Nordplus Håndbog 2020 UK

The
Nordplus
Handbook
2020
English Version
The Nordplus Handbook 2018–2022 1
Nordplus
The Nordplus Handbook

has been produced by the
Nordplus administration.
Design: Rumfang.dk
The publication can

be downloaded from
www.nordplusonline.org
October 2019
2
The
Nordplus
Handbook
Nordplus
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Nordplus 6
Reading guide 8
Introduction to Nordplus 9
Objectives 10
Target Groups 11
Activities 11
Application Rounds 12
Information & Guidance 12
Chapter 2 Nordplus Junior 14

Introduction to Nordplus Junior 16
Target groups for the programme 17
Activities in the programme 18
Funding 21
Chapter 3 Nordplus Higher Education 28

Introduction to Nordplus Higher Education 30
Funding 36

Chapter 4 Nordplus Adult 40

Introduction to Nordplus Adult 42
Funding 48
4
Chapter 5 Nordplus Horizontal 54
Introduction to Nordplus Horizontal 56
Funding 57
Chapter 6 Nordplus Nordic Languages 60

Introduction to Nordplus Nordic Languages 62
Funding 64

Chapter 7 General information

about applying 68
The application 70
Processing of applications 73
Project follow-up and reporting 75
Chapter 8 Contact Information 76

Nordplus Administration 78
Contact information 79


1
Nordplus
6
Nordplus
Reading guide 8
Introduction to Nordplus 9
Objectives 10
Target Groups 11
Activities 11
Application Rounds 12
Information & Guidance 12

Nordplus
Reading guide
Welcome to the Nordplus handbook. The handbook is a guide to you as an

applicant and describes who can apply, what you can apply for, and how
to apply. It provides information about Nordplus in general and about the
five different sub-programmes.
The first part of the handbook is a brief introduction to Nordplus, provid-

ing a quick overview of the programmes, objectives, target groups and
activities. Here you can also find practical information about the applica-
tion rounds and where to seek further advice and guidance.
After the introduction you will find a chapter for each of the five sub-pro-
grammes in Nordplus with information about the characteristics and
objectives of the sub-programme, its target groups, activities, finances
and funding.
The chapter General information about applying provides information

about the application process, the assessment of applications and report-
ing of completed projects. The chapter contains guidelines and detailed
information about the evaluation criteria and on the reporting once a pro-
ject is completed. There is also a checklist to help you fill in the application
electronically when using the Espresso application system.
At the end of the handbook, you will find a list of contact details – ad-
dresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and websites for each Nordplus
office in the eleven countries participating in Nordplus.
8
Introduction to Nordplus
Each year, Nordplus awards 9,6 million euro in funding for mobility, pro-
jects and networks. Nordplus is a mobility and network programme for
education in the Nordic and Baltic countries, including the autonomous
regions of Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Nordplus is the largest
educational programme within the Nordic Council of Ministers and funded
by the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Nordplus consists of five sub-programmes:
Nordplus Junior
– for preschools, primary and lower secondary schools, cultural
schools, general and vocational upper secondary schools and ap-
prenticeship programmes, school authorities and the public and
private organisations/institutions involved in the area of school
education.
Nordplus Higher Education

– for public and private institutions of higher education.
Nordplus Adult
– for all organisations and institutions involved in adult
education and learning.
Nordplus Horizontal
– for all organisations and institutions involved in education
and lifelong learning across sectors.
Nordplus Nordic Languages

– for all organisations and institutions interested and involved
in Nordic languages within all fields of education.

Nordplus
Objectives
The general objectives for Nordplus 2018–2022 are to:
– strengthen and develop Nordic co-operation on education, including

early childhood and care, and help to create a Nordic–Baltic educational
area;
– support, build on, reap the benefits of and promote innovative products
and processes in education through the systematic exchange of experi-
ences and good practice;
– contribute to the development of quality and innovation in the educa-
tional systems for lifelong learning in the participating Nordplus coun-
tries through co-operation in education and training, as well as co-op-
eration with the labour market on development projects, exchange
programmes and networking;
– promote Nordic language and culture and mutual Nordic-Baltic linguis-
tic and cultural understanding;
– improve inter-Nordic language comprehension (primarily between
Danish, Swedish and Norwegian), especially among children and young
people;
– stimulate interest in and knowledge and understanding of the languag-
es of the Nordic countries essential to society (Danish, Finnish, Faroese,
Greenlandic, Icelandic, Norwegian, Sami and Swedish) and Nordic sign
language.
Nordplus Highlight in 2019 & 2020
Nordplus welcomes applications that strengthen digital compe-

tences and computational thinking for pupils, students and adults
across all sectors.
Nordplus Highlight relates to all Nordplus subprogrammes – learn

more at: www.nordplusonline.org
Nordplus Highlight specifies an up-to-date theme which becomes

the focus for a two-year period and relates to all Nordplus subpro-
grammes.
Nordplus is open for applications with other topics or themes than

the current Nordplus Highlight. These applications are assessed on
an equal footing with applications within Nordplus Highlight.
10
Target groups
Nordplus is aimed at all educational sectors and organisations and institu-

tions involved in learning and education. Only institutions or organisations
can apply in Nordplus – you cannot apply as an individual.
Only applicants from the Nordic countries – Denmark, Norway, Sweden,

Finland, Iceland, the Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania – and the
autonomous regions of Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which act
as independent countries in Nordplus, are eligible for grants. Institutions
placed outside the Nordic and Baltic countries are not eligible for funding
from the programme but can participate in Nordplus projects if they cover
their own expenses.
You can read more about who is eligible for applying in the sub-pro-
gramme chapters.
Activities
Nordplus primarily supports two types of activities:
Project and networks

An application must consist of at least three institutions from three dif-
ferent Nordplus countries. For Nordplus Nordic Languages, applications
with two institutions from two different countries are eligible.
Mobility
An application must consist of at least two institutions from two different
Nordplus countries.
Nordplus Junior, Higher Education and Adult include all types of activi-
ties, while Nordic Languages and Horizontal are only open to project and
network applications. Funding from Nordplus is a contribution towards
the total project costs and the degree to which the total project budget is
covered varies according to the rules of each sub-programme.
Detailed descriptions of the types of activities and grants you can apply
for can be found in the sub-programme chapters.

