Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector 2021
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Requirements relating to collaboration and roles in the project: added spesification on doctoral work.
Requirements for this application type: specified that the application must comply with the limits given under each thematic area regarding funding scale and project duration.
Purpose
An Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector is a funding instrument that provides grants to business-led innovation projects that make extensive use of research and development (R&D) activities. The Innovation Project is to lead to renewal and sustainable value creation for the project’s business partners. Funding should also generate socioeconomic benefits by making new knowledge and solutions available.
Important dates
JANUARY–JUNE 2021
Period 1
Applications submitted from 4 January to mid-April, with a funding decision between mid-May and the end of June.
APRIL–DECEMBER 2021
Period 2
Applications submitted between mid-April and mid-September, with a funding decision between the end of October and mid-December.
SEPTEMBER 2021–FEBRUARY 2022
Period 3
Applications submitted between mid-September and 15 December, with a funding decision between mid-January and the end of February 2022.
Important dates
About the call for proposals
This funding is intended to encourage companies to invest in R&D that can contribute to innovation and sustainable value creation. This call for proposals encompasses the full breadth of the Norwegian business sector, described in more detail under the call's thematic areas.
Project grant applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Accepted applications will in general be processed at regular intervals. Read more under the section ‘Expected funding decision’ (under ‘Processing procedures’ towards the end of the call).
This call for proposals constitutes a funding scheme that is notified to the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA), and must be practised in compliance with the EEA state aid rules. Read more about state aid under the section ‘Conditions for funding’.
See video from our application webinar (opens in new window, the webinar was held in Norwegian).
The Norwegian-language call for proposals is the legally binding version. We will provide three months’ notification of any significant revisions to the call.
Who is eligible to apply?
This call is open to companies that have been issued an enterprise number under the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises and that carry out economic activity in Norway. Public enterprises that carry out activities of an industrial or business nature may also serve as the formal applicant.
Sole proprietorships and research organisations are not eligible to serve as a formal applicant.
Who can participate in the project?
Requirements relating to the Project Owner
- The Project Owner must be a company or public enterprise that carries out activities of an industrial or business nature and has been issued an enterprise number under the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises.
- The Project Owner must secure funding for the project (over and above the Research Council’s funding) and make provisions for utilisation of the project results.
Requirements relating to collaboration and roles in the project
- The Project Owner must carry out the project together with at least one partner or one R&D provider. These must be listed in the section ‘Project partners and R&D providers’ in the application form. Read more about project partners and R&D providers here.
- Partners must fulfil the criteria listed under the section ‘Who is eligible to apply?’ to be able to receive funding. Partners must be involved in what is known as an effective collaboration with the Project Owner, which entails sharing both the risk associated with the project and the results it generates. Partners whose project costs are covered in part by Research Council funding are recipients of state aid.
- Norwegian and foreign expert environments and research organisations may participate in the project as R&D providers with responsibility for performing R&D work on assignment for the business partners. R&D providers may not contribute to project funding and in general have no rights to the project results. They deliver on assignment and should receive the market price for their work. If they are nonetheless to maintain the rights to results, this should be reflected in the assignment’s pricing.
- Where a PhD candidate contributes to the R&D provider’s work in an Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector, restrictions cannot be placed on the publication of the candidate’s doctoral work. An exception to this rule can be made if the parties agree up front on a delay of the publication.
- The work an R&D provider delivers is procured through an assignment from the project owner and/or other partners, and such work, when assigned to universities and university colleges, will be classified as contract R&D and renumerated thereafter. This means that R&D providers shall be reimbursed for all relevant costs associated with the doctoral work.
- Other international and public sector bodies may participate in the project, but will not receive Research Council funding.
- The Project Owner or one of the partners may not be in an interdependent relationship with any of the R&D providers in the project, e.g. where both entities are part of the same corporation. The ‘arm’s length principle’ must be observed when engaging R&D providers.
- The Project Owner and partners participating in the project that are interdependent will be considered as one entity and as a single recipient of funding in accordance with the state aid rules.
- The application with relevant partners and R&D providers at the time the application is submitted forms the basis for grant allocation, and is a stringent condition for funding. Changes made to the composition of a project before a contract has been entered into may result in the Research Council withdrawing its offer of funding.
Typical characteristics of a funded project
- The project builds on a unique and innovative idea by one or more of the partner companies in the project. The resulting innovation from the project may be in the form of a new product, service or production process, or new means of delivering products and/or services. An innovation in this context can also mean significantly improving or adding new features to existing products, services or processes.
- The project demonstrates a likely and significant positive impact for one or more key sustainability challenges, such as emission reductions, climate adaptation, resource efficiency, well-functioning ecosystems or social/societal improvements. We expect the project to have a positive impact without causing harm to other areas.
- The project's partnership constellation forms the basis for long-term collaboration, development and dissemination of knowledge and effective mutual utilisation of the results.
