Deadline: 17-Nov-22
Innovation Norway is excited to announce the Small Grants Scheme for Soft Measures that aims to support awareness-raising, training and competence-building through networking on topics such as sustainable business models, green innovation, circular economy and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Green Industry Innovation and Welfare Technology focus areas.
Aims
- All projects must contribute to supporting enterprises to increase their business development capacity, preferably in close cooperation with partners from Norway.
- Funding is available for projects which support sustainable business models, green innovation, circular economy and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Funding Information
A total of 1,350,000 euro.
- The minimum amount of grant assistance applied for shall be EUR 5,000.
- The maximum amount of grant assistance applied for shall be EUR 100,000.
Eligible Activities
- Trainings, coaching, mentoring on topics like sustainable business models, green innovation, circular economy and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
- Study trips, workshops, seminars, conferences, experience / good practice sharing events with the aim of boosting environmentally sustainable or welfare technology-related entrepreneurship.
- Study trips, workshops, seminars, conferences, experience / good practice sharing events with the aim of enhancing the collaboration, networking and learning within cluster organisations, contributing to environmental sustainability, or related to welfare technology.
- Business matchmaking events aimed at partnerships for environmentally sustainable or welfare technology-related business development and capacity building.
- Feasibility studies, data collection, analyses directly contributing to or exploring environmentally sustainable or welfare technology-related business development and -opportunities.
- In addition to one or more of the above, bilateral activities between Bulgarian and Norwegian entities if they directly contribute to developing the capacity of Bulgarian business.
Target Groups
- The target group of the Programme is enterprises in the private sector, mainly SMEs. For projects solely aiming at Improving the Capacity for Business Development, partnerships are not mandatory, but Donor Partnership Projects are strongly encouraged. For projects contributing to the outcome Strengthening bilateral relations, Donor Partnerships are mandatory.
- All projects should contribute to achieving increased competitiveness of the Bulgarian enterprises within the focus areas Green Industry Innovation and Welfare Technology.In addition, all projects must contribute to supporting enterprises to improve capacity for business development.
- More specifically, projects proposed should target at least one of the following groups:
- Business organizations/clusters that support SMEs to increase their knowledge about topics in fields such as business models, eco-innovation, circular economy, internationalization, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
- Large enterprises that receive business skills support (training, coaching, mentoring etc.).
- SMEs that receive business skills support (training, coaching, mentoring etc.).
- Start-ups that receive business skills support (training, coaching, mentoring etc.).
Outcomes
The expected outcomes of the projects financed by this call are:
- Increased competitiveness of Bulgarian enterprises within the focus areas Green Industry Innovation and Welfare Technology.
- Optionally, enhanced business cooperation between donor state entities and beneficiary state entities.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants are:
- SMEs, as defined in the EU Recommendation 2003/361 , established as legal persons in Bulgaria and registered under the Bulgarian Commercial Act and
- Non-for-profit organisations established as legal persons in Bulgaria.
- Who can be partner?
- Any public or private entity, commercial or non-commercial and non-governmental organisations, established as a legal person in Bulgaria or in Norway.
For more information, visit https://www.innovasjonnorge.no/en/start-page/eea-norway-grants/calls-for-proposals/17112022-small-grants-scheme-for-soft-measures/