Nordplus
Application rounds
Deadline for applications

1 February every year
Each year, Nordplus calls for applications for all its sub-programmes in
all participating countries. The call for applications provides information
about the possibilities for applying for funding from the various sub-pro-
grammes. The main deadline is 1 February and the call for applications
is announced 3 months before this date. Applicants receive an answer
approximately three months after the application deadline.
– Application deadline for preparatory visits 1 October every year –

Nordplus Junior, Adult and Nordic Languages have an additional round of
applications for preparatory activities with a deadline of 1 October. For
the October application round applicants receive an answer approximate-
ly 6 weeks after application deadline.
The deadline for applying is before midnight – 23:59 CET. If the deadline
falls on a Sunday or public holiday, the deadline is moved to the next work-
ing day.
All Nordplus applicants – regardless of which participating country they

come from or which activities they seek funding for – must submit their
application electronically through the Espresso application system. See
more at www.nordplusonline.org
Information & guidance

Each Nordic and Baltic country has a programme office while the auton-
omous regions have an information office working with and providing
information about Nordplus. If applicants have questions about the pro-
gramme, the application or the application process, they must contact the
office in their home country directly.
You can find contact information at the end of the handbook.
12
2
Nordplus Junior
14
Nordplus
Junior
Introduction to Nordplus Junior 16
Funding 21

Nordplus Junior
Introduction to
Nordplus Junior
Nordplus Junior gives contributions to school development work through

partnerships between schools in the Nordic and Baltic countries. All ac-
tivities aim at strengthening and developing collaboration and includes
everything from minor ventures with a focus on the process and the actual
exchange of experiences, to major development projects with the aim of
developing new ideas, methods and ways of working. It may also include
exchanges of individual participants – for example continuing professional
development for teachers and staff, or work placements for students in
technical and vocational secondary study programmes or class exchanges.
Target groups for the programme are kindergartens/preschools, prima-

ry schools, lower and upper secondary schools, vocational schools and
apprentice programmes, and other organisations within the educational
field.
Teachers and staff receive an opportunity to strengthen their profession-

alism and work skills through experience sharing. It provides new perspec-
tives and increased understanding for other ways of teaching, and there-
fore a unique chance to reflect on one’s own professional practice. It also
aims at giving knowledge to develop methodology and pedagogical tools
in order to fulfil the pupils’ possibilities of reaching curriculum objectives.
At the same time, staff acquires an international perspective which may
have a direct effect on schools’ quality assurance.
Pupils get an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge and abilities

through cooperation with other people in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Meeting other cultures and ways of thinking, make pupils more mature
and independent; they widen their horizons and deepen their awareness
about various subjects, the surrounding world and themselves.
All projects should originate in the development needs of the participating

institutions, as well as in each country’s curricula and regulatory docu-
ments.
Examples of themes and areas for collaboration within Nordplus Junior

could be: entrepreneurship, inclusive education, digitalization (ICT), pro-
moting knowledge of Nordic and Baltic culture, democracy, environment
and sustainable development, integration, education and employment,
developing knowledge about the Nordic and Baltic languages, all school
subjects e.g. mathematics and social sciences, as well as enhancing basic
skills such as literacy.
16
Target groups for the
programme
All Nordic and Baltic countries are eligible to apply. In order to receive a
Nordplus Junior grant all activities must take place in one or more of the
eight participating countries or in the autonomous regions of Åland, the
Faroe Islands and Greenland.
The target groups of Nordplus Junior are pupils, teachers and other peda-
gogical staff in:
– Kindergarten/preschools (for children from 1 years and older)

– Primary schools
– Lower and upper secondary schools (general and vocational)
– Vocational schools/apprentice programmes
–C ulture schools with a national or regional curriculum in their home
country
–O rganisations and institutions working with or having strong interests
in the area of school education, e.g. Departments for Education. How-
ever, these may only participate as partners.
Coordinator or partner
All projects must appoint a coordinating institution which will be respon-

sible for the application and the granted funds for the duration of the
contract period.
Only schools within the formal education systems and kindergartens/pre-

schools, public or private, can act as coordinators. Culture schools with a
national or regional curriculum in their home country can also be coordina-
tors. Each national office decides if a culture school is eligible as coordina-
tor. Other types of organisations/institutions may participate as partners.
Please contact your national programme office for more information.
All projects must be based on mutual agreements between the participat-

ing institutions, both coordinators and partners. In order for the appli-
cation to be eligible, these agreements (Letters of Intent), must be duly
signed and attached to the application prior to the deadline.
A coordinator may submit more than one application in the same applica-
tion round – it is the project’s quality which determines whether funds will
be granted.

Nordplus Junior
Activities in the programme
Nordplus Junior supports the following activities:
– Mobility
– Projects
– Networks
All activities must have a clearly defined aim, an expected outcome and
correspond with the main objectives of the Nordplus programme. The
project must be relevant to all of the participating institutions, identify
development needs within the institutions and clarify the added interna-
tional value. All activity types can be combined in the same application
(except for preparatory visits).
If a project has received Nordplus Junior funding in previous application

rounds, the project will be excluded from funding if the new application is
comparable to previous granted applications (e.g. a copy and paste of pre-
vious applications without any development or progress).
The project period officially begins 1 August, in relation to the start of a

new term. If a project plans activities during three terms, one applies for a
two-year project period. The project must begin the same year the appli-
cation is granted (except the autumn round for preparatory visits).
Mobility activities
Mobility activities require cooperation between at least two partners

(including the coordinator) from two different Nordplus countries. The
following activities are eligible:
A. Preparatory visits
The purpose of preparatory visits is to give institutions the possibility to
prepare and plan a future project and formulate an application to Nord-
plus Junior. The main principle is that one of the participating institutions/
organisations acts as host. The host institution is not included in a mo-
bility grant. As a maximum, one visit with two participating teachers per
country can be applied for. An application for a preparatory visit cannot be
combined with other mobility activities or project/network collaborations.
Eligible participants: Teachers and other pedagogical staff.
Project period: The activity must be carried out within the period of 1 year.
Duration of activity: Preparatory visits may last a maximum of 5 days,

including travel days.
18
B. Teacher exchanges
Staff within eligible types of schools can apply for different kinds of
exchanges, e.g. job-swapping, job-shadowing, study visits, or experience
exchanges where teachers take part in teaching in partner countries. The
exchange may take place between one or more schools.
Eligible participants: Teachers and other pedagogical staff.
Project period: The activity must be completed within a period of 1 year.
Duration of activity: Teacher exchanges can be from 1 week (5 working

days and 2 travel days) up to 1 year.
C. Class exchange
Class exchanges involve groups of pupils or classes, from at least two
participating Nordplus countries wishing to collaborate on a joint theme
within the objectives of the Nordplus programme. Grants can be awarded
for a maximum of 30 pupils per country and a maximum of two accompa-
nying teachers per 10 pupils. The common theme must be of a pedagogi-
cal nature and linked to curricula. All participating partners are expected
to benefit and to gain from the cooperation.
Eligible participants: Pupils and accompanying teachers.
Project period: Class exchanges are possible for 1 year, 2 years or a max-
imum of 3 years. The allocation of the number of pupils each year should
be described in the application.
Duration of activity: The exchange can range from 5 days (at least 3 work-
ing days and 2 travel days) and up to 3 weeks.
Example: Two schools from two different Nordplus countries

are partners in a class exchange. Each school can receive mobili-
ty grants for 30 pupils and six accompanying teachers. They can
choose to complete these 72 exchanges during one year. But they
can also choose to spread out the exchanges over a longer period up
to a maximum of three years. The required period (1–3 years) must
be specified in the application.
D: Individual student exchange – theoretical studies