- The companies collaborating in the project typically have a need for new knowledge or new technology in order to deliver the intended innovation. The knowledge or technology is to be developed through R&D activities using recognised methodology. The project’s R&D activities must satisfy the definition of either ‘industrial research’ or ‘experimental development’ as set out in the state aid rules (see ‘Important definitions for Article 25’ on our info page on state aid).
- The Project Owner and partners have access to the R&D expertise necessary to implement the project.
- The scope and risk profile of the project is such that the companies would not be able to carry out the project without Research Council funding. This means that funding from the Research Council is a critical incentive for implementing the R&D activities. Project funding from the Research Council may also be instrumental in helping companies to obtain follow-up investments from private risk capital investors that can be used to further develop and utilise the results.
- The project incorporates clear objectives and a concrete plan for its R&D activities and for utilising the results. Results and knowledge generated from the project that are not bound by protection or confidentiality agreements are disseminated via relevant publications and other relevant dissemination channels.
What can you seek funding for?
Parts of the business partners’ costs pertaining to R&D activities under the project qualify for funding. Article 25 of the state aid rules describes which activities qualify for funding and which costs associated with these activities can be fully or partially funded. Funding can be provided for both direct and indirect project costs to the extent they can be categorised as costs pertaining to industrial research or experimental development. This applies to both costs associated with R&D activities performed by the project partners and for purchase of R&D services.
See more detailed information about which project costs qualify for funding here.
The Research Council does not provide funding for operational business activities including activities associated with the commercial exploitation of the R&D results, such as protection of intellectual property rights, market surveys and marketing, and testing and completion of new products or services. Nor is funding provided for costs that will not be recorded in the Project Owner or partners’ official accounts, such as own unpaid work effort. Such costs are therefore not to be included in the project budget.
Scope of funding
The level of support (aid intensity) available for a company’s project costs will depend on the size of the company and the type of R&D activities, as well as the extent to which the funding increases R&D investments among the project partners. Effective collaboration does not qualify for additional funding. The aid intensity may therefore vary from 25 per cent to 70 per cent, cf. the state aid rules (see ‘Article 25: Aid for research and development projects’ in the link, and the table below).
|
Type of company/type of activity |
Industrial research |
Experimental development |
|
Small business |
70 % |
45 % |
|
Medium-sized business |
60 % |
35 % |
|
Large business |
50 % |
25 % |
For applications awarded funding, the final grant amount will be determined in conjunction with contract negotiations. Applicants will receive an offer of funding on condition that a revised application is prepared in accordance with the conditional decision, cf. the points below.
Information about how much you can apply for and the length of the project period is available under the respective thematic areas.
Conditions for funding
This call for proposals constitutes a funding scheme that is notified to the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA).
Funding awarded under this scheme is granted in accordance with Article 25 of the General Block Exemption Regulation for state aid (Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014). The general terms and conditions in Chapter I of the Regulation must also be satisfied. You can read a consolidated version of the General Block Exemption Regulation for state aid with amendments from July 2020 here.
This funding scheme must be practised in compliance with the EEA state aid rules. This means that conditions and concepts are to be interpreted in keeping with corresponding conditions and concepts in the state aid rules. In the event of conflict between the text of the call and the state aid rules, the latter will have precedence. The text of the call may be adjusted for the same reason.
State aid may not be given to an undertaking that is subject to an outstanding recovery order following a formal decision by the EFTA Surveillance Authority or the European Commission stating that state aid received is illegal and incompatible with the internal market. Nor can the Research Council award state aid to an enterprise that is defined as an ‘undertaking in difficulty’ under the state aid rules, unless the undertaking was not in difficulty as of 31 December 2019, but became an undertaking in difficulty in the period 1 January 2020 – 30 June 2021. It may in such case receive funding.
- If the project application is awarded funding, the Project Owner must revise the project and grant application in accordance with the conditions set out by the ruling body in the Research Council. The revised application must incorporate updated and supplementary information about the project and participating partners, including documentation of implementation capacity and own funding.
- The participating companies must also submit a declaration confirming that they are qualified to receive state aid.
- Other public funding allocated to the project, or to activities under the project, will affect the amount of funding that the Research Council can provide.
- Allocated state aid of EUR 500,000 or more will be listed in a public registry.
- When the Project Owner is informed that the project will be allocated funding, they must inform any partners listed on the stock exchange or that have applied to be admitted to trading to give them an opportunity to assess whether the allocation of funding is sensitive inside information.
- For awarded projects, the project must commence no later than four months after the awarded grant was announced. Projects approved for funding that have not started by this date may lose their grant.
- Projects awarded funding under this call, are among other things, required to submit accounting reports annually documenting incurred project costs and their financing.
The Research Council’s requirements relating to allocation are set out in the General Terms and Conditions for R&D Projects.
