POLNORIS Research and Innovation Partnership Programme (Poland)

Deadline: 17-Dec-2026

The POLNORIS Call for Proposals supports high-quality research and innovation projects in Poland through international cooperation with partners from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The call promotes donor partnership projects, research excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, research valorisation, early-stage researcher leadership and solutions that contribute to social, economic and policy impact.

A total of EUR 70 million is available under the call, with individual grants ranging from EUR 1 million to EUR 1.75 million. Eligible applicants include research organisations and enterprises established in Poland, and each project must include at least one research organisation partner from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway.

Programme Overview

The POLNORIS Call for Proposals supports research and innovation projects that strengthen international cooperation between Poland and the Donor States.

The Donor States are:

• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Norway

The call aims to improve research quality in Poland, build international research networks and support innovative solutions based on knowledge, evidence and cooperation.

Funding Available

The total funding amount available under the call is EUR 70 million.

Individual grant amounts range from:

• Minimum grant: EUR 1 million
• Maximum grant: EUR 1.75 million

Funding will support eligible research and innovation projects implemented in cooperation with partners from the Donor States.

Main Objective

The main objective of the POLNORIS Call is to strengthen research and innovation capacity in Poland through high-quality international cooperation.

The programme aims to:

• Enhance research quality in Poland
• Strengthen international research cooperation
• Support donor partnership projects
• Build research networks with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway
• Promote research-driven innovation
• Encourage interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration
• Support the leadership of early-stage researchers
• Improve the use and impact of research results
• Promote solutions that create social and economic value

Key Focus Areas

The call supports research and innovation projects aligned with major European and social priorities.

Key focus areas include:

• Research quality in Poland
• International research collaboration
• Research and innovation partnerships
• Donor partnership projects
• European green transition
• Democracy
• Rule of law
• Human rights
• Social inclusion
• Social resilience
• Interdisciplinary research
• Cross-sectoral cooperation
• Research valorisation
• Early-stage researcher leadership
• Evidence-based policy development
• Sustainable innovation

What the Call Supports

The POLNORIS Call funds research and innovation projects that are implemented in close cooperation with partners from the Donor States.

Supported projects should develop knowledge-based and research-driven solutions.

Projects may focus on:

• New research findings
• Innovative products
• Sustainable services
• Practical solutions
• Evidence-based policies
• Social innovation
• Economic value creation
• Cross-sectoral cooperation
• Knowledge transfer
• Research-based responses to societal challenges

Donor Partnership Requirement

Each project must include a mandatory partnership with at least one research organisation from one of the Donor States.

This means that every project must include a research organisation partner from:

• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Norway

The partnership requirement is central to the call because the programme is designed to strengthen international cooperation and shared research capacity.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants include organisations established in Poland.

Eligible applicants may include:

• Research organisations
• Enterprises

Applicants must be able to lead or contribute to high-quality research and innovation projects with clear international cooperation.

Eligible Partners

Eligible project partners may include public, private, commercial and non-commercial organisations.

Partners may include:

• Research organisations
• Enterprises
• Public entities
• Private entities
• Commercial organisations
• Non-commercial organisations
• Non-governmental organisations

Eligible partners must be established in Poland or in one of the Donor States.

Role of Early-Stage Researchers

The call encourages meaningful participation and leadership opportunities for early-stage researchers.

Early-stage researchers may take roles such as:

• Principal Investigator
• Work Package leader
• Research team lead
• Innovation task lead
• Coordination or implementation role

This priority helps build the next generation of research leaders and strengthens long-term research capacity in Poland.

Interdisciplinary and Cross-Sectoral Collaboration

The programme encourages interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches.

Strong projects may involve cooperation between:

• Academic institutions
• Research organisations
• Enterprises
• Industry partners
• Public authorities
• Non-governmental organisations
• End-users
• Community stakeholders
• Policy actors

This type of collaboration can make research more relevant, practical and impactful.

Research Valorisation

Research valorisation means turning research results, data and knowledge into real-world value.

Under this call, projects should explain how their research outputs can become:

• Sustainable products
• Services
• Practical solutions
• Technologies
• Tools
• Methods
• Evidence-based policies
• Social or economic innovations

The goal is to ensure that research does not remain only academic, but contributes to wider public, social or economic benefit.

European Green Transition

The call supports projects that contribute to the European green transition.

This may include research and innovation related to sustainability, climate action, environmental protection, resource efficiency, circular economy or low-carbon development.

Projects should show how their results can support greener systems, policies, technologies or practices.

Democracy, Rule of Law and Human Rights

The programme also supports projects that contribute to democratic resilience, rule of law and human rights.

Relevant projects may address:

• Democratic participation
• Institutional trust
• Human rights protection
• Legal and governance systems
• Accountability
• Public policy
• Civic participation
• Social justice
• Evidence for democratic decision-making

Projects should clearly explain how their research contributes to stronger societies and better governance.

Social Inclusion and Resilience

The call promotes projects that support inclusive and resilient societies.

Research may focus on groups, systems or communities affected by inequality, exclusion, instability or crisis.

Projects may address:

• Social inclusion
• Community resilience
• Inequality
• Vulnerable groups
• Public service access
• Social innovation
• Education and skills
• Health and well-being
• Crisis response
• Long-term societal adaptation

Response to Challenges Linked to the Invasion of Ukraine

The initiative welcomes projects addressing challenges resulting from the invasion of Ukraine.