Mobility grants are available for individual upper secondary students wish-
ing to take part in theoretical studies. Applications must be submitted by
the school.
Eligible participants: Students and accompanying teachers.

Nordplus Junior
Project period: Applications within this activity may have duration of 1

year, 2 years or up to a maximum of 3 years. If you apply for 1 year, you can
reapply the following year, but up to a maximum of 3 years in a row.
Duration of activity: Student exchanges can be from 1 week (5 working

days and 2 travel days) to 1 year. An accompanying teacher may partici-
pate for a maximum of 1 week.
E: Individual student exchange – work placements

Mobility grants are available for individual students attending upper sec-
ondary school/vocational school for work experience. Applications must be
submitted by the school.
Eligible participants: Students and accompanying teachers.
Project period: Applications within this activity may have duration of 1

year, 2 years or up to a maximum of 3 years. If you apply for 1 year, you can
reapply the following year, but up to a maximum of 3 years in a row.
Duration of activity: Student exchanges can be from 1 week (5 working

days and 2 travel days) to 1 year. An accompanying teacher may partici-
pate for a maximum of 1 week.
Project and network activities
Applications for both network and project activities must be based on

an agreement between a minimum of three institutions or organisations
from three different participating countries.
Projects
Schools can form project collaborations on a specific theme that is con-
sistent with the objectives of Nordplus and with the development needs of
the participating institutions. Project partnerships are long term collab-
orations aimed at giving schools the opportunity to develop pedagogical
and didactical methods. The projects are meant to broaden the perspec-
tive on the chosen theme(s).
Examples of fields for project partnerships:
– Quality assurance
– Dissemination of project results
–D evelopment and improvement of pedagogical and/or didactical teach-
ing methods
– Curriculum development
Project partnerships may apply for a grant for a maximum of three years.
20
Networks
School groups, organisations or institutions can form long-term networks

collaborating within the educational sector. Participants can work togeth-
er on a specific theme or joint issue within education corresponding with
the objectives of Nordplus programme. This can generate new ideas and
proposals for future initiatives.
Eligible activities for network support include:
– Administrative meetings to establish and develop the network

– Information activities
– Dissemination of results, for example dissemination seminars
A network project may apply for a grant for a maximum three years.
Funding
Different rules apply to the diverse Nordplus Junior activities. Grants for
mobility activities cover travel costs for pupils, and both travel plus ac-
commodation costs for teachers and other pedagogical staff.
Grants for project and network activities cover travels, expenses for board
and lodging, and other relevant costs connected to the activities within
the project/network. See further details below.
Within each application round there are earmarked funding for projects
on Nordic languages.
Funding of mobility activities
The funding of mobility activities in Nordplus Junior is based on fixed

travel rates. Applications for mobility activities do not require documented
co-financing; however, a certain degree of self-financing must be fore-
seen, as the fixed travel rates might not cover the actual costs. Hotel pric-
es or flight tickets may be more expensive than what the grants can cover.
The fixed travel rates apply for return trips.
Fixed maximum travel rates for mobility activities A, D and E:
A. Preparatory visits (teachers only)

D. Individual student exchange – theoretical studies (including accompa-
nying teacher)

Nordplus Junior
E. Individual student exchange – work placement (including accompanying

teacher)
FIXED MAXIMUM TRAVEL RATES

(mobility activity A, D and E) Preparatory visits, individual student exchanges
for theoretical studies and work placements
AMOUNT
ROUTE
(RETURN JOURNEY)
To and from Greenland 1 300 €
To and from Färöarna och Island 660 €
Between Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia,

Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Åland 330 €
Domestic, more than 500 km, return trip 150 €
Grants for domestic travel can be applied for, both for travel in the
home country and in the country where the partner school is situated.
Fixed maximum travel rates for mobility activities B and C:
B. Teacher exchanges (and other pedagogical staff)

C. Class exchanges

Country DK EE FO FI GL IS LV LT NO SE AX 500

code km*
DK 300 400 300 1.300 450 300 300 300 200 200 150
EE 300 660 150
1.300 660 150 200 330 330 330 150
FO 400 660 660
1.300 450 660 660 660 660 660 150
FI 300 150 660
1.300 550 250 250 330 300 150 150
GL 1.300 1.300 1.300 1.300 1.000 1.300 1.300 1.300 1.300 1.300 150
IS 450 660 450 550
1.000 660 660 550 550 550 150
LV 300 150 660 250
1.300 660 150 330 330 330 150
LT 300 200 660 250
1.300 660 150 330 330 330 150
NO 300 330 660 330
1.300 550 330 330 250 330 150
SE 200 330 660 300
1.300 550 330 330 250 200 150
AX 200 330 660 150
1.300 550 330 330 330 200 150
*Domestic more than 500 km (both ways)
The amount in the domestic travels column can be applied for if travels
within the country are above 500 km (return trip) and if the total travel
cost is particularly expensive. In the Espresso application system, you ap-
ply for this contribution by selecting travel to and from your own country.
Accordingly, this contribution is applied for in addition to the other ordi-
nary travel contributions between participating countries.
22
Fixed rates for accommodation/board – for teachers and pedagogical
staff:
FIXED RATES FOR ACCOMMODATION/BOARD – FOR TEACHERS AND

PEDAGOGICAL STAFF (not for pupils/students):
DAY WEEK MONTH
Teachers and mentors 70 € 355 € 1 065 €
The lump-sum principle

When an application has been approved, the applicant will be informed of
how much the project has been allocated. This will be expressed in a num-
ber of approved mobilities (1 mobility = 1 return journey between partners
in a mobility project).
All mobility projects are covered by the lump-sum principle. This princi-
ple means that if partners in a project manage to finance the number of
mobilities with a lower sum than granted, they can use the surplus money
for relevant project activities without having to present proof of these
expenses. Such surplus money could be used to cover accommodation and
board expenses for students, or other costs related to the project.
In the final report, the grant holders must affirm the actual number of
accomplished mobilities in the project. If they have completed fewer mo-
bilities than granted, a repayment must be made.
Funding of projects and networks
Applications for projects and networks can include grants for travel and
board and lodging for teachers and mentors, support for information ac-
tivities, dissemination of results, production of material and other relevant
costs in connection with the project.
Applications for projects/networks must also attach a separate budget.