Relevant thematic areas for this call
The topics listed under the thematic areas below describe the objectives, emphases and priorities for the allocation of funds. See the respective portfolio plans and work programmes referred to under ‘Relevant plans’ for more information about the priorities pertaining to each topic.
We encourage applicants to read them so that they understand the basis for our qualitative assessment and how we prioritise applications. The Research Council strives to achieve a balanced project portfolio of supported projects within the specified topics.
Please remember to select the thematic area and topic in the grant application form. The chosen thematic area and topic are merely for guidance to help the Research Council plan the application review process, and applications may be transferred to other thematic areas and topics.
The monetary amounts listed under each topic indicate how much funding is available. If all funding available to the respective topics has been allocated at a given time, the Research Council will post an official notification of this at the top of the call for proposals. Applications received for topics that do not have available funding will be rejected. These may in such case be re-submitted when any new funding becomes available.
Please contact the advisers affiliated to the respective topics for more information about the topic and the amount of project funding available.
Oceans
Funding is available for R&D-based innovation projects within all relevant areas of the aquaculture industry. Projects concerning all aquaculture species and the whole value chain from feed ingredients to processing of aquaculture products are relevant for funding. Project funding may be sought by producers as well as industry suppliers.
For more information about the priorities for this thematic area, please see the portfolio plan below.
Projects within this topic that contribute to achieving the goals of sustainable growth and development of the aquaculture industry will be prioritised. As regards applications from suppliers, priority will be given to projects with partners that are end users (producers).
Applications of relevance to this topic recieved in period 1 will be notified of the funding decision in the first part of October. The processing of applications recieved in period 2 and 3 are the same as for the rest of the call for proposals.
Budget, project period and funding amount
Roughly NOK 40 million has been set aside for ‘Innovation in the aquaculture industry’.
The projects may have a duration of between 1 and 3 years, and receive NOK 2–6 million in funding from the Research Council.
Contacts
Relevant plans
Funding is available for R&D-based innovation projects that help to increase value creation in the maritime industry. The objective is to work within a sustainable framework to enhance competitiveness, strengthen the capacity for restructuring and improve interactivity and knowledge transfer between the R&D community and the industry.
Funding is available for projects within all areas of the thematic area maritime activities and offshore operations:
- opportunities in the ocean industries;
- autonomous and remote-controlled vessels;
- digital transformation of the maritime industry;
- promoting climate and environmentally friendly maritime activities/green shipping;
- safety and security at sea;
- the Arctic and northern areas.
For more information about the priorities for this thematic area, please see the portfolio plan below.
To carry out full-scale testing of experimental technology on vessels/at facilities in commercial operation, funding is available for demonstration projects in which several industry actors collaborate on equipping commercial vessels with new technology concepts for testing and further development. The aid intensity for such demonstration projects will generally be limited to 25 per cent of project costs, since this is R&D activity classified as ‘experimental development’ under the state aid rules.
Within this thematic area, priority will be given to projects involving research tasks that require integrated efforts from a variety of stakeholders in order to achieve project objectives, and in which research findings will be of benefit to a wider range of companies in the industry. To be considered for funding, projects with a small number of participating companies will need to achieve high marks for the assessment criterion ‘Excellence’, or must lead to significant positive societal impacts.
Budget, project period and funding amount
The Research Council has set aside roughly NOK 100 million for projects relating to ‘Maritime industries’.
The projects may have a duration of between 2 and 4 years, and receive NOK 3–16 million in funding from the Research Council.
Contacts
Funding is available for projects encompassing the development and exchange of expertise and technology across the ocean-based industries, i.e. maritime industries, aquaculture, fisheries, offshore oil, gas and renewable energy, as well as new ocean-based industries.
For more information about the priorities for this thematic area, please see the portfolio plan below.
Grant applications must explain the type of development and/or exchange of expertise/technology between the ocean-based industries the project will advance and specify the ocean industry(ies) for which the expertise or technology development will be relevant.
Projects for this topic must also be relevant to at least one other topic listed under this call, primarily pertaining to ocean-based industries. The application must therefore also satisfy the criteria stipulated for the other topic(s). Applications that are relevant to the topic Ocean technology and expertise across ocean-based industries can be allocated to another topic within this call without obtaining approval from the applicant.
When prioritising between applications, in addition to the assessment of relevance of each individual application for the topic Ocean technology and expertise across ocean-based industries, emphasis will also be placed on evaluation of quality and priorities given for at least one other topic announced in this call, primarily for the ocean-based industries.
Project collaboration between actors across the ocean-based industries is expected, and it is especially encouraged to include end users in the collaboration.
Applications of relevance to this topic will be processed from mid-September 2021, and applicants are expected to be notified of the funding decision by mid-December.
Budget, project period and funding amount
The Research Council has set aside roughly NOK 8 million for projects relating to ‘Ocean technology and expertise across ocean-based industries’.
