The bilateral partnerships at programme level are expected to be mutually beneficial for the cooperating partners. The partnerships promote professional cooperation between public authorities at a policy level, and the national programme operators are given a strategic adviser in the development and implementation of the programmes.

The donor programme partners are mostly public bodies with national mandates within their respective fields and with extensive international experience. The donor programme partners have been designated by the donor countries at their initiative. In addition to the public bodies in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, the Council of Europe has been appointed as a programme partner.

Role and involvement

The donor programme partners are involved in:

• The development of the strategy and design of the programme by giving advice and assisting the programme operator.
• Once the programme has been established, the donor programme partner assists the national programme operator in reviewing the programme progress and in discussing any needs for amendments. The donor programme partner also advices on the text for the calls for proposals.
• The donor programme partner may take part in monitoring and outreach activities, and plays an important role in reaching out to potential donor project partners. In the Selection Committee, the donor programme partner may take part as an advisor or as a full member.
• The donor programme partner might also facilitate study tours for the PO or relevant entities to the donor countries, organise technical seminars or assist in outreach and communication of results.
• The donor programme partner is expected to be a resource in facilitating networking between the programme operator and potential project promoters and/or project partners from the donor countries, advising on and reaching out to possible donor country project partners and advising on possible activities within the programme to strengthen the bilateral aspects.

Project partnership

In order to achieve the overall objective of strengthened bilateral relations, all programmes should to the extent possible encourage and facilitate the establishment of donor partnership projects. There is no difference between donor partnership programmes and other programmes in this sense.

A partnership project consists of a beneficiary state project promoter implementing a project in close cooperation with a donor state partner. Partnership projects are joint projects where input from both parties is necessary to achieve the objectives of the project.

View our step-by-step guide to finding or becoming a project partner

Donor programme partners

	Programme areas covered	Countries of work
Arts Council Norway	PA16 - Conservation and revitalisation of cultural and natural heritage PA17 - Promotion of diversity in culture and arts within European cultural heritage	Czech Republic Latvia Lithuania Poland Portugal Romania
Council of Europe (CoE)	PA11 - Children and youth at risk PA12 - Local and regional initiatives to reduce national inequalities and to promote social inclusion PA29 - Domestic and Gender-based violence PA30 - Schengen cooperation and combating cross-border and organised crime, including trafficking and itinerant criminal groups PA31 - Judicial capacity-building and cooperation PA32 - Correctional services, including non-custodial sanctions	Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Hungary Latvia Romania Slovakia
Gassnova	PA20 - Carbon capture and storage (CCS)	Poland Romania
Icelandic Centre for Research	PA18 - Research within priority sectors PA19 - Scholarships	Bulgaria Czech Republic Estonia Hungary Poland Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain
Innovation Norway	PA09 - Environmental and climate change-related research and technology PA21 - Green industry innovation	Estonia Hungary Latvia Lithuania  Slovakia Spain
National Agency for International Education Affairs, Liechtenstein	PA19 - Scholarships	Bulgaria Czech Republic Estonia Hungary Poland Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain
National Energy Authority of Iceland	PA06 - Renewable energy	Hungary Portugal  Romania
Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning	PA25 - Capacity-building and institutional cooperation with Norwegian public institutions, local and regional authorities	Hungary
Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities	PA11 - Children and youth at risk PA25 - Capacity-building and Institutional cooperation between beneficiary state and Norwegian public institutions, local and regional authorities	Bulgaria Estonia Hungary Latvia Lithuania
Norwegian Barents Secretariat	PA25 - Capacity-building and institutional cooperation with Norwegian public institutions, local and regional authorities PA26 - Cross-border cooperation	Bulgaria Slovakia
Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education	PA19 - Scholarships PA24 - Bilateral scholarships	Bulgaria Czech Republic Estonia Hungary Latvia Lithuania Poland Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain
Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency	PA01 - Integrated marine and inland water management PA03 - Environmental monitoring and integrated planning and control PA04 - Reduction of hazardous substances PA05 - Energy efficiency PA06 - Renewable energy PA07 - Adaption to climate change PA25 - Capacity-building and institutional cooperation with Norwegian public institutions, local and regional authorities	Bulgaria Estonia Latvia Lithuania Poland  Romania
Norwegian Correctional Service	PA32 - Correctional services, including non-custodial sanctions	Latvia Lithuania Poland Romania
Norwegian Court Administration	PA31 - Judicial capacity-building and cooperation	Lithuania Poland Romania
Norwegian Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergency Planning	PA07 - Adaption to climate change	Hungary Latvia Portugal Slovakia
Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage	PA16 - Conservation and revitalisation of cultural and natural heritage PA17 - Promotion of diversity in culture and arts within European cultural heritage	Estonia Hungary Latvia Lithuania Romania
Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management	PA01 - Integrated marine and inland water management PA02 - Biodiversity and ecosystem services PA03 - Environmental monitoring and integrated planning and control PA07 - Adaption to climate change	Bulgaria Czech Republic Lithuania  Romania
Norwegian Directorate of Health	PA27 - Public health initiatives PA29 - Domestic and Gender-based violence	Estonia Poland  Slovakia
Norwegian Directorate of Immigration	PA15 - Institutional framework in the asylum and migration sector	Greece
Norwegian Equality and Anti-discrimination Ombud	PA14 - Mainstreaming gender equalities and promoting work-life balance	Spain
Norwegian Institute of Public Health	PA13 - Public health initiatives (EEA) PA27 - Public health initiatives (Norway) PA28 - Mainstreaming gender equality and promoting work-life balance	Czech Republic Estonia Hungary Portugal Slovenia
Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion	PA28 - Mainstreaming gender equality and promoting work-life balance	Estonia
Norwegian Police Directorate	PA25 - Capacity-building and institutional cooperation with Norwegian public institutions, local and regional authorities PA30 - Schengen cooperation and combating cross-border and organised crime, including trafficking and itinerant criminal groups	Bulgaria Lithuania Romania
Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority	PA25 - Capacity-building and institutional cooperation with Norwegian public institutions, local and regional authorities	Romania
Norwegian Secretariat of the Shelter Movement	PA29 - Domestic and Gender-based violence	Cyprus
Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate	PA05 - Energy efficiency PA06 - Renewable energy PA07 - Adaption to climate change	Bulgaria Romania Slovakia
Research Council of Norway	PA18 - Research within priority sectors PA23 - Bilateral research cooperation	Czech Republic Estonia Hungary Latvia Poland Romania