The Norway Grants promote decent work and tripartite dialogue in the 12 beneficiary countries that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. The Global Fund for Decent Work and Tripartite Dialogue aims to improve cooperation between employers’ organisations, trade unions and public authorities supporting fair and sustainable economic and social development.
As a fund covering all the beneficiary countries, the fund is distinctive from all other programmes, which are country-specific. Innovation Norway is the operator of this fund.
While a first call was held in October 2011 for all countries, a second call is now opened for those countries with fewer applications in the first call than funding available.
A total €478 260 is available in the second call: €220 000 will be granted to projects in the Czech Republic, €218 860 to projects in Estonia, and €39 400 to projects in Cyprus.
The minimum grant amount per project is €50 000 for Czech projects, €20 000 for projects in Estonia, and €5 000 for projects in Cyprus. The maximum grant amount per project is €200 000 for both the Czech Republic and Estonia.
Projects may be implemented until 31 December 2014.
In particular, the Fund welcomes initiatives such as:
• Training and capacity-building to encourage the establishment and functioning of social dialogue structures
• Initiatives to promote tripartite dialogue and decent work as well as bipartite dialogue initiatives across industries and sectors
• Initiatives to foster work-life balance and non-discrimination in the work-place
• Promoting health, safety and environment at the workplace
• Initiatives to foster gender equality at the workplace and in company-board rooms
• Information and awareness-raising activities and partnership-building among social partners and with public and private sector organisations, including NGOs
• Social partner actions to promote employment, education, schooling, housing, anti-discrimination, poverty, health and safety and social protection
The Czech Republic and Estonia have provided country specific focus areas. These can be consulted on the website of fund operator Innovation Norway.
Eligible candidates
These include social partners, public authorities and organisations of public authorities, constituted as legal entities in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia or in Norway with regular activities related to decent work and/or tripartite cooperation. The term „social partner“ means organisations representing employers and employees. Entities at national, regional and local level are eligible.
Partnerships with donor programme partners
Partnerships with Norwegian entities are encouraged but not compulsory. Norwegian legal entities can only apply as Project Promoter in partnership with an entity from the Czech Republic, Cyprus or Estonia. A template for partnership agreements is available on the website of Innovation Norway.
Applications
Only electronic applications, submitted to Innovation Norway, Oslo, in English, will be accepted. The deadline for applications is 18 December 2012, 12.00 p.m. local Norwegian time.
Entities interested in applying for grants from the Fund can access all relevant information and application submission forms on the Fund’s website.
For more information, please contact: Innovation Norway, Akersgt. 13, 0104 Oslo, Norway, Mr Knut Ringstad, Programme Manager, post@innovationnorway.no