The budget template is available on www.nordplusonline.org and it is also
linked to in the application system Espresso. The budget draft must have
detailed entries and be correctly filled in. The budget entries must also be
motivated for in the commentary field.

Nordplus Junior
Example of budget template:
BUDGET
NORDPLUS OWN
EUR – EURO
CONTRIBUTION CONTRIBUTION SUM
Project support 0 0 0
Travel expenses 0 0 0
Board and lodging 0 0 0
Work hours (only

own contribution) 0 0 0
Others costs (specify below) 0 0 0
SUM _Project support 0 0 0
SUM _TOTAL 0 0 0
Self-financing
Funding for project and network activities in Nordplus Junior may com-
prise a maximum of 75% of the approved costs. In the attached budget,
the applicant must show what the remaining 25% of self-financing will
consist of. Self-financing in the form of working hours directly linked to the
project/network is allowed and is then included in the overall budget.
Support for administrative expenses

For projects and networks only, the coordinating institution may use a
maximum of 5% of the total grant for administrative expenses to meet
the added cost of coordinating the activities. This grant for administration
must be applied for and motivated in the calculated budget. Coordina-
tors do not need to provide supporting documentation of administrative
expenses.
Ineligible costs
–O
verheads, i.e. general unspecified costs not directly connected to the
project/network
– S alaries (but project/networks can include work hours as self-financing)
–O ffice equipment (such as IT equipment and fixed inventory)
–C osts for non-Nordic or non-Baltic participants
–C osts for activities outside the Nordic or Baltic countries
24
Special needs
Costs involving participants with special needs may be met by a grant

of up to 100%. If support for special needs is required, coordinators may
apply both in the ordinary round, and if the project is funded after the
application deadline. When applying in the ordinary round, the need must
be explained in the application. The application should be addressed
directly to the main administrator if the application is after the ordinary
round, and only applies to participants in projects which have already been
funded.
A doctor’s certificate, or a certificate issued by the school nurse, is re-

quired but should be kept by the institution and not enclosed in the appli-
cation. Additional funds may be approved to cover the cost of a compan-
ion, interpreter or similar.
Irregular use of funds
If the funds are not used as implied in the contract, and/or final reports
are not submitted as agreed upon in the contract, the main administrator
can decide to hold back or withdraw funds.
Payments and audits
All applicants receive detailed information on the conditions of the grant,

if awarded one. If funding has been granted for parts of the application
only, the applicant will receive information about this and the reasons for
the reduction. Reductions might be the result of ineligible costs, calcu-
lation errors, or that only certain activities were approved. Applications
who are not eligible, or have reached the approved level of quality, will be
rejected.
Funds are paid to the project coordinator, who is then responsible for the
allocation during the project period. Within each project, the partners and
coordinator jointly decide how the contribution is to be distributed be-
tween the participating institutions.
For applications granted 15,000 Euros or less, 100% of the funds are
paid after the contract has been signed. Applications granted more than
15,000 Euros will receive the grant in two separate instalments: 80%
after the contract has been signed and the remaining 20% after the final
report has been approved. The grant will be disbursed in Euros and should
not be converted to another currency due to the risk of losing funding
because of changes in currency rates.

Nordplus Junior
Note: The Swedish Council for Higher Education will issue the payment no
later than 45 calendar days after the signed contract has been received by
the Nordplus Administration.
The grant must be recorded in accordance with national and internal

regulations as a separate cost item in the institution’s accounting so that
all payments are visible in the event of an audit. The coordinating entity
should save the documentation for at least five years.
At www.nordplusonline.org you can find the following guides and

template:
– “ User and help guide when applying in Nordplus Junior”

– “ Nordplus budget model” (template for project/networks only)
– “ FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions”
– “Advice on financial management for granted projects”
– ” User and help guide when reporting in Nordplus Junior”
26
3
Nordplus Junior
28
Nordplus
Higher
Education
Higher Education 30
Funding 36

Nordplus
Higher Education
Introduction to
Nordplus Higher Education
Nordplus Higher Education awards grants to higher education cooper-
ation with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and other actors in the
Nordic and Baltic countries as well as the autonomous regions of the Far-
oe Islands, Greenland and Åland. Grants may be awarded for networking
activities, intensive courses, joint study programmes, development pro-
jects and mobility of students and academic staff.
The goal is to enhance the collaboration between the actors within higher
education and with working life. The dissemination of good praxis and
innovative results is important. The programme supports also academic
mobility and work placements of high quality.
The cooperation can revolve around mobility for individual students and
academic staff between the partner institutions, intensive courses, de-
velopment projects, joint study programmes or networking activities. It
can include all subject areas and deal with themes that the actors find
relevant. Usually the themes are subject related but the cooperation can
also address overarching themes such as education and the working life,
entrepreneurship, digitalisation, sustainable development, democracy or
e.g. integration.
Nordplus Higher Education and Nordic Council of Ministers’ Nordic Master

are programmes that complement each other and support the develop-
ment and establishment of joint study programmes.

programme
Nordplus Higher Education’s target groups are students studying for a
degree on bachelor or master level, academic and other staff in HEIs and
other actors working with or having a strong interest within higher educa-
tion.
The collaboration can be established in two ways:
–A
s a network. The most common way to organise the collaboration
in the programme is by networking. A network is usually thematic or
subject specific and aims at long term collaboration on a wide range of
different activities.
– s a project partnership. This form of collaboration is time limited and
A
focuses on a specific task – a project – with a specific outcome.
30
The minimum requirement for a network and project partnership is that
they consist of at least three institutions from three different countries.
Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland are regarded as countries in the
programme.
As an exception, if the application consists only of mobility activities, a

bilateral collaboration with a sending and a hosting institution can be
eligible.
A coordinating institution must be appointed as responsible for the

application and the financing granted for the entire contract period. The
coordinating institution is thus also responsible for the final report on be-
half of all the network/project partnership. Only a HEI that is recognised
by national authorities can act as a coordinator. If the network/project
partnership includes organisations other than HEIs, there must be at least
two HEIs participating from two different countries.

