Apply for Nordic Arctic Co-operation Programme

Projects must be based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and relate to the four P’s: PLANET, PEOPLE, PROSPERITY and PARTNERSHIPS.

The purpose of the programme is to contribute to the Nordic Council of Ministers’: Vision 2030. The vision is for the Nordic region to be the world’s most sustainable and integrated region by 2030.

The aim of the programme is to promote Nordic co-operation in the Arctic and contribute to increased knowledge about the Arctic environment, economy and social conditions.

With the programme, the idea is to achieve Nordic and Arctic partnerships that can contribute to concrete solutions to current challenges and needs in the Arctic. There is a clear focus on creating and operating networks and meeting places that can help strengthen mobility, integration and exchange of experience.

To ensure that a project is anchored in both the Arctic and the Nordic countries, there must always be partners from minimum three Nordic countries in a co-operation project. That is, from Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands or Åland.

Partners can also be supplemented with one or more Arctic partners outside the Nordic region (Arctic states included in the Arctic Council), as long as the leading partner is from one of the Nordic countries.

Criteria for Support

The Nordic Arctic Co-operation Programme supports projects that contribute to sustainable development in relation to the four Ps formulated in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

• The planet / environment (PLANET)
  • The following sustainability goals are relevant:
    • SDG 6 Clean water
    • SDG 7 Sustainable energy
    • SDG 11 Sustainable Cities
    • SDG 13 Climate Action
    • SDG 14 Life in the sea
    • SDG 15 Life on land
    • SDG 17 Partnerships
  • This means that Nordic Arctic Co-operation Programme supports projects in the following areas:
    • Innovative solutions in the field of sustainable energy
    • Sustainable cities and urban development
    • Sustainable utilization and use of marine resources
    • Recognition of the importance and change of biodiversity
    • Reduction of greenhouse gases, adaptation to climate challenges and resilient / robust societies
• The population (PEOPLES)
  • The following sustainability goals are relevant:
    • SDG 3 Health and well-being
    • SDG 4 Quality Education
    • SDG 5 Gender equality
    • SDG 11 Sustainable Cities
    • SDG 16 Strong institutions
    • SDG 17 Partnerships
  • This means that Nordic Arctic Co-operation Programme supports projects in the following areas:
    • Indigenous peoples and communities
    • Living conditions of families, including especially the conditions of children and young people
    • Gender equality and gender roles
    • Health and social conditions
    • Research, education and competence development
    • Inter-ethnic co-operation, grassroots and NGO co-operation as well as civil society development with a view to strengthening peaceful, inclusive and democratic societies
• Growth and prosperity (PROSPERITY)
  • The following sustainability goals are relevant:
    • SDG 2 Stop hunger
    • SDG 4 Quality Education
    • SDG 7 Sustainable energy
    • SDG 8 Decent jobs and economic growth
    • SDG 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure
    • SDG 11 Sustainable Cities
    • SDG 12 Responsible consumption and responsible production
    • SDG 17 Partnerships
  • This means that the Nordic Arctic Co-operation Programme supports projects in the following areas:
    • Innovation and entrepreneurship, including training in innovation/entrepreneurship and startup environments
    • Digitization
      • Research and business development
      • Traditional knowledge and local knowledge
      • Development of local business opportunities
      • The importance of culture for a sustainable future in the Arctic
      • Relevant occupations in the Arctic, including, for example, tourism, food production, food culture and food exports in the Arctic.
• As well as separate focus on facilitating this development through collaborations and partnerships (PARTNERSHIPS)
  • The following sustainability goals are relevant:
    • SDG 16 Strong institutions
    • SDG 17 Partnerships
  • This means that Nordic Arctic Co-operation Programme supports projects in the following areas:
    • Mobility and cross-border cooperation
    • Capacity building and cooperation between different actors and institutions
    • Cooperation between the public and private sectors as well as civil society

The Programme does not Support

• Projects already started
• Operation of other organizations’ permanent projects, administration or infrastructure.

Professional Assessment of Applications

• Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland puts together an evaluation group with a broad, professional knowledge of the Arctic area consisting of:
  • Six researchers with a PhD degree who together, as a minimum, cover the following Arctic research areas:
    • Arctic cultural and linguistic research
    • Arctic scientific research, including health and climate research
    • Arctic economic and social science research
    • Arctic engineering and technology research
  • Four non-researchers who together, as a minimum, cover the following areas:
    • Arctic business and entrepreneurship
    • The Arctic Cultural Area
    • Finance and project management
  • A person is able to cover several of the above areas, in both research and non-research.

For more information, visit NAPA – The Nordic Institute in Greenland.