EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14

“Students from Slovenia cannot afford go to Norway without enough funding, but the EEA and Norway Grants makes it possible”, says Marja Medved from Slovenia. The Scholarship Programmes are now launched.

Norway and Poland today signed three new cooperation programmes on research, education grants and culture, important areas of support under the EEA and Norway Grants. The Norwegian Foreign Minister emphasised the rapid development of cooperation between the two countries.

The Financial Mechanism Office, which administers the EEA and Norway Grants on behalf of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, now has six vacancies within finance, communication, civil society, countries and donor support. We are also looking for new trainees.

Do you want a flying start to your career? The FMO now offers 10-month long traineeships for graduates wanting to learn more about grants management. Deadline for applications: 15 May 2012.  

Opportunities for cooperation between research institutions in Norway and six Central European countries were recently presented at a Norway Grants seminar in Oslo. Research cooperation should spur contribute to innovation and economic growth. 

The Environ Association secures green management of electrical and electronic waste in Romania. The organisation’s President Andrei Orban is convinced the Grants’ support for green innovation will strengthen cooperation between Romania and Norway.

The Norwegian green tech company SAGAsystem is well established in Scandinavia and sees the Norway Grants as an opportunity to establish cooperation in the Baltics. Read the interview with its Director Robert B. Jacobsen.

«From Waste to Energy» is the slogan of Norwegian company Biowas, which focuses on biogas-solutions for farmers. The company is now looking for opportunities to cooperate with Lithuanian counterparts through the Norway Grants. Director of Business Development Jens Måge took the oportunity to establish contact with potential partners at the green innovation conference in Oslo.

Green innovation is a new priority under the EEA and Norway Grants. €100 million is set aside for green innovation in the period to 2014, an investment that creates new opportunities for Norwegian enterprises to cooperate with businesses in seven countries.

A seminar on the possibilities for joint Spanish-Norwegian partnership projects within the field of renewable energy was held in Madrid on 12 April. 

Norwegian municipalities are invited to cooperate with local and regional authorities in Poland through the EEA Grants. The programme on regional and local initiatives to reduce inequalities and promote social inclusion is the first Polish programme to start. 

To tackle the many challenges facing our societies and economies today, we need to step up investment in innovation, research and education. Throughout April, in conjunction with a series of information events taking place in Norway, we are taking a special look at the significant contribution provided by the Grants to these areas.

Challenges related to environment, climate change and public health are priorities in the new agreement on the use of the EEA Grants in Portugal. €58 million is being made available to Portugal until 2014.

Today's signing with Portugal marks an important milestone. All 15 countries have now agreed on the use of the EEA and Norway Grants until 2016. Programmes are being established and once approved, calls for project proposals will be launched.

Today, agreements were signed with Romania on a new round of EEA and Norway Grants. Within the €306 million investment from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, environment, justice and the situation for the Roma population are among the priorities.

The Financial Mechanism Office has today published its 2011 annual status report. The report details the status and administration of the EEA and Norway Grants project portfolio for 2011.

The Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels is the secretariat of the EEA and Norway Grants and reports to the Foreign Ministries of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. We are currently recruiting a (Senior) Sector Officer for Cultural Heritage with deadline for applications of 4 April 2012.

On the occasion of 8 March 2012, International Women's Day, we take a look at the commitment of the EEA and Norway Grants to promoting gender equality and tackling domestic violence.

If you are curious about what the Grants achieved in the Czech Republic in the previous period, a short movie produced by the Norwegian Embassy in Prague now lets you see for yourself

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are supporting the Greek government’s comprehensive reform of its migration management and asylum system. One of the projects involves cooperation with the UNCHR.

Today the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) signed an agreement with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway regarding an asylum-project in Greece. The project will provide asylum seekers support in voluntarily returning to their home countries.

An external review of the risk management system in the EEA and Norway Grants is out now. The review is part of the current development of a risk management strategy, and risk criteria for the various entities involved in the management of the Grants.

Almost all the evaluated projects achieved their planned deliverables. However, greater delegation to the beneficiary states is recommended for the current funding period.

The funding is both larger in size and more flexible than other national funding opportunities, according to the evaluation.

In 2011, priorities for the EEA and Norway Grants were agreed with most countries. In 2012, focus will be on establishing new programmes.

