The Nordic Innovation Circular Fast Track is our effort to challenge Nordic companies, innovation ecosystems, public sector organizations, cluster organizations, business networks and innovation institutions to team up for new high-impact projects.
Please note important updates!
- The approved maximum hourly rate is increased from NOK 1.100 to NOK 1.450. Please read more here: “Nordic Innovation’s approved hourly rate”.
- A final cost report signed by an auditor will not be required and this is now changed in the budget template. The final project accounts should be signed by the economic controller of the project. In addition, for final project accounts, the financial department / controller of each project partner must sign their own project accounts (their respective Excel sheets).
- We have updated these changes in the budget Excel template. Please download the updated budget template.
- The proposal format is flexible. However, a proposal template has been added and that can be utilized if you wish and if it could be helpful in writing the proposal. The evaluation criteria are also part of that template. You can choose between a flexible proposal format or this template. Please go to Downloads.
Updated 22.08.24
The focus of this call is on “fast track”; rapid implementation of solutions, initiatives and collaborations that will increase the speed of circular change towards 2030.The call is a part of the Circular Business Models program (2021-2024), the objective of which is to make the Nordics a leading region in sustainable and circular business models.
| Application deadline: | 20 September 2024 at 13.00 CET |
| Funding decision: | 31 October 2024 |
| Start for the projects: | Before January 2025 |
| Announcement of the projects: | 18-19 November 2024, at Nordic Circular Summit |
| Project duration: | Up to 36 months |
| Total budget for the call: | NOK 10 million |
Apply through e-mail by 20 September.
Q&A updated 22 August.
What are we looking for?
The focus of this call is on “fast track”; rapid implementation of solutions, initiatives and collaborations that will increase the speed of circular change towards 2030. The transition to green and circular Nordic region as well as transformation at a societal level require profitable circular business models, streamlining of operations, transition of value chains and ecosystems as well as cooperation across Nordic borders.
We are particularly interested in initiatives that can rapidly transition Nordic ecosystems, industries and/or value chains to circularity, support a major part of Nordic companies in their circular transition, circular design of products and/or circularity of operations and production processes. Projects can also strengthen cross-border trade, international collaboration and export.
We are primarily not looking for initiatives and solutions focusing on recycling, resource recovery nor other types of waste treatment. These are according to the European Court of Auditors (2023) proven to be less impactful stages of the product life cycle and circular business models. Projects can, however, apply if they can justify why they are a “fast line” for the Nordic region and Nordic industries to transition to circularity.
Project seeking funding should aim to boost the Nordic circular economy through achieving the following outcomes:
- Speedier transition to a circular economy in the Nordic countries.
- Strengthened Nordic ecosystem(s) or value chain(s) in the circular economy.
- Impact and value creation for Nordic businesses, contributing to global competitiveness of Nordic countries.
- Positively impact real use cases, with real users in specific contexts.
- Synergies with ongoing projects and initiatives, demonstrating value for circular economy in a wider context. It is important to avoid duplications or inefficient overlaps with other existing projects.
- High-impact, clear results and scalability.
Who can apply?
A consortium of partners headed by a Nordic Project Leader. The consortium must consist of partners from at least three different Nordic countries, preferably as many Nordic countries as possible. The balance between the countries should be reasonable. The project partners can be:
- Companies (SMEs and larger companies)
- Public sector organizations (e.g. infrastructure owners, regulators, procurers, innovation ecosystems)
- Cluster organisations
- Business networks
- Innovation institutions
Please note that the involvement of industry and the direct benefit of the project for companies in the Nordic region will be part of the evaluation criteria. We are looking for consortia that show ambition, complementary strengths, competence, and experience with cross-border activities.
Consortium partners from countries outside the Nordic region are welcome to participate, but only partners from the Nordic countries can receive funding from Nordic Innovation. Only Nordic partners will count towards the requirement of participants from minimum three Nordic countries.