Nordplus Higher Education supports the following activities:
Mobility
– S tudent mobility
– T eacher mobility
Project activities
– Intensive courses
– J oint study programmes
–D evelopment projects for Higher Education, including joint curriculum
development and joint modules. For cross-sector projects, networks are
recommended to apply from Nordplus Horizontal.
Network meetings
– T o establish and develop new networks
– F or academic staff within established networks for the quality assur-
ance of mobility, courses and/or admission of new partners
What is not eligible for funding?

As the programme supports cooperation in Higher Education within the
first and second degree cycles, i.e. bachelor’s and master’s, third cycle and
research activities are not eligible. Thus, researchers and PhD students are
not eligible for Nordplus grants unless they participate as teachers, e.g. on
an intensive course.
The programme does not support surveys.

Nordplus
Higher Education
Mobility
Mobility is defined as individual student or teacher exchanges between

the partner institutions in a network. Mobility takes place also in projects,
such as in intensive courses, but this form of mobility should be applied for
under project activities and as a part of the total costs for that project.
Long-term student mobility from 3 to 12 months

Mobility grants are awarded for full-time studies or work placements
lasting 3–12 months in another Nordplus country. The grant is available to
degree students of any nationality studying for a first or second cycle de-
gree at a HEI in the participating countries. PhD students are not eligible
for a Nordplus grant. The grant should be seen as a contribution towards
the additional costs of studying abroad.
This type of long-term mobility within the Nordplus Network can be

financed from other sources (e.g. Erasmus+). Nordplus networks are
encouraged to examine the possibilities of any such funding at part-
ner institutions and how this could be used for student mobility in
the Nordplus network. This helps to save more of Nordplus’ limited
resources for short-term mobility or projects.
Short-term student mobility from 1 to 2 months

Mobility grants may also be awarded for short, full-time studies of 1–2
months’ duration and for work placements in another Nordplus country on
the same basis as for long-term student mobility (see above).
Express mobility under 1 month

Students may also be awarded grants for shorter exchanges – express
mobility grants. The minimum duration of express mobility is one week
(5 working days). This form of student mobility is intended to broaden
the possibilities for students to study abroad for shorter periods in cases
where longer periods are not possible. Express mobility is also intended
to encourage institutions to invite students from partner institutions to
participate in their own courses and thus promote internationalisation at
home.
Express mobility grants are awarded according to the same guidelines,

criteria and rules as regular student mobility grants, but with some excep-
tions (see below).
Work placements grants (long-term, short-term and express) are award-

ed according to the same main guidelines, criteria and rules that apply
to regular student mobility grants except that they may also be awarded
for a mobility period taking place after graduation and then the following
applies;
– T he grant must be awarded before graduation
– T he work placement must be finalised within one year of graduation
32
The following rules apply to all student mobility types:
– T he studies/work experience placements abroad shall be fully recog-
nised as a part of the degree at the student’s home institution (excep-
tion: work placement after graduation).
– E CTS shall be used.
– T he Nordplus exchange is only possible after the student has studied for
at least one year at his/her home institution (exception: express mobili-
ty, joint master’s programmes).
–G enerally speaking, the Nordplus student does not pay any fees to the
host institution (exception: any fees to student organisations, applica-
tion fees, tuition fees for third-country students, any course fees).
– T he student shall live at his/her place of study; commuting between
place of study and ordinary place of residence is not permitted.
–C onfirmation of grant award shall be signed before payment is made
(please find the document on nordplusonline.org under ‘Documents’).
–A learning/training agreement shall be signed before the exchange
(Learning/training Agreement). Erasmus+ model contracts are recom-
mended.
–A final report on the exchange shall be submitted by the student after
the exchange has been completed (not mandatory for express mobility).
Teacher mobility
Academic staff of any nationality employed at HEIs in the participating
countries may be awarded a Nordplus grant for exchanges in another Nor-
dic or Baltic country. The exchange can include teaching, tutoring, develop-
ment of teaching materials, etc. It is also possible to use these grants for
activities connected to work placements and collaboration with the labour
market.
This type of mobility within the Nordplus network can be financed

from other sources (e.g. Erasmus+ which also offers funding oppor-
tunities for non-academic staff). Nordplus networks are encouraged
to examine the possibilities of any such funding at partner institu-
tions and how this could be used for staff mobility in the Nordplus
network. This helps to save more of Nordplus’ limited resources for
projects and network meetings.
The minimum duration of the teacher exchange is eight teaching/working

hours.
The following rules apply to Nordplus teacher mobility grants:
– If the grant is paid as an individual scholarship, confirmation of receipt

of the scholarship should be signed before payment (please find the
document on nordplusonline.org under ‘Documents’).
– final report on the exchange must be submitted by the grant holder
A
after the exchange has been completed.

Nordplus
Higher Education
Project
Intensive courses
Nordplus Higher Education awards grants for intensive courses lasting
between one week (five working days) and one month. Courses may take
place during term time or in the summer by way of short courses, sym-
posiums, master classes or workshops. Intensive courses must include
students and academic staff from at least three different countries. The
courses must yield ECTS points and must be recognised as part of the
students’ degree. The number of ECTS points should be stated in the
application.
PhD students may act as teachers on intensive courses. They are not eligi-
ble for a grant if they are students in the programme.
The same intensive course can be granted Nordplus funding for three
consecutive years but annual applications must be submitted. It is recom-
mended that the hosting institution is rotated.
Joint study programmes

Nordplus Higher Education awards grants for development of joint study
programmes.
Nordplus joint study programmes are defined as follows:
– P rogrammes are full-degree study programmes established according

to national legislation.
– P rogrammes lead to a degree recognised by national authorities.
–D egree certificates with a Diploma Supplement are issued according to
national legislation.
– obility is integrated into the programme setup.
M
– rogrammes are developed jointly, and all courses and study units
P
should be approved by all participating parties.
– he collaborative venture is governed by a signed agreement defining
T
its aims as well as the roles of the participating parties.
These definitions set the target aimed for but Nordplus can award grants
for all stages of the development process, from the very first idea up to
finalisation.
The same joint study programme can be granted Nordplus funding for
three consecutive years but annual applications must be submitted.
Joint study programmes are complex processes. HEIs can combine Nor-
dplus and Nordic Master grants in various ways. More information on
Nordic Master is available on www.nordicmaster.org. The website consists
also of many useful handbooks and guides on joint programmes.
34
Development projects
Nordplus Higher Education offers grants for innovative development pro-
jects within the field of Higher Education.
For cross-sector projects, networks are recommended to apply the Nord-

plus Horizontal programme. Apart from joint curriculum planning and joint
modules, projects may focus on issues such as:
–C ollaboration with the labour market