Projects may explore social, economic, humanitarian, policy, security, migration, governance or resilience-related impacts.

Applicants should clearly explain how their research responds to these challenges and how the findings can support practical solutions or evidence-based policies.

Expected Project Impact

Projects should demonstrate strong research quality and practical relevance.

Expected impacts may include:

• Improved research capacity in Poland
• Stronger international research networks
• New knowledge and innovation
• Sustainable products or services
• Evidence-based policy solutions
• Stronger cooperation with Donor State partners
• Improved research valorisation
• Increased role of early-stage researchers
• Social and economic value creation
• Contribution to green, democratic and inclusive development

Why This Call Matters

The POLNORIS Call matters because it supports research cooperation that can strengthen Poland’s innovation ecosystem and connect Polish institutions with partners from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

International research collaboration can improve the quality, relevance and impact of research.

By supporting interdisciplinary projects, early-stage researchers and research valorisation, the call helps turn knowledge into solutions that benefit society, the economy and public policy.

How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Proposal

Applicants should prepare a clear, high-quality and partnership-based research and innovation proposal.

Step 1: Confirm Applicant Eligibility

Applicants should confirm that they are a research organisation or enterprise established in Poland.

They should also ensure they have the capacity to manage or contribute to a large-scale international research project.

Step 2: Identify a Donor State Research Partner

Each project must include at least one research organisation from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway.

Applicants should choose a partner with complementary expertise and a clear role in the project.

Step 3: Define the Research Challenge

The proposal should clearly describe the research or innovation challenge being addressed.

This may relate to the green transition, democracy, human rights, social inclusion, resilience, innovation, public policy or other relevant research priorities.

Step 4: Build a Strong Consortium

Applicants should develop a consortium with partners that add technical, scientific, practical or policy value.

Strong consortia may include academic institutions, enterprises, public authorities, NGOs and end-users.

Step 5: Include Early-Stage Researcher Leadership

Projects should consider how early-stage researchers can take meaningful leadership roles.

This may include assigning them as Principal Investigators, Work Package leaders or key research leads.

Step 6: Demonstrate Research Quality

The proposal should show a strong research design.

Applicants should clearly explain:

• Research questions
• Methodology
• Data sources
• Work plan
• Partner roles
• Expected outputs
• Quality assurance
• Risk management

Step 7: Explain Innovation and Valorisation

Applicants should explain how research results will be used beyond the project.

This may include plans for products, services, solutions, policy recommendations, tools, datasets or practical models.

Step 8: Show Social and Economic Value

The proposal should describe how the project will create value for society, the economy, public policy or target communities.

Clear impact pathways are important for a competitive application.

Step 9: Plan Dissemination and Uptake

Applicants should explain how project results will be shared and used.

This may include publications, stakeholder workshops, policy briefs, industry engagement, public communication, open data, pilots or cooperation with end-users.

Step 10: Prepare a Realistic Budget

Applicants should ensure that the requested grant is between EUR 1 million and EUR 1.75 million.

The budget should be realistic, well justified and aligned with the project work plan.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:

• Submitting a project without a required Donor State research partner
• Providing weak justification for international cooperation
• Failing to show research quality
• Treating partners as symbolic rather than active contributors
• Ignoring research valorisation
• Not explaining how results will create social or economic value
• Providing unclear roles for early-stage researchers
• Submitting a proposal without interdisciplinary or cross-sectoral relevance
• Presenting broad themes without clear research questions
• Failing to explain how results will be used by stakeholders
• Requesting a grant outside the EUR 1 million to EUR 1.75 million range

Tips for a Strong Application

A strong application should:

• Include a strong Polish applicant and at least one Donor State research partner
• Show genuine and balanced international cooperation
• Present a clear research challenge
• Use a strong methodology
• Demonstrate interdisciplinary or cross-sectoral value
• Include early-stage researchers in leadership roles
• Explain how research will be translated into practical value
• Address relevant social, economic or policy needs
• Include stakeholders and end-users where useful
• Present a clear dissemination and valorisation plan
• Provide a realistic budget and implementation plan

FAQ

1. What is the POLNORIS Call for Proposals?

The POLNORIS Call for Proposals supports research and innovation projects in Poland through cooperation with partners from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

2. How much funding is available?

The total funding available under the call is EUR 70 million.

3. What is the grant range?

Individual grants range from EUR 1 million to EUR 1.75 million.

4. Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include research organisations and enterprises established in Poland.

5. Is an international partner required?

Yes. Each project must include at least one research organisation from a Donor State: Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway.

6. What types of partners are eligible?

Eligible partners may include public or private entities, commercial or non-commercial organisations and NGOs established in Poland or the Donor States.

7. What priorities does the call support?

The call supports research quality, international collaboration, donor partnership projects, the European green transition, democracy, rule of law, human rights, social inclusion, resilience, research valorisation and early-stage researcher leadership.

Conclusion

The POLNORIS Call for Proposals offers major support for research and innovation projects that strengthen cooperation between Poland and the Donor States.

With EUR 70 million available and grants ranging from EUR 1 million to EUR 1.75 million, the call supports high-quality projects that advance research excellence, innovation, social value and international collaboration.

Applicants should build strong partnerships with research organisations from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway, demonstrate clear research quality, promote early-stage researcher leadership and show how project results can be transformed into practical, sustainable and impactful outcomes.

For more information, visit EEA and Norway Grants.