The new €34.5 million EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation supports regional and crossborder and transnational project initiatives that promote shared solutions to common European challenges.

The first call for proposals under the Fund has been announced 24 January with deadline for proposals 1 July 2018. €15 million is made available in the first call for proposals.

Projects supported must be regional cross-border or transnational in nature and involve partners from at least three countries and activities in different countries. Eligible entities are wider than in other EEA and Norway Grants funding and include entities in countries neighboring the EU. See further details below.

What is the focus of the call?

The Fund specifically aims to support regional cross-border cooperation projects focusing on soft measures like knowledge-sharing, exchange of best practices and institution building within all priority sectors of the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021. It seeks innovative project ideas that propose new solutions to common challenges.

The priority sectors of the Grants are:

• Innovation, Research, Education and Competitiveness;
• Social Inclusion, Youth Employment and Poverty Reduction;
• Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy;
• Culture, Civil Society, Good Governance and Fundamental Rights and Freedoms;
• Justice and Home Affairs

Read more about the priority sectors here.

Who can apply?

Projects must include entities from at least three countries. The beneficiary countries of this call for proposals are Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. In addition, entities from Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Turkey or Ukraine are eligible. The consortia may also include expertise partners: entities established in a Donor State (Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway), in a non-eligible EU Member State or international organisations. For more information, please follow the website indicated below.

What is the grant amount?

The total funding is €15 million under this first call for proposals, a grant assistance within a project shall not be less than €1 million.

How to apply?

The project selection will follow a two-step procedure:

1. A call for proposals where only concept notes shall be submitted
2. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full application before the final deadline

Concept notes shall be submitted electronically via the fund operator’s system. It is required to sign up for the EGREG system before the application can be completed.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF CONCEPT NOTES IS 01.07.2018.

About the EEA and Norway GrantsThe EEA and Norway Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.

There are two overall objectives: reduction of economic and social disparities in Europe, and to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor countries and 15 EU countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics. The three donor countries cooperate closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). The donors have provided €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes between 1994 and 2014. For the period 2014-2021, the EEA and Norway Grants amount to €2.8 billion.