–Q uality assurance
– T he dissemination and use of results achieved by networks and projects
– T he development of collaborations with other institutions in the public
or private sectors as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
within Higher Education
– he development of new teaching methods.
T
The same project can be granted Nordplus funding for three consecutive
years but annual applications must be submitted.
Network meetings
Nordplus Higher Education distributes network support for two types of

meetings:
–A
dministrative meetings to establish and develop NEW networks. The
network is defined as new for three consecutive years but annual appli-
cations must be submitted.
– eetings of academic staff within ESTABLISHED networks for the
M
quality assurance of mobility, courses and/or admission of new part-
ners.
Meetings within ESTABLISHED Nordplus network can be financed

from other sources (e.g. Erasmus+ which also offers funding oppor-
tunities for non-academic staff via “Organisational Support” and in
“Staff Training” if the agenda of the meetings meets the criteria of
staff training). Nordplus networks are encouraged to examine the
possibilities of any such funding at partner institutions and how this
could be used for staff mobility for network meetings.

Nordplus
Higher Education
Funding
Funding for mobility
Support for mobility to networks is allocated according to set rates for

travel and accommodation/board. The application and reporting system
(Espresso) will calculate the grant sum based on the established rates.
Mobility grants differ from other kinds of travel-related costs in that the
applicant does not need to include co-financing in the budget for mobility
activities. Thus no documentation on internal or other funding is neces-
sary.
The rates for individuals are maximum rates, thus the network can de-
cide the level of each scholarship according to the total grant available.
It is important that an agreement on the exchange and the scholarship is
made before the actual exchange takes place. Transparency and equality
should be the guiding principles in setting the levels of scholarships among
the partner institutions.
TRAVEL RATES:
To and from Greenland 1.300 €
To and from the Faroe Islands and Iceland 660 €

Domestic, in connection with exchange abroad Up to 150 €
ACCOMMODATION/BOARD RATES:
PER DAY PER WEEK/ PER MONTH

5 WORKING DAYS
Students 20 € 70 € 200 €
Teachers 70 € 355 € 1.065 €
Here are examples on how to calculate the scholarships:
– 5 -week student mobility, the maximum rate is

200 € + 70 € = 270 € + travel grant
– 1 -week (5–7 days) express mobility, the maximum rate is
70 € + travel grant
– 8 -day teacher mobility, the maximum rate is
355 € + 70 € + travel grant
– 1 -day teacher mobility, the maximum rate is 70 € + travel grant
– 5 (working)day teacher mobility, the maximum rate
is 355 € + travel grant
36
Funding for project and network activities
Nordplus grants should be seen as a contribution towards the actual cost

of activities in the participating countries. This means that a degree of
self-financing should be calculated into the actual costs (not applicable
for intensive courses, see below). Applications for network and project
funding can include support for travel, board and lodging, administra-
tion and other costs. Costs for the network and project activities can be
supported with up to 50% of the total approved costs. Approved costs
include the participating institutions’ own contribution. In addition to cash
funding, in-kind contributions, like work hours put into the Nordplus pro-
ject, can be included.
Detailed budgets must be submitted as attachments to the application

for network and project activities. Budget template is available through
Espresso or can be downloaded from the Nordplus website, www.nordplu-
sonline.org (under the ‘Documents’ menu).
Budget model for intensive courses
When applying for an intensive course, the applicant shall first fill out a
budget template available through Espresso or download it from www.
nordplusonline.org (under the Programme Documents menu). The form
automatically calculates the requested amounts when filling in the form.
The applicant then has to copy these amounts to the budget field in Es-
presso. The self-financing part of the budget does not need to be calculat-
ed in the application.

Contract period
Grants for mobility, network and project activities are allocated for a fixed
contract period that starts on 15 May and ends on 1 October the following
year. The final report must be submitted within 30 days after the contract
period is terminated.
The coordinating institution may use a maximum of 5% of the total used

grant for administrative expenses to meet the added cost of coordinating
the activities. Coordinators do not need to provide supporting documen-
tation of administrative expenses.

Nordplus
Higher Education
Ineligible costs
–O
Nordplus project
– P urchasing of office equipment (such as IT equipment)
–C osts for non-Nordic and non-Baltic participants
–C osts for activities outside the Nordic and Baltic countries
Generally speaking, Nordplus does not cover salary costs, but networks/
projects can include work hours directly related to Nordplus activities as
part of their self-financing
Special needs
Costs involving participants with special needs can be covered by 100%.

In the event of participants with special needs requiring additional help
and support, the coordinator may apply for further funds, also after the
ordinary application deadline. The application should be addressed directly
to EDUFI in Finland. Additional funds may be provided to cover the cost
of companions, interpreters or similar. Please contact EDUFI in good time
before the planned exchange.
If the funds are not used as implied in the contract, and/or reports are not
submitted as agreed upon in the contract, EDUFI requires reimbursement
of the grant.
Payments and audits
Applicants may receive full funding (the sum applied for), partial funding
(only some of the activities applied for are funded, or the budget has been
reduced due to ineligible costs or inaccurate calculations), or the entire
application may be rejected. All applicants receive detailed information on
the grant they have been awarded. If funding has been granted for part of
the application only, the applicant will receive information about this and
the reasons for the reduction.
Grants are paid to the coordinator, who is then responsible for the funds
for the whole duration of the contract period. The funds granted should be
accounted for in accordance with national/internal requirements and rules
as a separate project in the accounts of the institution. The network/pro-
ject partnership decides how the funds are to be allocated between the
participating institutions. Grants are paid in full when a signed copy of the
contract has been returned to EDUFI.
38
The grant must be recorded in accordance with national and internal
regulations as a separate cost item in the institution or organisation’s
account so that all payments are visible in the event of an audit.


