FAQ: 2021 Call for proposals

1. What does the application process look like?

A: Applicants will first be asked to submit a short concept note by January 14th 2022 (maximum 4 pages) and confirm that they meet the grants scheme’s minimum criteria to qualify for support. Successful applicants will then subsequently be invited to submit full applications, and fully document the business case. No applicant is entitled to support, and the applicant must successfully make it through both stage 1 (concept note) and stage 2 (full application). Unsuccessful applicants will be notified as soon as possible.

2. What are the minimum requirements?

A. Applicants will in the concept note need to confirm that the following minimum criteria are met to qualify for support under the scheme in the first stage:

• The applicant must be a legal commercial company. Please note that holding, investment, consulting companies nor equipment suppliers are not eligible for support.
• The applicant must have the necessary professional and administrative expertise.
• The applicant must have financial capacity to implement the supported project as well as the main project (main investment).
• The applicant must present audited accounts for the last year.
• The applicant must have had a turnover in the last accounting year of at least NOK 6 million from the commercial activities. The criterion does not apply for ICT and off-grid renewable energy projects, provided that:
• the applicant at the last emission, having taken place within the last 12 months prior to the date of application, had a market capitalization of minimum NOK 6 million; or
• the applicant has at least 20 full-time permanent employees.

Please note that failing to meet the minimum criteria will result in the application being rejected automatically. There is no recourse to not meeting the minimum criteria.

3. What should I include in the application?

A: Your application must include the documentation and answer to the specific points mentioned in the call, such as but not limited to budget and financial capacity, expected results and how the activities will support the main activity. Norad suggests the applicant to include the following:

• A short description of the proposal’s main activities that will be supported by the grant. The project’s geographic location and relevance for the target group should be clearly justified (1 page).
• A brief proposal of how the activities support and relate to the business case of the main project, including financial capacity and competence to implement the main project (1- 1½ page), based on a positive feasibility study where applicable.
• Yearly budget and the applicant’s ability to co-finance minimum 50% of the supported activity (½ page)
• Expected results on the supported activity and scalability (½ page)
• Possible partners to the project, both public and private and their contribution when relevant (½ page)
• For renewable energy projects applying under the guarantee and risk premium scheme: see section 5C in the call text for additional information that should be included.

4. What types of activities can be supported?

A. The following types of project activities may be supported:

• Feasibility studies for business establishment in developing countries.
• Feasibility studies for establishment of renewable energy projects in developing countries
• Pilot production as part of a feasibility phase for establishment of business in developing countries in connection with:
• ICT projects.
• off-grid renewable energy projects.
• Vocational training of local staff related to the establishment of business in developing countries.
• Basic local, public infrastructure and investments required for the establishment of business in developing countries, (the business establishment).
• Guarantee- and risk premiums for financing of renewable energy projects. See section 5C for more information.

No funding may be provided for:

• Sales and marketing activities.
• Projects solely for export to the recipient country.
• Projects that produce or otherwise involve weapons or other military material.
• Projects that produce or otherwise involve drugs, alcoholic drinks, and tobacco.
• The main investment subject of a feasibility study.

5. Which countries are eligible for support and which will be prioritised?

Applications for projects from Norwegian partner countries for long-term development cooperation will be prioritized.

These partner countries are: Colombia, Ethiopia*, Ghana, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar*, Nepal, Tanzania and Uganda.

*subject to change due to changes in political situation.

6: Is there a maximum grant amount for each project?

A: Norad has not defined an upper limit. Most projects supported based on previous calls from proposals have received grants in the range from NOK 500 000 to around NOK 5 million, but it all depends on the project.

7: Has Norad allocated a specific amount for this call for proposals or decided in advance on how many projects to support?

A: No, this will depend on the quality of the applications.

7: Can we meet to discuss my project?

A: Norad has limited capacity to meet potential applicants to provide guidance in the application process. Furthermore, we cannot comment on draft applications or discuss the substance of a project in a manner that would distort the competition between applicants. We do our best to answer concrete questions by email and we aim to publish our answers to frequently asked questions on this website.