Funding
Total budget: Nordic Innovation has allocated NOK 10 million to this call for proposals. Funding may be sought for both small- and larger-scale projects.
- The funding will be given in the form of a grant.
- Nordic Innovation can choose to split the total amount of NOK 10 million between several projects.
- Nordic Innovation reserves the right not to use the entire allocated budget.
- Nordic Innovation reserves the right not to award any funding under this call.
- Public funding, including funding from Nordic Innovation, shall not exceed 50% of total project costs. Nordic Innovation requires at least 50% co-funding from project participants. This can be in the form of direct funding (capital) or in-kind contributions (working hours). The composition of the co-funding must be demonstrated in the proposal. The co-funding requirement of 50 % applies to the project as a whole and not individual partners. However, we expect to see some level of commitment from all project partners, meaning no project partner should have 0% co-financing. The total share of any in-kind contributions must be reasonable and well-balanced.
The Proposal Document shall:
- Not be longer than 10 A4 pages. Including illustrations and pictures but excluding the budget document and CVs.
- Address the evaluation criteria
- Be written in English
- Be submitted as a single PDF file, pages numbered
- Include a short summary of the project. This summary may be published on Nordic Innovation's website.
CVs of core consortium members can be submitted as an appendix to the project proposal but must be submitted in the same PDF file as the project proposal. The most important is the roles and responsibilities of each participant and how they are contributing to the project.
Communication and reporting
Funded projects must provide a communication plan to be approved by Nordic Innovation before project start up. Funded projects must always acknowledge the support of Nordic Innovation in external communication (media, presentations, websites etc.). Furthermore, Nordic Innovation’s logo must be visible in all communication material related to the project.
All communication and deliverables should follow the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Design manual and be compliant with the most recent WCAG (2.1) 9 in line with national implementation of the EU Directive for digital accessibility. When using social media, Nordic Innovation (@nordicinno and #circularnordic) should be tagged or mentioned. Nordic Innovation will establish regular contact with the successful projects to ensure visibility and support.
A reporting template will be provided. Reporting will take place in accordance with the requirements of Nordic Innovation’s Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract.
Evaluation process
All eligible proposals will be evaluated by a panel consisting of external and Nordic Innovation experts. The final funding decision lies with Nordic Innovation. Proposals will be evaluated according to the evaluation criteria below.
Evaluation criteria
All proposals that meet the formal requirements will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Impact (50%)
- How does the proposal provide Nordic companies with value creation, new business opportunities and sustainable growth with circular transition? Anticipated value for small and medium-sized companies – Nordic Innovation’s primary target group – specified.
How is the project and its expected results a “fast track” to:
- Transition to an inclusive, circular and green Nordic region (circular change at a societal and systemic level)
- Making the Nordic region leading in circular business models
- Realizing the Vision 2030 for Nordic Cooperation?
- How will the project positively impact real use cases, with real users in specific contexts?
- How will impact and results be sustained after the project period?
- How will the project have high impact, clear results and scalability?
- Dissemination of knowledge: How the consortium plans to disseminate and present the project’s results, for the benefit of other Nordic companies.
Nordic Added Value (20%)
- What is the Nordic added value of the proposal? I.e., what is the benefit of carrying it out at the Nordic level rather than the national or regional level?
- How does the cooperation across national borders create new synergies and lead to greater benefits than each country can obtain individually?
Value for money (20%)
- The overall quality, excellence and feasibility of the proposed project idea and project plan.
- Is the total budget and cost structure realistic and in line with the project’s ambitions?
- What is the potential economic impact on Nordic industries?
Consortium capacity (10%)
- How well do the consortium members complement each other and add value through cooperation across the Nordics?
- Are the consortium members relevant to the project and is it clear what the consortium members add to the consortium?
Eligible costs
Working hours, travel costs, meeting costs, communication, external services. Nordic Innovation’s approved hourly rate.