Projects may have a duration of between 1 and 3 years. The funding is to be used to co-finance projects that meet the requirements of this topic. The rest of the Research Council’s funding will be covered by another topic under this call, primarily those related to ocean-based industries.
Contacts
Relevant plans
Funding is available for R&D-based innovation projects seeking to generate knowledge about ecosystems in the ocean and coastal areas and the impact of pressures from human activity.
For more information about the priorities for this thematic area, please see the portfolio plan below.
Within this thematic area, priority will be given to projects that help to develop solutions and technology, including digital solutions, for advances in the fisheries industry, the marine processing industry and among companies using marine resources to produce energy or new marine products. Cooperation between actors across the ocean industries will be viewed in a positive light when assessing grant proposals.
Applications of relevance to this thematic area will be processed from mid-September 2021, and applicants are expected to be notified of the funding decision by mid-December.
Budget, project period and funding amount
The Research Council has set aside roughly NOK 20 million for projects relating to ‘Fisheries and other marine industries including processing of harvested seafood’.
The projects may have a duration of between 1 and 3 years, and receive NOK 2–6 million in funding from the Research Council.
Contacts
Relevant plans
Energy, transport and low emissions
Funding is available for R&D-based innovation projects that contribute to long-term and sustainable technology development in the field of carbon capture and storage. The projects must both promote competitive Norwegian trade and industry and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Funding is available for projects within all areas of this topic. The priorities are described in more detail in the work programme below.
Applications for projects that address the following topics are particularly encouraged:
- sustainable hydrogen production combined with CO2 capture and storage;
- projects that contribute results that are directly applicable to benefit realisation in the Norwegian Longship project for carbon capture and storage.
We will prioritise projects that have a feasible and ambitious development, industrialisation and scaling plan, as well as projects with strong consortiums.
Budget, project period and funding amount
Roughly NOK 20 million has been set aside for ‘Carbon capture and storage’ under this call.
The projects may have a duration of between 1 and 3 years, and receive NOK 2–6 million in funding from the Research Council.
Contacts
Funding is available for projects that promote the long-term, sustainable development of the energy system, that enhance the competitiveness of Norwegian trade and industry, and that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Funding is available for projects within the entire scope of environment-friendly energy and low emissions as defined in the work programme (see the link below). This encompasses the following areas:
- renewable energy (including solar energy, wind, bioenergy and hydropower);
- the energy system (energy distribution, power infrastructure and markets);
- efficient consumption of energy in buildings and industry;
- energy technologies for transport (including biofuels, hydrogen and batteries);
- energy policy, economics and sustainability
We also have the following priority areas in 2021, and projects within these fields are therefore of particular interest:
- cost-effective, safe and sustainable production and use of hydrogen.(In Norwegian only –link opens in a new window);
- cross-sectoral technology development in the field of renewable energy, such as utilising expertise from the oil and gas sector in the development of renewable energy solutions in collaboration with the thematic area ‘Petroleum’.
In 2021, we will prioritise projects:
- that concern hydrogen and/or have cross-sectoral partnership constellations;
- within other thematic areas that address the priorities set out in the work programme;
- that have a feasible and ambitious development, industrialisation and scaling plan;
- that have strong consortiums.
Budget, project period and funding amount
The expected amount available in 2021 for ‘Innovation Project in environment-friendly energy and low emissions’ is NOK 250–280 million.
The projects may have a duration of between 2 and 4 years, and receive NOK 3–20 million in funding from the Research Council.
Project applications sought an average of NOK 9.5 million in funding in 2020. Extra requirements are made of the applicant’s implementation capacity for projects that apply for more than NOK 10 million in funding. These must also submit a description of own funding.
Contacts
General enquiries
Wind/hydropower
Energy consumption in buildings and industry
Energy technologies for transport/batteries/hydrogen
Energy technologies for transport/biofuel/biogas
Power grids/the energy system/digitalisation
Bioenergy, biofuel and geothermic energy
Solar energy
Energy policy, economics and sustainability
Petroleum
Funding will go to projects that encompass research on issues relating to petroleum activities in open areas on the Norwegian continental shelf. For issues related to safety, also land-based facilities may be relevant.
Funding is available for R&D-based innovation projects within all areas of the portfolio plan:
- reducing greenhouse gases, energy efficiency and the environment;
- subsurface understanding;
- drilling, completion, intervention and permanent plug and abandonment of wells (P&A);
- production, processing and transport;
- major accidents and the work environment.
Goals and priorities for the thematic area Petroleum are described in the portfolio plan (see link below). Particular priority will be given to projects on:
Improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the Norwegian continental shelf
A minimum of NOK 35 million is earmarked for projects targeting ‘Improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to petroleum activities on the Norwegian continental shelf’. This priority applies across the calls for applications under Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector (this call), Demonstration Project for the Industrial Sector and Knowledge-building Project for Industry in 2021.