4
Nordplus Junior
40
Nordplus
Adult
Introduction to Nordplus Adult 42
Funding 48

Nordplus Adult
Introduction to Nordplus Adult
Nordplus Adult includes all parts of adult learning – formal, non-formal

and informal learning, whether in the context of general, liberal or voca-
tional education in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
The programme should be a catalyst for the development of the sector

through grants for mobility, establishment of networks and project collab-
oration. It is crucial that a project involves organisations with knowledge,
expertise and experience that can be of mutual benefit in the partnership.
The programme supports initiatives that improve the quality of the train-
ing, meet new learner needs or test new organisational forms or teaching
methods. In practice, the programme is open to a wide range of themes,
topics and subject areas. Most importantly, each partnership should be
based on the current challenges and needs that educators face in their
work.
Examples of themes that can be addressed are key competences and

basic skills, validation and recognition of prior learning, link and transition
between education and the labour market – e.g. work-based learning,
up-skilling and re-training and entrepreneurship. Initiatives can also focus
on current societal challenges such as integration, green growth and sus-
tainable development, digitalisation, health, democracy and active citi-
zenship. The programme also supports initiatives targeted at vulnerable
and marginalised adults – e.g. learners with special needs, senior citizens,
refugees/migrants and the unemployed. Other themes are also welcome
– what is important is that the initiative derives from a specific develop-
ment need within the organisation.

programme
Nordplus Adult comprises a broad and diverse sector and is open to all
types of organisations engaged in the field of adult learning in the eight
participating countries and the three autonomous regions.
Examples organisation and institution types that can apply Nordplus

Adult are:
42
– E ducational institutions, including institutions with adult educator/
mentor programmes, institutions involved in special needs education for
adults and research-based institutions with experience and expertise in
adult learning
– ther organisations, including associations, public authorities, business-
O
es, cultural institutions and non-governmental organisations working
with adult education and adult learning in informal and non-formal
settings.
Although Nordplus Adult is not limited to established educational insti-

tutions, the initiative must address education and learning directed at
“adult learners”. For example, continuing vocational training is covered by
the programme, whereas projects involving basic vocational education
and training (VET) must apply the Nordplus Junior programme.
More information about target groups and specific requirements can be

found in the descriptions of the individual activities in the programme.

Nordplus Adult welcomes applications to the following activities:
Mobility projects
– p reparatory visits
– e xchange of teachers and other pedagogical staff
– e xchange of adult learners (adult students)
Collaboration projects
– t hematic networks
– d evelopment projects
–m apping projects
Collectively these types of activities support different phases and parts

of the partnership: from the proactive phase of establishing contacts, to
networking and exchange of experiences onto the realisation of actual
development work.
Mobility projects
Mobility projects must involve cooperation between a minimum of two

organisations from at least two countries within a period of one year. The
following can be applied for:

Nordplus Adult
Preparatory visits
The aim of preparatory visits is to support the preparation and planning
of projects and applications within the other activity types in Nordplus
Adult.
Grants for travel and subsistence are available for participating in joint
meetings between organisations from different countries with a view to
clarifying scope for collaboration and planning a concrete application for
the next Nordplus Adult application deadline.
Grants may be given for one preparatory meeting of a maximum of five

days’ duration (including travel time) with the participation of up to two
representatives from each organisation.
One of the participating organisations serves as host for the preparato-

ry meeting. Travel expenses grants are only available to cover the travel
expenses of the visiting organisations.
An application must describe the following elements:
–A detailed programme of the planned visit

– T he background and motivation as well as general topics and objectives
of the future project
– ach organisation’s contribution and expertise in relation to the future
E
project
Note that grants for general teacher exchange/study visits between

organisations not aimed at the development of a joint project must be
applied for under “exchange of teachers and other pedagogical staff”
described below.
Exchange of teachers and other pedagogical staff

The aim of the exchange is to provide participants with new professional
skills and experience of other cultures and learning traditions in order to
enhance the quality of adult learning and, more generally, to strengthen
cooperation and exchanges between Nordic/Baltic organisations and
institutions in adult learning and education.
Grants for travel and subsistence are given to the participation of teach-
ers and other pedagogical staff in training courses as well as self-organ-
ised study or teaching stays in relevant institutions and organisations in
another Nordic/Baltic country.
Only teachers, trainers and other pedagogical staff responsible for the
education of adults are eligible to receive support in connection with an
exchange programme.
Please note that applications for exchange of teachers from higher educa-
44
tion or from primary/secondary education must be submitted to Nordplus
Higher Education and Nordplus Junior programme respectively.
Furthermore applications must comply with the following criteria to be

eligible for support:
– T he individual stay(s) must have a duration of one week, i.e. five full
working days, travel excluded. However, in justified cases, exchanges of
shorter duration may be approved.
– he number of participants in the exchanges should normally not
T
exceed two representatives per organisation, unless the need for more
participants is specifically argued for.
– he application as a whole may include the exchange of several people
T
from several participating organisations. However, each stay must be
organised on an individual basis and take place within a single institu-
tion. Study trips involving short visits to a number of institutions and
organisations are not prioritised.
– pplications may include visits and revisit(s); however, revisit(s) are not
A
required in order to qualify for a grant.
– detailed programme involving planned trips with a clear objective and
A
expected results must be included in the application.
– ll planned stays must be completed within one year, which is the maxi-
A
mum period for mobility projects.
Exchange of adult learners (adult students)

The aim of the exchange is to provide participants with new competenc-
es and/or professional skills and insight into other cultures and learning
environments and to strengthen cooperation and exchange of experiences
between Nordic/Baltic organisations and institutions in adult learning and
education.
Grants for travel and subsistence are given for the exchange of adult
learners (adult students) between Nordic/Baltic institutions and organi-
sations. Exchange of learners enrolled in continuing voca¬tional training is
eligible to apply while applications for exchange of students in vocational
education and training (VET) should be submitted to Nordplus Junior.
The following criteria must be met in order to be eligible for a grant:
– T he individual stay(s) must have a duration of one week, i.e. five full
working days, travel excluded. However, in justified cases, stays of
shorter duration may be approved.
– he stay must be organised as an exchange in an educational institu-
T
tion and/or a work placement in a company, where learners take part
in learning activities with the host organisation together with learners
from the host country.
– detailed programme involving planned trips with a clear objective and
A
expected results must be included in the application.

