Project Eligibility Criteria
General requirements
To fulfill Our Vision 2030, the Nordic Council of Ministers has established a set of strategic priorities. This means that all undertakings should fulfil at least one of the following priorities:
- A green region – together, we will promote a green transition of our societies and work towards carbon neutrality and a sustainable circular and bio-based economy.
- A competitive region – together, we will promote green growth in the region based on knowledge, innovation, mobility, and digital integration.
- A socially sustainable region – together, we will promote an inclusive, equal, and interconnected region with shared values and strengthened cultural exchange and welfare.
Moreover, each project must incorporate one of the 12 vision goals connected to the strategic priorities:
A green Nordic region
- Carbon neutrality
- Biodiversity
- Circular Economy
- Sustainable Consumption
- International Cooperation
A competitive Nordic region
- Innovation
- Labour markets
- Digitalisation
A socially sustainable Nordic region
- Health and Welfare
- Inclusive Transition
- Civil Society
- Cohesion
For this round we encourage project applications connected to “A competitive region and specifically innovation and digitalisation”.
Read Our Vision 2030 here: Action plan for Vision 2030
The strategic priorities of Vision 2030 and the 12 Vision goals should be implemented by also focusing on three horizontal perspectives. The project activities must be connected to at least one and a description should be included in the application:
- Sustainable development
- Gender equality
- Children and Youth
Read the policy for mainstreaming the three horizontal perspectives: https://pub.norden.org/politiknord2020-719/
Eligible projects
All projects supported through the Prosperous Future programme must be in line with The Nordic Council of Ministers’ Our Vision 2030 and the strategic priorities. Eligible projects may span a wide variety of topics, for example, democratic development, human rights, capacity building, education, children & youth, gender equality, LGBTI, culture, sustainable development, as well as innovation and digitalisation.
A minimum amount of 300.000 DKK, and a maximum amount of 500.000 DKK per project can be applied for.
The total budget for the Prosperous Future programme is 8.278.854 DKK.
The project duration period is from 1 June 2025 at the earliest until 30 September 2026 at the latest.
The call for applications is expected to open in mid-December 2024 and the application deadline is expected to be in Mid-February 2025.
The application must be completed by using the mandatory forms/annexes:
- Project description
- Budget form
- Work/Activity Plan
- Letter of commitment in English from all partner organisations. Letters must demonstrate commitment of partners to supply resources to ensure successful implementation by outlining the specific roles, responsibilities, and contributions of each project partner
- CVs for the project management of the project consortium
- Communications plan
Applications, incl. all required attachements, must be submitted in English using the online electronic application system at www.ncmprosperousfuturegrants.org before the deadline.
Applicants must follow the specific guidelines for the Prosperous Future Programme as well as the NCM general requirements to apply for funding: How to apply for funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers | Nordic cooperation (norden.org).
Eligible Costs and Audit
- Eligible costs in the project includes for example: travel and subsistence expenses, meeting expenses, incl. venue, communication, fees to experts and salary to project staff.
- If overhead is included, a maximum of 7% of the budget is allowed as partners will be NGO's with no or limited base funding. Mostly used for in-kind services.
- Self- and co-funding is an advantage but not a requirement.
- An audit of the project is required (with exception for organisations audited by the national auditor’s office). The cost for independent audit must be included in the budget and the financial statements of the final report.
- The budget must be stated in Danish kroner (DKK).
Eligible Partners
This programme has special requirements for partnership that differ from the general rules on participation.
- Group 1: Civil society organisations from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Aaland Islands
- Group 2: Civil society organisations from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland
- Group 3: Independent partners from civil society with relation to Ukraine as well as democratic, independent partners with relation to Belarus, or Russia
Eligible partner structure
- Minimum one partner from a Nordic country (group 1), and
- Lead partner (the applicant) must be from group 1, or group 2, and
- As a minimum, there must be partners from three different countries, and the partners must be from at least two of the above-mentioned groups.
- Priority is given to high quality projects with at least one partner from each of the three groups.
- Partners with relation to Ukraine must be civil society organisations or community institutions.
- Partners with relation to Belarus as well as Russia must be from democratic, independent civil society organisations and cannot be state institutions, public authorities, or related thereto.
- Partners with relation to Russia must be based outside Russia and projects cannot take place in Russia.
- Partners from other countries than the above mentioned can be part of a project, however, their expenses cannot be covered by the NCM grant.
Assessment Criteria
Implementation, including
- Coherence of the project in relation to the objectives of the programme
- Project feasibility (Are results realistic? Coherence of activity plan - is there coherence between objective, activities, results, and timeline?)
- Innovative nature of the project (does the project include new approaches, and new and relevant topics/questions?)
Strategic focus, including
- Support for Our Vision 2030 and strategic priorities: a green, a competitive, a socially sustainable region
- Mainstreaming of the horizontal perspectives: Sustainable development, Gender equality, and Children and Youth
- Results in Nordic added value and synergies (Does the project foster long-term cooperation, uses specific Nordic competencies, or ensures transfer of knowledge between the Nordic countries, the Baltics, and the Adjacent Areas?)
Quality of partnerships, including
- Are partners from all three groups included?
- Capabilities of lead partner and other partners
Financial sustainability, including
- Budget (Is the budget realistic, cost efficient, transparent and is co-funding/self-funding included?)
Effective communication effort, including
- Does the project have an effective communication plan?
Furthermore, thematic and geographical diversity will be taken into account in the overall selection of the projects to receive a grant.
Assessment and Selection Process
- When the deadline has passed, the NCM Secretariat (NCMS) makes an initial assessment of the received applications, i.e. do they meet the general requirements and assessment criteria.
- Based on the assessment of the NCMS, the final prioritisation of applications is decided by an Advisory Group, consisting of advisors from the ministries of foreign affairs of the Nordic countries.
- Based on a recommendation from the Advisory Group, the NCM Secretary General will take the decision regarding the projects to receive a grant.
- The NCMS and the Advisory Group will, where relevant, make assessments of partners, including regarding the independence of partners with relation to Russia.
- The NCMS determines the final amount of the grant – the maximum amount is 8.278.854 DKK in this round.
- It is expected that results will be made available to the applicants in the beginning of May 2025.
- Decisions are not subject to any appeals.
- A list of granted projects will be made available on the website.
Contact
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