Examples of areas where there is a need for research and technology development include:
- heat and power production with higher efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to current solutions;
- offshore energy systems and management;
- socio-economic research and new concepts, ideas and technology that can shed light on or facilitate integrated energy systems promoting low emissions, including solutions that incorporate new midstream energy value chains.
Applicants must give an account of the estimated total emissions reduction for the technology/technologies the proposed project has targeted for development. The grant application must also include a description of the time perspective and framework conditions for implementing the knowledge/technology, viewed in connection with the industry’s new climate targets for 2030 and 2050.
Cross-sector collaboration on renewable energy and petroleum
Renewable energy technology is in rapid development, but market access can be a challenge for many technologies, as well as finding specific areas of application that can lead to commercialisation. At the same time, the petroleum sector has a great need for new technological solutions that will rapidly reduce offshore greenhouse gas emissions. Cross-sector collaboration during the R&D phase can speed up the development of technology for specific areas of application and new markets. Examples of areas where there is a need for research and technology development include:
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions from offshore oil and gas activities by employing integrated renewable technology;
- safe production of hydrogen and hydrogen-based solutions from natural gas with a low environmental impact.
We will prioritise projects that have cross-sectoral partnership constellations.
The focus on hydrogen is part of a major Research Council initiative in this field. Read more about the hydrogen priority area, with an overview of relevant calls for proposals (In Norwegian only – opens in a new window).
Budget, project period and funding amount
Roughly NOK 70 million has been set aside for ‘Petroleum research’ for 2021.
The projects may have a duration of between 2 and 4 years, and receive NOK 3–16 million in funding from the Research Council.
Contacts
Reducing greenhouse gases, energy efficiency and tThe environment
Subsurface understanding
Drilling, completion and intervention
Production, processing and transport
Major accidents and the working environment
Cross-sector collaboration
Relevant plans
Industry and services
Funding is available for R&D-based innovation projects across the full breadth of Norwegian trade and industry. Projects are to reflect and support the companies’ own strategies and challenges.
Project support is to enhance value creation through the development of new, knowledge-based trade and industry and the renewal and restructuring of established trade and industry. Funding is available for projects in all sectors, disciplines and technology areas not encompassed under other thematic areas in this call.
Priority will be given to projects with major potential for sustainable value creation in Norway, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular projects that can contribute to environmental sustainability, for example within circular economy, sustainable production and consumption or new business models.
Projects with plans for sharing and dissemination of knowledge to enable a greater number of companies and communities in Norway to benefit from the project results will be viewed positively. This is possible to achieve by the projects engaging in broad-based collaboration, for example between actors along a value chain or across sectors and thematic areas/subjects, or through plans for publication, dissemination to relevant user groups or industry clusters. It is also considered important that the funding will have a trigger effect for the project’s implementation, partner constellations and sharing of results.
The Research Council seeks to achieve a balanced project portfolio that accommodates the full range of industry and service areas, also across different branches, sectors, subject areas and along value chains. We also seek to incorporate companies that have not previously received funding for an innovation project as either an applicant or business partner, and industry areas or regions that are inadequately represented in the portfolio.
Budget, project period and funding amount
NOK 580 million has been set aside for ‘Sustainable value creation in Norwegian trade and industry’.
The projects may have a duration of between 2 and 4 years, and receive NOK 3–16 million in funding from the Research Council.
Contacts
General enquiries
Building, construction and real estate sector
Banking and finance, Media and culture, Travel, hospitality and tourism Retail/wholesale sector, Other service provision
Health industry
ICT industry
Processing industry
Manufacturing industry
Relevant plans
Enabling technologies
Funding is available for R&D-based innovation projects for the development of knowledge and technology within the areas of nanotechnology, microtechnology and advanced materials.
In principle, the Portfolio Plan for Enabling Technologies is a neutral topic, but the following topics are nonetheless given priority:
- medicine and health;
- bioeconomy;
- environment-friendly energy and low emissions;
- sustainability, environment and climate.
Applications must include the researchers' own reflections and relevant measures that help to ensure that the planned research is in line with expectations of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).
More information about the priorities and RRI can be found in the portfolio plan and in the attachment ‘A Framework for Responsible Innovation’.
Budget, project period and funding amount
The Research Council has set aside roughly NOK 50 million for projects relating to ‘Nanotechnology, microtechnology and advanced materials’.
The projects may have a duration of between 2 and 4 years, and receive NOK 3–16 million in funding from the Research Council.
Contacts
Relevant plans
Funding is available for socially responsible innovation projects that build on new technological concepts across the enabling technologies. Examples of enabling technologies are biotechnology, ICT and nanotechnology.
