Deadline: 02-Dec-2026
The Call for Proposals on Nordic and Baltic solutions on food security funds research and innovation projects that strengthen resilient food systems across the region. It focuses on crisis preparedness, infrastructure resilience, and increased use of regionally produced food through cross-sector collaboration. The programme offers funding for about ten projects, with up to NOK 115 million for Nordic partners and strict consortium requirements.
Overview of the Nordic and Baltic Food Security Call
The Call for Proposals on Nordic and Baltic solutions on food security is a regional funding initiative supporting research and innovation aimed at strengthening resilient and sustainable food systems. It addresses both short-term disruptions and long-term structural challenges affecting food security.
The programme focuses on improving the ability of Nordic and Baltic food systems to:
- Anticipate disruptions
- Respond effectively to crises
- Adapt and transform under systemic risks
- Strengthen regional food supply resilience
Key drivers of risk addressed include:
- Climate change impacts
- Geopolitical instability
- Natural hazards
- Supply chain disruptions
- Systemic infrastructure vulnerabilities
Thematic Areas of the Programme
The call is structured around three main thematic priorities.
Key thematic areas include:
- Transnational and transregional food system preparedness
- Crisis response coordination
- Emergency preparedness systems
- Critical infrastructure resilience and interdependencies
- Consumer behavior and regional food consumption
- Increasing use of Nordic and Baltic produced food
- Food preferences and cultural influences
- Price, availability, and labeling effects
- Policy incentives shaping consumption choices
Programme Objectives
The initiative aims to strengthen regional cooperation and innovation in food security systems.
Core objectives include:
- Enhancing resilience of food production and supply systems
- Improving crisis preparedness and response capacity
- Strengthening collaboration across Nordic and Baltic countries
- Supporting sustainable regional food consumption
- Identifying vulnerabilities in food supply chains
- Promoting integrated technological and institutional solutions
Research and Innovation Focus
Projects must integrate multiple dimensions of innovation to address food system resilience.
Supported research and innovation activities include:
- Risk assessment and vulnerability mapping
- Scenario planning and foresight analysis
- Crisis management and emergency coordination systems
- Infrastructure resilience analysis across supply chains
- Agricultural and seafood supply chain optimization
- Food distribution and access improvement strategies
- Policy development and governance solutions
Approach requirements:
- Integration of technological innovation
- Organisational system improvements
- Institutional and policy innovation
- Combination of short-term and long-term resilience strategies
Collaboration Requirements
The programme strongly emphasizes cross-border and cross-sector collaboration.
Eligible partnerships must include:
- Research organisations
- Industry partners
- Public authorities
- NGOs and civil society actors
- Other relevant stakeholders
Collaboration goals:
- Co-development of solutions
- Practical implementation of research outcomes
- Strengthening regional cooperation across food systems
- Enhancing real-world applicability of research
Funding Details
The programme provides substantial funding across Nordic and Baltic regions.
Funding structure:
- Approximately 10 projects will be funded
- Total Nordic funding pool: up to NOK 115 million
- Estonian partner funding: up to EUR 300,000
- Lithuanian partner funding: up to EUR 420,000
- Maximum Nordic funding per project: NOK 15 million
Funding purpose:
- Support collaborative research and innovation
- Develop resilient food system solutions
- Strengthen regional food security strategies
Consortium Eligibility Requirements
Strict consortium rules apply to ensure regional collaboration.
Consortium composition must include:
- At least 3 Nordic countries
OR - At least 2 Nordic countries plus Lithuania and/or Estonia
Additional requirements:
- Minimum 2 research-performing organisations
- Minimum 1 non-academic partner
- Cross-sector collaboration strongly encouraged
Why This Programme Matters
This initiative addresses growing risks to global and regional food security.
Key importance includes:
- Strengthening resilience against climate and geopolitical shocks
- Improving food system stability and preparedness
- Enhancing regional self-sufficiency in food production
- Reducing supply chain vulnerabilities
- Supporting sustainable consumption of regional food
- Encouraging cross-border cooperation in crisis response
How It Works / Implementation Flow
The programme follows a structured multinational research funding model.
Step-by-step process:
- Formation of eligible multinational consortium
- Identification of food system resilience challenge
- Submission of integrated research and innovation proposal
- Evaluation based on impact, collaboration, and feasibility
- Selection of approximately 10 funded projects
- Implementation across 24–36 months (typical large-scale research cycle)
- Development of solutions in preparedness, infrastructure, and consumption
- Dissemination of results across Nordic and Baltic regions
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:
- Not meeting the minimum number of participating countries
- Missing required mix of research and non-academic partners
- Weak integration of infrastructure, policy, and behavioural components
- Overly narrow single-discipline research focus
- Lack of real-world implementation strategy
- Ignoring cross-regional collaboration requirements
Tips for a Strong Application
To improve success chances:
- Build a strong cross-Nordic/Baltic consortium early
- Clearly integrate technical, policy, and behavioural research
- Demonstrate strong crisis and resilience relevance
- Include practical pathways for implementation
- Address both short-term and long-term food system risks
- Ensure strong involvement of non-academic stakeholders
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the main goal of this programme?
- To strengthen food system resilience across Nordic and Baltic countries
- To improve preparedness, infrastructure, and regional food use
How many projects will be funded?
- Approximately 10 projects
What is the maximum funding per project?
- Up to NOK 15 million for Nordic partners
Which countries are involved?
- Nordic countries plus Lithuania and Estonia
What are the consortium requirements?
- At least 3 Nordic countries OR 2 Nordic countries plus Lithuania/Estonia
- At least 2 research organisations
- At least 1 non-academic partner
What themes are included?
- Crisis preparedness
- Infrastructure resilience
- Consumer behavior and regional food consumption
What types of organisations can participate?
- Research institutions, industry, public authorities, NGOs, and other stakeholders
Conclusion
The Nordic and Baltic food security call is a large-scale collaborative research initiative designed to strengthen regional resilience in food systems. By integrating crisis preparedness, infrastructure resilience, and consumer behaviour research, it promotes innovative, cross-border solutions that enhance long-term food security and sustainability across the region.
For more information, visit NordForsk.
