Frequently asked questions about the EEA and Norway Grants
Frequently asked questions about the EEA Grants
Norway is not a member of the EU, but we have close ties to the EU through the EEA Agreement. The agreement gives Norwegian companies access to the European market and ensures the free movement of people, goods, services and capital.
The EEA and Norway Grants are part of this agreement and represent Norway's contribution to reducing social and economic disparities in Europe. The grants also aim to strengthen cooperation between Norway, the other donor countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, and 15 beneficiary countries in the EU. The EEA and Norway Grants support countries whose economies are weaker than the EU average.
The EEA and Norway Grants give Norwegian companies, research institutes and public sector organisations the opportunity to participate in and carry out projects with partners in the beneficiary countries. The grants can fund the development, testing and piloting of new technologies and solutions that strengthen business and bilateral cooperation, creating greater value and competitiveness.
From 2021 to 2028, the EEA countries Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein will contribute €3.2 billion to reducing social and economic disparities in Europe. Norway will provide 97% of this amount. The EEA and Norway Grants support sectors that are key to the development of each beneficiary country and offer potential and interest for cooperation with Norway.
Read more about the EEA and Norway Grants at Regjeringen.no
We are the Norwegian partner for the ‘Business Development, Innovation and SMEs’ sector. Programmes in this sector support collaborative projects in green business development, renewable energy, energy efficiency, welfare technology, blue growth (ocean industries) and ICT.
We are involved both as programme managers in Bulgaria, Greece and Romania through our offices in these countries, and as a partner in programmes managed by local authorities in Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Poland and Portugal.
We provide guidance and advisory services and recruit Norwegian partners for collaborative projects. Our knowledge and experience support you throughout the process – from initiation to completion. We also manage some of the funding allocated to business development, innovation and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Any organisation registered in Norway (in the Brønnøysund Register Centre) can be a project partner. This may include companies, research institutes, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), public sector organisations or government authorities.
As a partner in a project funded by the EEA Grants, your company can expand internationally and explore business opportunities in Europe. The partnership gives you access to a new market with growth potential and a skilled workforce. Through the EEA Grants, your company can build networks, increase its visibility and forge strategic partnerships across borders. For many companies, this is key to scaling up and growing.
Project collaboration also helps you gain a better understanding of different business cultures and, importantly, supports sustainable growth across Europe. You contribute to reducing social and economic disparities in Europe while creating opportunities for your business.
In EEA projects, Norwegian companies collaborate with private companies from the beneficiary countries. For a Norwegian company to become a partner in an EEA project, its contribution must be tailored to the project and essential to achieving the project's objectives. It must not be an off-the-shelf solution that could have been procured from other suppliers or consultants.
The company in the beneficiary country applies for the announced funding opportunities and becomes the project promoter if its application is approved. The applicant/project promoter leads the project on behalf of the partnership. This means that the Norwegian partner enters into a partnership agreement, including a budget agreement, with this company. Norwegian partners have the costs of their participation in the project covered through the company in the beneficiary country.
Participating in an EEA project can therefore involve very little bureaucracy for a Norwegian company. However, it is important to find the right partner in the beneficiary country, draw up a clear agreement and agree on a budget.
The budget will often cover the Norwegian partner's costs. However, in some cases, state aid rules require the other partner to co-finance the project. This may apply, for example, to projects where the other partner also obtains rights to the project results. The partner from the recipient country will usually provide the co-financing, which in many cases will also cover the Norwegian partner's costs.
Examples of the partnership model:
1. Investment projects
Exchange of best practices and expertise, skills, knowledge and experience from similar companies, activities or projects in Norway. This type of contribution is often a smaller part of the project that the applicant or project promoter in the beneficiary country is willing to fund from the available budget because they recognise its value to the project outcome.
2. Research and development projects (R&D)
- The Norwegian partner provides contract research services (selling and invoicing services) to the applicant/project promoter in the beneficiary country. The applicant/project promoter covers the required own contribution towards this cost.
- A Norwegian partner develops a product or solution together with the applicant/project promoter in the beneficiary country. The applicant/project promoter will be the main beneficiary of the project results, but in this type of collaboration, the Norwegian partner and the applicant/project promoter in the beneficiary country will share the intellectual property rights (IPR) to the product/solution they have developed. In such cases, the Norwegian partner must cover the required co-financing of its own project costs from its own funds.
Your company must develop the project together with its European partner. This collaboration requires your company to have the commitment, capabilities, capacity, knowledge and resources to contribute actively to the project. You must also be able to enter into agreements, negotiate budgets and carry out the activities.
There are several ways to find a business partner.
If you have questions about partnerships or are interested in collaborating in a specific country, please get in touch with us. We will be happy to connect you with the right colleague as quickly as possible.
We hold online and in-person networking meetings ahead of every call deadline. These meetings give companies the opportunity to connect and explore what each party can contribute to a partnership. We publish all upcoming events on our website, LinkedIn and in our newsletter.
A company may also contact you directly. If you have any questions afterwards, get in touch with us.
Norwegian companies do not apply themselves. The company in the recipient country applies on behalf of its Norwegian partner. Competition for EEA Grants funding is relatively strong, but having a good partner and submitting a strong application will improve your chances.
Various calls for proposals are published throughout the year, and you must submit your application by the stated deadline. In other words, you cannot apply at any time. Make sure you understand the key details of the call, including which programme it belongs to, its focus area and the application deadline.
We can point to several success stories and partnerships that have contributed to growth and development in both donor and beneficiary countries. We also see many Norwegian companies contributing as partners in projects across several countries. This shows that the EEA and Norway Grants create value and new opportunities.
There are three ways to participate:
- Innovation projects that develop new products and services in partnership with private companies in the recipient countries
- Innovation and business development projects that support the development of private companies in recipient countries by providing technology and/or expertise.
- Training, knowledge transfer, awareness-raising and networking activities aimed at private companies in the recipient countries.
For the first two, individual companies, research institutes and consultants are the main relevant participants. The final point has a broader scope and may, for example, include clusters, organisations or NGOs.
For the programmes we manage, you can find current calls on our country pages for:
In the countries where we are a programme partner, you can view current calls for proposals in Poland, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia and Portugal, or visit the EEA and Norway Grants website.
We publish all new calls on our website and promote them on social media. To make sure you always receive the latest key updates, you can follow us on LinkedIn or sign up for our newsletter.