The projects must be innovative and target radical innovations. The projects can be high risk – high gain, meaning there can be a high risk of not achieving the project's goals if the potential benefits to society and potential value creation are high.
Applications must include the researchers' own reflections and a description of relevant measures aimed at bringing the research and the innovation it targets in line with expectations of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). More information about priorities and RRI can be found in the Portfolio Plan for Enabling Technologies and in the attachment ‘A Framework for Responsible Innovation’.
Budget, project period and funding amount
The Research Council has set aside roughly NOK 50 million for projects relating to ‘Technological convergence’. The projects may have a duration of between 2 and 4 years and receive NOK 3–16 million in funding from the Research Council.
Contacts
Relevant plans
Land-based food, the environment and bioresources
Funding is available for projects that encompass research-based innovations for production, value chains and consumption of land-based food and feed, forestry and wood-based industries, and other land-based bioresources.
Industry, including land-based biobased industries, plays a key role in efforts to realise a sustainable future in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ambitions for Norway’s green transition.
If we are to succeed in limiting global warming, preserving biodiversity, reducing waste and pollution and ensuring a safe food supply, we need a new approach to production, value chains and consumption. Current solutions, technologies and value chains must be challenged, restructured and improved. There is also a need for brand new innovations and technologies that can form the basis for new industry in Norway and/or that can be scaled up in an international market. Funding is available to businesses that will spearhead the work on realising the green transition and a sustainable future.
When assessing the relevance of the application, emphasis will be placed on the extent to which:
- The application describes how the project will contribute to the green transition, and to achieving one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- The application shows that the project is not at the expense of other important ambitions related to sustainability, such as:
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate adaptation
- safeguarding healthy ecosystems and biodiversity
- reducing pollution
- transition to a circular economy
For more information about the priorities for this topic, please see the portfolio plan below.
Please state that you are applying for funding for this topic under section 15 ‘Additional information specifically requested in the call for proposals’ in the project description template available for download at the end of the call.
Budget, project period and funding amount
Roughly NOK 80 million has been set aside for ‘Land-based food, the environment and bioresources’.
The projects may have a duration of between 2 and 4 years, and receive NOK 3–16 million in funding from the Research Council.
Contacts
Funding is available for projects that promote increased value creation, profitability and sustainability throughout the agricultural value chain. According to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, sustainable food production covers economic and social conditions, as well as environmental and climate considerations.
The research should help Norway to achieve its agricultural policy objectives, and the applications should be connected to one or more of the four overriding agricultural policy goals, cf. Report No 11 to the Storting (2016–2017) and Proposition No 1 to the Storting (Resolution) (2020–2021). Grant applications must refer to existing challenges, research questions and knowledge gaps, and explain specifically how the project will address these and help to realise agricultural policy objectives.
Food security and preparedness
The main objectives are to ensure that consumers have safe food and to strengthen food preparedness. These topics have become particularly relevant in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The utilisation of bioresources is to be increased through selective research and education, breeding and processing. Good plant and animal health, good animal welfare and high quality processing provide the foundation for producing sufficient quantities of safe food.
The following areas are particularly relevant:
- Norwegian agricultural supply capacity in times of crisis;
- increased production and utilisation of Norwegian feed resources;
- factors that affect the production capacity of arable soil (soil health);
- anti-resistance strategies against plant pests in agriculture and horticulture and against pathogens in livestock;
- sustainable materials and packaging technology for a correct shelf life and reduced food waste;
- transfer of compounds that are hazardous to health to food and fodder crops through soil, air and water;
- the risk of international trade to Norwegian plant and animal health.
Agricultural production throughout the entire country
Agricultural production throughout the entire country can be achieved by facilitating diversified agriculture with varied farm structure and geographic production sharing that provide opportunities for jobs and settlement throughout the entire country. Measures to increase the use of soil resources and grazing resources and measures that ensure recruitment to agriculture and the food and beverage industry throughout the entire country will help to promote this. The following areas are of particular relevance:
- increased use of grazing resources in uncultivated areas;
- more knowledge to enhance educational programmes and increase recruitment to agriculture and the food industry;
- increased sustainability in Norwegian agriculture and food production in relation to labour and/or human resources;
- more knowledge about the ability to achieve the agricultural policy objectives through effective design of market schemes and agricultural policy instruments targeting the agricultural value chain, including production, market, the environment and climate.
Increasing value creation
Agricultural policy is to lay the foundation for profitable and sustainable value chains in agriculture and the food industry, including the income opportunities and ability of farmers to invest in their farms, and to promote the efficient, profitable use of a farm’s combined resources. Market-based production opportunities must be employed and the value chain for food must be cost-effective and competitive. Norway must be further developed as a food-producing nation.