Consultations with civil society are currently taking place in the beneficiary states. Strengthening the development of the NGO sector, and enhancing its contribution to social justice, democracy and social inclusion, are central priorities for the EEA Grants.

A communication and design manual is now available to provide guidance and advice on how to best carry out information and publicity activities on programmes and projects funded by the EEA Grants and Norway Grants.

Norway is financing efforts to promote decent work and tripartite dialogue in all the 12 newest EU member states. Project proposals may be submitted as of January 2012, and a series of information meetings are currently being held in several of the beneficiary states.

In recent years, Greece has become one of the gateways to Europe for hundreds of thousands of people seeking international protection or simply a better way of life. Reflecting this, a key focus for the EEA Grants in Greece in the coming years will be to support the country’s efforts to handle this influx of asylum seekers and migrants.

The EEA and Norway Grants are helping to facilitate dialogue between the two communities on the divided island of Cyprus. A large proportion of the funds provided in the period up to 2014 are earmarked for civil society support. The Memoranda of Understanding were signed in Nicosia this afternoon.

Norway Grants will fund the establishment of shelters for victims of domestic and gender-based violence in all of Slovakia’s self-governing regions. A shelter in Bratislava is already providing care and comfort to 36 people, mainly women and children.

Tackling domestic and gender-based violence is a key priority for the Norway Grants. In the current funding round, efforts to promote gender equality and tackle gender-based violence are being stepped up through  programmes worth €23 million.

Violence against women is a violation of fundamental human rights. The effects on a victim's health, both physical and psychological, are severe. The Norway Grants has stepped up its funding available to combat gender-based violence for 2009 to 2014.

The Council of Europe is directly involved as a partner in Norway Grants programmes dealing with gender-violence. We spoke to Liri Kopaçi-Di Michele, Head of Division, and Matthew Barr, Office of the Director General of Programmes in the Council of Europe, about the new Convention and how they see the partnership unfolding.

The Norway Grants is co-hosting a conference in Bratislava on 29 November on domestic and gender-based violence with the Council of Europe and the Slovak Ministry of Justice. Taking place during the international 16 Days of Action Against Gender Violence, the event aims to raise awareness of this all-too pervasive problem.

Today, representatives for 60 NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) met in Tallinn to discuss topics relevant for the NGO-sector in Estonia. The input from the meeting will be used in developing Estonia’s NGO-programme.

The EEA and Norway Grants have set aside around €46 million for Spain for the 2009–2014 period. The bulk of this funding will be targeted towards research in environmental technologies and climate change.  Gender equality, education, civil society and cultural heritage also receive support.

A key priority for the EEA Grants in Greece in the coming years will be to support the country’s efforts to handle the influx of asylum seekers and migrants, especially unaccompanied children. Environment, civil society and research will also receive funding.

What did the EEA and Norway Grants 2004-2009 achieve? What opportunities for funding and partnership exist in the current round 2009-2014? Read about results and opportunities in the new Status Report 2011.

The Fund for Decent Work and Tripartite Dialogue has been launched today with an open call for proposals covering all the 12 newest EU and EEA member states. This is the first programme in implementation for the 2009-2014 funding period.

A seminar in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius last Wednesday put the spotlight on green industry innovation. The topic is one of the main areas for funding under the Norway Grants in the 2009-2014-period.

The Financial Mechanism Office is looking for trainees to join our team for 5 months, starting in March 2012. The deadline for applications is 15 November 2011.

Agreements on the use of EEA and Norway Grants 2009-2014 were signed today in Budapest. Almost one-third of the funding for Hungary will be ‘green’, with significant support also going towards public health, civil society and vulnerable groups.

The work on the current round of the EEA and Norway Grants is well on its way. By the end of the year, almost all national priorities will have been agreed, and programmes will be established as of winter 2011/2012 onwards.

Agreements on the use of EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14 were today signed in Valletta. Environment and justice are the largest sectors, while there will be funding to civil society and social partners for the first time.

A new agreement ensures that the EEA Grants and Norway Grants will draw on the expertise of Transparency International to identify and address corruption risks in the implementation of the grant schemes.

An information meeting on support to civil society from the EEA and Norway Grants was held in Oslo on 31 August. Around 120 representatives from Norwegian civil society organisations attended the event which took place in the city’s ‘Literature House’.

