to support student and staff exchanges between Poland and the EEA EFTA states; Language courses for the beneficiaries of mobility grants; Individual mobility grants for doctoral students and young researchers; Inter-institutional cooperation projects; and Capacity building for Polish higher education institutions to improve facilities for international cooperation. For the first four measures, partnerships between educational institutions in Poland and Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway are required. Doctoral students, researchers, educational institutions and organisations can all submit their applications to fund manager, Foundation for the Development of the Education System, until 30 June 2008. Further information about the fund and the application process is available in the open call text, and on the fund manager’s http://www.eeagrants.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=160 Slovakia launched its third and final call for individual project proposals on 5 May 2008, making €27 million available for Slovak public sector and non governmental organisations (NGOs). In total, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are contributing with €55.8 million to individual projects in Slovakia over the five-year period 2004-2009. Slovak public sector bodies and NGOs can submit their grant applications to the Slovak Focal Point until 7 July 2008. Institutions from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway can participate as project partners. Projects will be supported within the priority sectors for the environment, sustainable development, cultural heritage, human resources, health and childcare, research, Schengen and strengthening of the judiciary, as well as regional policy and cross-border activities. Further details on the call is available in the open call text.