De Minimis Aid obligations
Nordic Innovation receives its financing from the five Nordic governments. As a general rule under EU Law, a single undertaking may receive a De Minimis Aid of up to EUR 200,000 per Member State over any period of three years. Given the rules and regulations Nordic Innovation is subject to, a grant from Nordic Innovation, under the De Minimis regulatory framework, 20% of the amount is counted as State Aid from each Nordic country.
Submission
Proposals must be submitted by e-mail to ht@nordicinnovation.org, mah@nordicinnovation.org and peter.munch-madsen@nordicinnovation.org and labelled Circular Fast Track.
The deadline for submitting a proposal is 20 September 2024 at 13:00 CET.
The submitted challenge call proposal shall consist of (1) a Proposal Document and (2) a Budget.
The Proposal Document shall:
- Not be longer than 10 A4 pages. Including illustrations and pictures but excluding the budget document.
- Address the evaluation criteria
- Be written in English
- Be submitted as a single PDF file, pages numbered
- Include a short summary of the project. This summary may be published on Nordic Innovation's website.
The proposal document may include brief CVs for project participants as part of the 10 A4 pages, but most important is the roles and responsibilities of each participant and how they are contributing to the project.
The separate Budget shall:
- Make use of Nordic Innovation’s standard budget template. Please download it in the link below.
- Provide information on all partners and the whole project period
- Be in Norwegian kroner (NOK)
- Be signed by all project partners.
Top project proposals having the highest score on the award criteria may be invited for a digital interview with the evaluation panel and/or to provide answers to potential questions from the evaluation panel during weeks 41–43, 2024. Nordic Innovation reserves the right to suggest additional Nordic partners, focus areas or perspectives to the project proposals.
FAQ – Some frequently asked questions from our previous calls
Can my organisation participate in more than one proposal for this call?
Yes, you may participate in more than one proposal. However, since we aim to fund a variety of projects, it is less likely that we will fund two projects supported by the same entity.
Our consortium consists of two organizations based in Norway and Iceland, respectively, as well as a third organization that has offices in both Norway and Denmark. Does this count as a Nordic consortium?
Yes, such a consortium would be eligible – on the condition that the third partner participates through its Danish office. This would then meet the requirement of representation from three different Nordic countries.
Can the required co-funding include other public funding?
Public funding, including funding from Nordic Innovation, shall not exceed 50% of total project costs.
The remaining 50% has to be own contribution, but this can be provided in several ways, for example by in-kind working hours, own financial contribution from project partners, from participating companies, from clusters. We also expect to see some level of commitment from all project partners, meaning no project partner should have 0% co-financing.
Is there a limit to the hourly rate?
Yes. Please see Nordic Innovation's approved hourly rate.
Will the disbursement from Nordic Innovation be paid from the start of the project, or in instalments during the project, or at the end of the project?
Please see Art. 2.2 of Nordic Innovation Standard Terms and Conditions that will be a part of the project contract.
Is it possible to apply for an event under this call for proposals?
Stand alone events will not be funded under this call for proposals. Costs related to events that are part of a larger project can be funded as part of the project.
De minimis regulation – when, who and how?
Please see here under ‘State Aid’.
Does de-minimis apply to municipals and public actors?
State aid regulation applies to entities operating in a commercial market. As a general rule, public actors do not operate in a competitive market.
Is the use of non-Nordic subcontractors during the project allowed? (subcontracting purchased by the Nordic entity)
Purchasing a service from a non-Nordic company is allowed, can be ordinary part of the budget and can be counted as a regular cost, if this is relevant for the project.
What do you mean by total project costs?
What do you mean by total project costs?
The total costs of the project = Nordic Innovation funding or other public funding (max 50 %) + own funding (min 50 %).
Would it be advisable for a start up or scale-up closely collaborating with various actors to consider applying? Would this be within the target group, or is the call solely aimed at more established actors?
We will assess the role and competence of the individual partners and the consortium as a whole. However, it is important to note that this call is for mature Nordic innovation projects, meaning involvement from actors in at least three Nordic countries is required. It is not intended as support to individual entities.