The agreements on the EEA and Norway Grants for Slovakia in the period 2009-14 have been amended. Green entrepreneurship, cross-border cooperation and civil society are among the priorities.

The staff of the FMO extend their deep sympathy and condolences to the people of Norway and the victims of the two attacks in Oslo.

8 out of 15 beneficiary states have agreed with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway so far on how to use the EEA and Norway Grants in the current period lasting until 2014. Negotiations with the remaining 7 countries continue. The amounts already set aside for NGO funds and green programmes exceed the allocation to these areas in the past round.

Environmental and social issues are key priorities in the agreements on EEA and Norway Grants signed with Bulgaria today. Green innovation, energy efficiency, human trafficking and the Roma population will be in focus.

The agreements on the distribution of EEA and Norway Grants to the Czech Republic have been finalised. Environment, public health, children and research are among the priorities.

More than 40 delegates met in Oslo on 7 and 8 June to celebrate the achievements of the NGO Funds under the EEA and Norway Grants - worth €85 million between 2004 and 2009 -and introduce the new programmes which will run until 2014.

In the Tri-City area of Poland, comprised of the three coastal cities of Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot, the EEA and Norway Grants finance 19 projects.

Green investments, including carbon capture and storage, are at the core of the EEA and Norway Grants in Poland for the next years. Agreements on the total €578 million investment were today signed by Norway and Poland.

Norway and Estonia signed new agreements today on the distribution of €48.6 million under the EEA and Norway Grants. The largest areas of funding under the new agreements are environment and green innovation and public health.

A new guideline setting out detailed provisions for the Funds for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) under the EEA Grants has been adopted. This is designed to provide guidance for national managing bodies and programme operators on the development and implementation of the NGO programmes 2009-14.

A report from the workshop 'Equality Pays' organised by the EEA and Norway Grants in Brussels on 8 March 2011 is now available.

Norway and Slovenia signed new agreements today on the distribution of €26.9 million under the EEA and Norway Grants. These funds will be used to promote economic and social development in Slovenia and to strengthen the bilateral relations between Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and Slovenia. Priority areas under the new agreements are public health, environmental protection and civil society.

The Cypriot NGO community was today gathered to be informed about upcoming opportunities and to provide input on the focus and set-up of future funding.

The Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) is currently developing a set of tools to help national programme operators of the EEA Grants and Norway Grants with developing and reporting on programmes. As part of this process, the FMO has opened a consultation on a suggested list of indicators.

The Council of Europe will cooperate in EEA and Norway Grants programmes across Central and Southern Europe in the coming years, according to a new agreement.

Norway and Latvia have today signed agreements on the EEA and Norway Grants worth €73 million. Environmental protection and adaptation to climate change, cultural heritage, support for the justice sector and civil society feature as key priorities.

Europe has an immensely rich and diverse cultural heritage. Restoring and safeguarding cultural assets which have fallen into disrepair or been left to decay is an important priority for the EEA and Norway Grants.

Cultural heritage is an important priority area for the EEA and Norway Grants. This month's guest writer is Jørn Holme, who heads the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage, which is responsible for ensuring that Norway’s cultural heritage is properly protected and conserved.

Norway and Lithuania have today signed agreements on the EEA and Norway Grants totalling €84 million. Environmental protection, green industry innovation, cultural heritage, civil society, and justice and home affairs feature as key areas of support.

Stakeholders from the EEA and Norway Grants donor states, beneficiary states as well as relevant EU-level bodies and organisations met in Brussels yesterday (on 8 March) at a workshop on gender equality.

New opportunities for promoting gender equality in Central and Southern Europe will be made available through increased funding from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway under the EEA and Norway Grants.

Marking the 100th International Women’s Day, twice Latvian president Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga shares her views on how women’s participation in decision-making are not only a matter of economic return, but of democratic right.

The gender equality debate is no longer exclusively focused on fairness, but increasingly on the societal and economic value of promoting equality. Mark Smith, a leading academic in gender issues and speaker at the EEA and Norway Grants event on gender equality explains: "Striving for gender equality is about much more than social justice; it also makes good economic sense."

Domestic violence is a human rights violation that also impacts a country's social and economic development. The Norway Grants will finance programmes aimed at tackling violence against women in several beneficiary states.

