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General Introduction

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

What are the objectives of the Grants?
What are the differences between the EEA and Norway Grants?
How does financing work?
Which areas are supported by the Grants?
Which are the Programme Areas?
Who can apply?
How to apply?
How to develop a partnership?
Who manages the calls for application?


What are the objectives of the Grants?

The EEA and Norway Grants are financial mechanisms established by Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The Donor States are not members of the European Union, but are members of the European Economic Area (EEA). Therefore they do not contribute financially to the common policies of the EU, but thinking in terms of solidarity they help reducing the differences between the countries of the European Economic Area with these separate Grants. The overall objectives of the EEA and Norway Grants are reduction of economic and social disparities and strengthening bilateral relations between the Donor States and the beneficiary states, including Hungary. The beneficiary states of the Norway Grants are the 13 states that joined the European Union since 2004; the EEA Grants additionally gives support to Greece, Spain and Portugal. 

What are the differences between the EEA and Norway Grants?

Norway Grants is a financial mechanism established by Norway; EEA Grants is established by Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. In the framework of EEA Grants it is cooperation, exchange of knowledge and know-how with Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtensteiner organisations that might contribute to strengthening bilateral relations. In the framework of Norwegian Grants partnerships might materialize in common initiatives with Norwegian institutions and organisations. 

How does financing work?

The above mentioned funds are also called EEA and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein signed the Memoranda of Understanding with Hungary on 12 and 14 October 2011 that make 153 million EUR available. 
The 2009-2014 financing period, in spite of its name, will not terminate in 2014. After lengthy negotiation and preparation processes launching of the calls started in 2013. The implementation period of the winning projects should have ended until 30 April 2017. 

Which areas are supported by the Grants?

Hungary and the Donor States jointly selected 11 areas to the development of which the Donor States are willing to contribute. These are called Programme Areas for which the responsible Programme Operators were also designated in the Memoranda of Understanding. 

Which are the Programme Areas?

The 6 Programme Areas supported by the EEA Grants are the following: Energy efficiency, Renewable energy, Adaptation to climate change, Civil society – NGO Fund, Conservation of cultural and natural heritage, Scholarships. The 5 Programme Areas supported by the Norway Grants are the following: Green industry innovation, Decent work and tripartite dialogue, National fund for bilateral relations, Capacity-building and institutional cooperation, Public health. Further information on each Programme Area can be found within the menu Programme Areas.
Three of the above mentioned programmes are implemented outside the institutional set-up covered by this website, with contribution of the Fund Operators designated directly by the Donor States. These areas of the EEA Grants are Civil Society – NGO Fund, which is also called ‘Norvég Civil Alap', Adaptation to climate change and within the Norway Grants, Decent work and tripartite dialogue. 
Further information is available directly on the Fund Operators' websites. 

Who can apply?

The circle of eligible applicants is always determined in the given calls. There are calls to which only municipalities, or non-profit organisations, companies, or in certain cases individuals can apply 

How to apply?

One can apply through the 'NORA sytem' The current calls for application are available here.

How to develop a partnership?

In certain calls Hungarian applicants will be required to implement their project in cooperation with a Norwegian/Icelandic/Liechtensteiner partner institution. If an applicant has no connection with a donor state institution and wants to find a partner to be able to apply, they can express their interest on project partner seeker events organized by the Programme Operators. These events are usually published between the News of this website. 

Who manages the calls for application?

The International Development and Fund Coordination Agency, which operates as the Implementing Agency, manages launching and handling calls and keeps contact with the applicants of the nine Programme Areas for which Hungary is responsible. To each Programme Area a ‘Programme Operator' is appointed who determines the Programme's objectives and the content of the calls, takes decisions on the granting of financial assistance, and monitors the technical implementation. 

Who are the actors of the institutional setup of the Grants?

1. Implementing Agency (IA)

International Development and Fund Coordination Agency 

Tasks: answering the questions of the project promoters, establishing and managing the IT system for applications, admission of applications, admission and formal check of progress reports, admission and check of payment requests, preparing disbursement of granting, conducting monitoring visits. 

2. Programme Operators (POs)

National Fund for Bilateral Relations
Prime Minister’s Office – Deputy State Secretariat for International Affairs 

Green industry innovation

Szent István University 

Public health
National Healthcare Sevices Center 

Cultural and natural heritage
Prime Minister’s Office
Deputy State Secretariat for Cultural Heritage Protection 

Energy efficiency
Ministry of National Development Department for Green Economy Development 

Capacity building and institutional cooperation
Prime Minister’s Office,
Department for Implementation of International Co-operation Programmes 

Renewable energy
Ministry of National Development
Department for Green Economy Development 

EEA Scholarships Programme
Tempus Public Foundation 

Adaptation to climate change
Regional Environmental Center (REC) 

Decent work and tripartite dialogue
Innovation Norway 

Tasks: developing Programmes and calls, taking decision on granting of financial assistance, concluding project contracts, approval of disbursement requests, conducting monitoring visits, controlling, managing irregularities, ensuring publicity of the Programmes. 

3. National Focal Point (NFP)

Prime Minister’s Office – Deputy State Secretariat for International Affairs Department for Implementation of International Co-operation Programmes

Tasks: overall responsibility for implementing the Programmes regularly and in accordance with the objectives stated in the Memoranda of Understanding, supervision of implementation, establishing the Monitoring Committee, establishing institutional, financial and procedural rules and regulations in order to allocating and utilizing grants, reporting to the Donor States. 

4. Certifying Authority (CA)
Hungarian State Treasury Tasks: Submission of requests for payment to the Donor States, supplying data about financial implementation, certifying compliance of the financial and accounting procedures. 

5. Audit Authority (AA)
Directorate General for Audit of European Funds Tasks: Controlling the implementation of the Grants, developing an audit strategy, conducting system, programme and project level audits, reporting to the Donor States. 

6. Donor Program Partners (DDPs)
Research Council of Norway (RCN), Innovation Norway, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Council of Europe, Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage (RA), Icelandic National Energy Authority (OS), Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS), Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning (VOX), Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU), National Agency for International Education Affairs (AIBA, Liechtenstein), Icelandic Centre for Research (RANNIS), Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB)

Tasks: Donor States' institutions or intergovernmental institutions appointed by the Donor States that have advisory role in programme preparation and implementation. 

7. Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) – Brussels
Tasks: FMO is an organisation supporting the Donor States in the operative implementation of the financial mechanisms and is their primary focal point towards the beneficiary states. 

8. Monitoring Committee (MC)
Tasks: Regularly examines the progress of the implementation of the Financial Mechanisms in relation to the achievement of objectives and outcomes. Its full members are the NFP, representatives of the line-ministries, and organisations representing the municipalities, private sector, social partners and civil society. 

9. Cooperation Committee (CC)
Tasks: Advisory body that supports the given Programme Area's preparation and implementation to which members are delegated by the Programme Operator, the Donor Programme Partners, and other entities determined by the Memoranda of Understanding or the Programme Operator.