Could I send you material about my project and have a short meeting to identify whether this call for proposals would be a good fit and to discuss the application?
Unfortunately, we will not be able to meet with individual applicants and provide very specific advice on applications. We also believe that applicants are better placed to decide whether a project idea is relevant for the topics and purpose of the call and to argue the case.
Does the requirement of 50% co-financing mean that half of the amountapplied for should be covered by own contributions, or that the amount applied for should be doubled through own contributions?
The amount applied for should be no more than 50% of the total project budget. This means that if a project applies for instance NOK 3 million, the total project budget should be at least NOK 6 million.
Is the Call for Initiatives open to funding projects on circular economy financing, and are there any current or upcoming related projects we should know about?
This call is open to projects addressing circular economy financing. For previously financed projects from Nordic Innovation please see: https://www.nordicinnovation.org/circularnordic
Is the Call only for a fixed-term and scope project, or is there a scope for a proposed project to eventually scale up to a broader region/audience if the funds are available?
This call is for fixed-term and scope projects. Additional funding may be sought elsewhere, but the public funding should not exceed 50% in this call. New funding opportunities from Nordic Innovation can be found at www.nordicinnovation.org and by subscribing to our newsletter. Projects should aim to scale the results and/or the solution after the project end.
The Call document highlights that the proposed projects should be ‘Synergizing with existing initiatives to avoid duplication of efforts’. Could you please elaborate on what types of synergies are expected or give us an example?
The project should build on existing initiatives, if any. Synergies can for instance be building on existing knowledge, transitioning to new sectors or target groups or otherwise, but the most important is to avoid duplication.
The Budget Excel states, ‘Only original signatures will be approved by Nordic Innovation.’ To clarify, does the application document and budget that will be submitted, requires a wet signature from all consortium partners or will the e-signatures work?
E-signatures are accepted.
For the submission, in addition to the technical proposal and the budget template, do we have to submit any company documents (such as company registration, team passport copy, etc) or consortium documents (MOU between partners, etc)?
No, we do not need any additional documents.
Is there a prescribed CV template we should follow?
No, the CV format is free and up to the consortia to decide what is relevant. The proposal document may include brief CVs for project participants as part of the 10 A4 pages, but most important is the roles and responsibilities of each participant and how they are contributing to the project.
The Budget Excel states: ‘b) This field must be signed by an auditor for the final project accounts. This must be conducted for all the project participants (not just the project leader. ‘
Does the final budget sheet (at project completion) need approval/sign-off from an auditor before it is shared with the Nordic Innovation team?
We will not require a final report signed by an auditor and this is now changed in the budget template. Please download the updated Excel in the link above the Q&A section. The final project accounts should be signed by the economic controller of the project. In addition, for final project accounts, all the project partners must sign their own project accounts (their respective Excel sheets). Nordic Innovation may, however, request an audit after receiving the final cost report.
Who will appoint the auditor; is it the project leader's responsibility or Nordic Innovation’s?
Please see previous question and answer. If an audit will be requested, the project leader will appoint an auditor.
Can recycling projects apply? Recycling is a substantial part of a circular economy.
We will accept applications on recycling as well as on other topics. We will evaluate all the applications based on the evaluation criteria. Circular design of products and productions processes is as an area of interest because the European Court of Auditors recommended that funding should be allocated to other parts of the value chain and preventing waste.
Is there a specific template available or is the proposal format is flexible?
The proposal format is flexible. However, we have decided to add a proposal template that can be utilized if you wish and if it could be helpful in writing the proposal. The evaluation criteria are also part of that template. You can choose between a flexible proposal format or this template. Please find the application template above the Q&A section.
Can you please confirm the approved hourly rate?
The maximum hourly rate has been increased from NOK 1.100 to NOK 1.450.
Please read more here: “Nordic Innovation’s approved hourly rate”.
The new rate has also been updated in the budget document. Please download the updated budget template.