Reconciling work and family life is a challenge for most European households. The EEA Grants have financed three parallel projects seeking to ensure a better work-life balance in the Czech Republic, Portugal and Spain, by linking the lessons learnt through a shared Norwegian project partner.

An important EEA and Norway Grants event will take place on 8 March, marking the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Stakeholders from donor states, beneficiary states and EU-level bodies and organisations will discuss how to ensure equal opportunities for women and men in Europe.

A number of agreements on national priorities for the EEA Grants and Norway Grants 2009-14 are expected to be signed during spring 2011.

A new feature of the EEA Grants and Norway Grants 2009-14 is the introduction of a ‘programme approach’. Representing a move away from funding project-by-project to funding through multi-annual programmes, the aim is to ensure a greater and more sustainable impact through a more targeted support.

Who can apply for grant support? What will be supported in my country? When are the next open calls for projects? Find out answers to the most frequently asked questions about the EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14.

The implementation and follow-up of the grants are based on close cooperation between the EEA EFTA States and the 15 beneficiary states.

In the shaping of the new programmes for civil society, this autumn’s NGO consultation proved a useful tool for reaching out to civil society in the beneficiary states and ensuring a bottom-up approach to the funding.

Strengthening bilateral relations between Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and the 15 beneficiary states is an overarching objective of the EEA and Norway Grants. To encourage strategic and long-term cooperation, partnerships at the programme level are introduced alongside continued possibilities for project cooperation.

The regulation on the implementation of the EEA Grants 2009-2014 has been adopted. The programme approach and bilateral cooperation are fundamental elements of the new regulation.

On 18 January 2011, 28 round table participants and an audience of about 100 people gathered in Oslo to discuss the EEA and Norway Grants.

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are concluding the review of comments from the beneficiary states on the regulations for the 2009-14 funding period. The regulations are planned to be adopted early 2011.

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and the 15 beneficiary states of the EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14 are well underway in defining the national priorities.

Draft guidelines for NGO programmes under the EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14 are now available for comments. Civil society representatives are encouraged to provide their views on the guideline through our web-based NGO consultation.

Norway and Slovakia have today signed agreements for the EEA Grants and Norway Grants totalling €80.75 million. Flood protection, climate change, supporting civil society and combating domestic violence are among the priorities.

On 29 September 2010, an agreement was reached between Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Greece on the use of funds available through the EEA Grants 2009-14. Asylum policy is a key priority for the grant scheme and to this aim 30% will be earmarked over the next five-year period.

Today, 16 September 2010, the donor states and the beneficiary states of the EEA and Norway Grants marked their commitment to good governance and zero-tolerance towards corruption and mismanagement in the implementation of the grant schemes.

On 15 and 16 September, a workshop with the title "How to Reduce Corruption Risks in Grant Management" will be organised in Berlin in cooperation with Transparency International.

Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein will strengthen their support to civil society in Central and Southern Europe through the EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14. Civil society representatives are encouraged to provide their input on the NGO funding through an online consultation exercise.

Environment, climate change and civil society are priorities when Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein present the EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14 and launch negotiations with the beneficiary states on priorities in each country.

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the EU today signed the agreements for the EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14, after the EU member states agreed on the final distribution for the beneficiary countries.

On 7-8 June, an international conference on gender equality was held in Oslo to share and prepare for the new EEA and Norway Grants period 2009-14. The Norwegian Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion highlighted gender equality as a key element of economic development and democracy.

Environmental protection, fighting climate change and promoting green industry are green priorities under the EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14. Sustainable development will be a key cross-cutting criterion.

With support from the Polish Cultural Exchange Fund of the EEA and Norway Grants, the Polish Association of the Blind participates actively in the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth.

The Norway Grants 2009-14 will launch a new fund for promoting decent work and tripartite dialogue. The Norwegian Institute for Labour and Social Research (FAFO) has conducted a study to assess which criteria such a fund should be based upon.

On 18 December 2009, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway agreed with the European Union on new financial contributions for the period 2009-14. This article presents a brief overview of beneficiary states, priority sectors and financial contributions.

On 18 December 2009, the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway signed what are known as agreed minutes containing the outcome of the negotiations on new EEA and Norway Grants.