The following areas are particularly relevant:
- developing knowledge and methods to better utilise residual raw materials in the value chain for food and beverages to develop new and profitable products;
- mapping the opportunities to increase Norwegian food production and competitiveness for the agriculture-based food and beverage industries in a changing market;
- mapping of innovation potential in and across value chains;
- developing new technology and new methods to improve efficiency in every segment of the value chain, such as automation, robotics, information technology and sensor technology;
- further developing methods and collaborative solutions for the collection, analysis and utilisation of large amounts of data;
- increased knowledge of consumer trends, diet, health and nutrition.
Sustainable agriculture with reduced greenhouse gas emissions
Sustainable agriculture entails sustainable use and strong protection of agricultural areas and resource bases. The cultural landscape and biodiversity must be safeguarded, and pollution and greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced. CO2 uptake must be increased and good climate adaptation measures must be implemented.
The following areas are particularly relevant:
- new knowledge and methods that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration in agricultural value chains from the primary sector to the consumer;
- new knowledge on climate-adapted production and adaptation strategies;
- better knowledge base on the climate impacts of different production methods;
- mapping and finding solutions to environmental challenges resulting from the impacts of agriculture on ecosystems, aquatic environments and biodiversity;
- organic production.
What do we prioritise when deciding which applications will receive funding?
The boards of FFL/JA prioritise applications on the basis of scientific merit, relevance to the call and benefit to agriculture and food industries. Applications are otherwise prioritised on the basis of industry’s R&D needs, ongoing research activities and distribution among the industry branches. This is because the research projects will be financed by the industry itself through the payment of research duties on agricultural products and transfers through the Agricultural Agreement Research Fund. The contribution from the different branches will therefore be reflected in the project portfolio.
The research must be adapted to Norwegian conditions and interdisciplinary collaboration in the project is deemed a positive factor. The boards emphasise the importance of the research results benefiting the industry as quickly as possible. Innovative and user-friendly dissemination measures are considered positive. Collaboration between the aquaculture industry and agriculture will be positive where relevant. Industry actors in the land-based value chain must nonetheless have significant involvement in the project.
Amendments may be made to the text of this call in the beginning of June as a result of guidelines from the year’s Agricultural Settlement. Applications submitted by mid-September 2021 with relevance to FFL/JA’s part of the call will be processed by the boards of FFL/JA in December.
Please state that you are applying for funding from FFL/JA under section 15 ‘Additional information specifically requested in the call for proposals’ in the project description.
For more detailed information, see the website in the link below.
Budget, project period and funding amount
The Research Council has set aside roughly NOK 50 million for research on ‘Agriculture and food industry (FFL/JA)’.
The projects may have a duration of between 2 and 4 years, and receive NOK 3–16 million in funding.
Contacts
Relevant plans
Practical information
Requirements for this application type
Applications must be created and submitted via My RCN Web. The application and all attachments must be written in Norwegian or English. This call has an open-ended deadline. A unique grant application may only be submitted once (whereas calls with a fixed deadline may be submitted and resubmitted multiple times up to the submission deadline).
- All attachments to the online grant application form must be uploaded in PDF format. The templates for attachments can be found at the end of the call for proposals.
- The project description must be written using the designated template, and all sections must be completed.
- If the applicant has submitted the same or similar grant proposals to other Research Council calls for proposals, this must be stated in the grant application.
- All project costs must be budgeted in accordance with the Research Council's guidelines.
Mandatory attachments
- Project description of up to 10 pages in length using the designated template. Please note that there is a new template for 2021.
- Information about partners for the company submitting the grant application (Project Owner) and each of the participating companies (company partners) using the designated template. Please note that there is a new template for 2021.
- CVs for the project manager and other key project participants (e.g. individuals responsible for the project’s work packages) using the designated templates. A maximum of five CVs can be attached per application.
All requirements set out in the call must be met. Applications that do not meet the formal requirements, or requirements relating to the Project Owner, collaboration and roles in the project, will not be considered. The application must comply with the limits given under each thematic area regarding funding scale and project duration.
We will not assess documents and websites linked to in the application, or other attachments than those specified above. There is no technical validation of the content of uploaded attachments, so please ensure that you upload the correct file for the selected type of attachment.
Assessment criteria
Grant applications will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:
Excellence
• To what extent does the innovation represent something new?
• To what extent is the innovation targeted towards clear needs or new market opportunities for the Project Owner and the companies that are partners in the project?
• To what extent does the project build on relevant and updated knowledge?
• To what extent does the project employ relevant and recognised R&D methods?
• To what extent are the R&D activities essential for the success of the innovation?
Impact
• To what extent will the project entail a potential for sustainable value creation in Norway with significant economic benefits for the Project Owner and the companies that are partners?
• To what extent can the project have positive external impacts, such as:
– helping to disseminate knowledge through networks and publications;
– producing results that can be used by other industries, the public sector or in society at large;
– leading to an innovation that can address UN Sustainable Development Goals or solve other important societal challenges.
• To what extent are the potential impacts of the project clearly formulated and highly plausible?
Implementation
• To what extent does the R&D project work plan incorporate appropriate and effective objectives, work packages, milestones, resources and relevant risk assessments?
• To what extent will the project have access to the necessary R&D expertise and adequate capacity to carry out the R&D tasks?
• To what extent does the project reflect the strategic priorities of the Project Owner and the companies that are partners and have a project organisation appropriate to the task?
• To what extent does the project manager have appropriate expertise and experience to lead an R&D project targeted towards innovation and sustainable value creation for companies?
• To what extent is the plan for implementation of R&D results and realisation of benefits relevant and appropriate, for instance with regard to:
– IPR issues,
– assessment of the competitive framework and market risks,
– investment needs and plans,
– needs and plans regarding partnerships for commercialisation or industrialisation,
– need to develop business models.
Relevance to the call for proposals
• To what extent do the companies in the project meet the requirements and expectations set out in the call for proposals with regard to the Project Owner and partners?
• To what extent have the conditions set out in the call for proposals with regard to collaboration and specification of roles been met?
• To what extent can support from the Research Council be expected to trigger increased R&D investment among the Project Owner and the companies that are partners in the project and provide added value to the project beyond the financial support?
• To what extent is the project in keeping with thematic or budgetary guidelines in the call for proposals, where this is relevant in light of the project’s content?
Administrative procedures
The application and all mandatory attachments will be made available in a digital portal for referees who will perform an assessment of the criteria ‘Excellence’, ‘Impact’ and ‘Implementation’. Each application will normally be assessed by a referee panel comprising three experts. The referee panel will submit a consensus-based assessment for each of the three criteria.
If the mark awarded by the referee panel for all of the criteria is 4 or higher on a scale where 7 is the highest mark, the application will also be assessed by the Research Council’s case officers on the basis of the criterion ‘Relevance to the call for proposals’. The assessment and marks for all four criteria will be consolidated into a single, overall mark that indicates the merit of the application.
The Research Council administration will then present the project proposals and their respective marks to the Research Council’s portfolio boards for the final funding decision. The portfolio boards will attach importance to achieving a balanced project portfolio in the areas under their purview and in relation to ongoing projects and applications submitted under other calls for proposals. These assessments will be based on the budgetary framework, the text of the call for proposals and documents referred to in the description of the respective thematic areas. An overview of all ongoing projects is available at prosjektbanken.no.
Each portfolio board will also act in accordance with the Research Council’s general policy for allocation of funding, including policy on:
- prioritisation of projects based on the impact on sustainability and the environment, assuming all other quality-related factors are essentially equal;
- prioritisation of projects led by women project managers, assuming all other quality-related factors are essentially equal;
- research ethics perspectives.
Notification of funding decisions
Project grant applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis, and you may submit your application when it is complete. Notification of the funding decision will depend among other things on the number of applications received for the various topics and our internal application processing procedures. The Research Council will in principle have three periods in 2021 during which applications will be received and processed.
- Period 1: Applications submitted from 4 January to mid-April, with a funding decision between mid-May and the end of June.
- Period 2: Applications submitted between mid-April and mid-September, with a funding decision between the end of October and mid-December.
- Period 3: Applications submitted between mid-September and 15 December, with a funding decision between mid-January until the end of February 2022.
In certain topics, we will only process applications during period 2. This is stated under the respective topics it applies to. It is possible that certain topics will be awarded all available funding in period 1 or 2. The Research Council will in such case post an official notification of this at the top of the call for proposals. Applications received for topics that do not have available funding will be rejected. These can in such case be re-submitted when any new funding becomes available.
Projects may not start until notification of funding has been given, and the latest date for start-up is four months after such notification.
Please note that the periods listed above are not absolute deadlines for submitting an application. This means that an application submitted by Thursday 15 April will fall under period 1 and will, in principle, be processed during this period. The applicant is then likely to receive notification of the funding decision by the end of June at the latest. An application submitted a few days after 15 April may also fall under period 1 and thus be processed during this period, but the Research Council cannot guarantee this to be the case. If an application is submitted during the early part of a given period, the applicant may be notified of the funding decision sooner.
Please contact the advisers affiliated to the respective topics for more information about submitting and processing applications during the different periods, and the amount available for project funding.
If an application is re-submitted without significant changes to the project and grant application, it will retain the previous scientific assessment by the portfolio board. On the other hand, if a previously unsuccessful grant application is re-submitted but with significant changes to the project and the grant application itself, this application may be assessed again and by a panel comprised wholly or in part by the same referees who assessed the previous version of the application. Applicants who are re-submitting a previously unsuccessful grant application must provide an account of the relevant changes and their significance to the project in part 4, item 15 of the project description.
Create application
Applications for Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector 2021 should be created on My RCN Web. Application templates should be filled and uploaded in the application.
Create application