Nordplus Adult
–A
pplications may include visits and revisit(s); however, revisit(s) are not
required in order to qualify for a grant.
– he application as a whole may include the exchange of several learners
T
from several participating organisations. However, each stay must be
organised on an individual basis and take place within a single institu-
tion/company. Study trips involving short visits to a number of institu-
tions/companies are not eligible.
– ll planned must be completed within one year, which is the maximum
A
project period for mobility projects.
Please note that it is possible to apply for grants for accompanying teach-
ers or individual support when there are special circumstances or needs
that necessitate this. You must account specifically for these circumstanc-
es or needs in the application – see the section on Special needs at the end
of the chapter.
Collaboration projects must involve cooperation between at least three

organisations from at least three different Nordic/Baltic countries within
a maximum period of three years. The following can be applied for:
Thematic networks
The purpose of thematic networks is to provide organisations, institutions,
associations, etc., with an opportunity to form networks across the Nor-
dic/Baltic countries. The idea of thematic networks is to form new, per-
manent relations and partnerships that ideally traverse areas and sectors
within adult learning.
In thematic networks, the participating organisations work with a shared

theme in the form of an issue, a topic or a challenge. The process is based
on the exchange of knowledge and experience on the selected theme,
which then forms the basis of new knowledge and proposals for new initi-
atives.
– T he network must exchange knowledge and experience in relation to a

specific topic, issue or challenge shared by all the involved parties.
–A
detailed work schedule with clear aims and expected outcomes must
be presented in the application.
– T he network activity must lead to new knowledge and ideas.
– P riority is given to applications based on new constellations and part-
nerships in which different types of organisations and institutions in
adult learning and education are represented.
46
The network activity may also lead to new proposals within other parts of
theNordplus Adult programme.
Development projects
The aim of development projects is to give Nordic and Baltic organisations
and institutions the opportunity to carry out joint development work with-
in adult learning. Development projects must lead to the development
of new courses, modules, formats, methods, materials, etc. The aim is to
improve adults’ access to learning, improving the quality of adult learn-
ing or meeting new or changing needs. The programme also supports the
development of training opportunities for teachers, mentors and other
pedagogical staff in adult learning.
–A
development project should be based on existing knowledge and ex-
perience in the relevant field, but previous projects are not to be dupli-
cated.
– detailed work plan with clear aims and expected outcomes has to be
A
presented in the application.
– development project must be product-oriented, meaning that a fully
A
developed and accessible product must be created at the end of the
project period. The product must be made accessible to the wider pub-
lic, e.g. by way of a course description or teaching materials.
Mapping projects
With mapping projects, the programme supports the collection, identifi-
cation and analysis of existing knowledge on adult learning. The mapping
project is a study and could e.g. involve descriptions and statistics of spe-
cific traditions or sectors within adult learning and take form of compari-
sons between specific countries or areas/sectors within adult learning.
The aim of mapping projects is to take stock, define development needs

and make recommendations for future initiatives and hereby creating the
basis for new projects.
–A
mapping project should be based on existing knowledge and research
in order to avoid duplication of previous research and mapping projects.
– mapping project must have general relevance and the results should
A
be useful beyond the circle of participating organisations and the spe-
cific project.
– detailed work plan with clear aims and expected outcomes has to be
A
presented in the application.

Nordplus Adult
–A
mapping project will normally involve a combination of practition-
er organisations and research-based institutions with experience and
expertise in adult learning – high priority is given to projects involving
different types of organisations/institutions.
– he outcomes of a mapping project are to be made public. It is there-
T
fore essential that applications give details on how the acquired knowl-
edge will be handled and published.
Funding
Grants from Nordplus Adult are based on fixed unit costs for different
types of expenses connected to the applied activity. Grants from Nordplus
are contributions to project expenses and all participating organisations
must therefore expect some degree of co-financing.
The co-financing is not to be specified or documented neither in the ap-

plication nor in the final report as it is presupposed in the unit rate system.
Furthermore, the unit costs system is based on the premise that it is

the implementation of the activity and not the actual cost that must be
documented. This provides greater financial flexibility in relation to the
project implementation. It is recommended to take stock of the level of
co-financing needed to carry out the project in question before submitting
an application. It is advisable, however, for the partnership to take stock
of the overall need for co-financing prior to submission of the application.
Mobility projects and cooperation projects operate with two different

unit cost systems described below. Following the signing of the contract,
approved projects will receive the Nordplus Adult financial guide containing
more detailed information on reporting requirements and documentation
of activities. This guide can also be downloaded from Nordplusonline.
Mobility projects
Allocation of grants for mobility projects is based upon fixed unit costs for
travel and subsistence, (lodging/board) and will automatically be calcu-
lated in the application when information on the number of participants,
their home and hosting country(-ies) and the duration(s) of the stay(s) is
inserted.
48
TRAVEL UNIT COSTS (PER PARTICIPANT)

330 €
Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Åland
*Domestic, more than 500 km (both ways) 150 €
*The unit cost for domestic travelling is an addition to the unit costs for transnational travel.
Grants for domestic travel can be applied for when the distance between the participant’s
hometown and the nearest international airport, train or bus station in their home country is
more than 250 km.
SUBSISTENCE UNIT COSTS (PER PARTICIPANT)
TYPE OF PARTICIPANT PER DAY PER WEEK PER MONTH
Folk high school students 20 € 70 € 200 €
Adult learners (students) 40 € 160 € 480 €
Teachers and other

pedagogical staff 70 € 355 € 1.065 €
Grants for collaboration projects are allocated according to fixed unit

costs for travel, work hours and other project expenses. The unit costs
serve as a basis for determining a given grant, and the system offers
flexibility in relation to moving funds between and within the various types
of expenses included in the overall grant. See the Nordplus Adult financial
guide at Nordplusonline for further details.
The programme provides grants for three types of costs:
– P roject management, implementation and dissemination of results

– T ransnational meetings
–D evelopment work
Grant applications may be submitted for development work when apply-

ing with regard to development and mapping projects, but not for the-
matic networks that do not aim at product development.

Nordplus Adult
Nordplus Adult does not set a fixed ceiling for grants. It means that appli-
cants have the opportunity to define their needs for support on the basis
of their specific project. Please note, however, that the programme budget
is limited to approximately 1.2 million euro per year. For each project, a
thorough assessment of the applied budget is made. In particular, the as-
sessment addresses the coherence between the description of the project
and its results and the support applied for. Grant reductions may be intro-
duced in the case a budget is not substantiated by a project description.
An average grant for a two-year Nordplus Adult collaboration project

involving three or four partners is 50,000 euro.
Project management, implementation and dissemination of results

The purpose of the grant is to cover the administrative costs and expenses
for dissemination of the project’s results which is required of all for Nord-
plus Adult collaborative projects. Administrative expenses may be any type
of costs of coordinating and participating in a project such as accounting,
reporting, meetings, etc.
The costs of disseminating project results could, for example, be publish-

ing reports and pamphlets, translation, websites and organisation (trans)
national conferences, seminars and meetings.
Please note that expenses for services and external suppliers, such as fees,
cannot be applied for separately, but may be covered by this unit cost or
by the institutions’ co-financing.
The grant is a lump sum and thus independent of project duration, type
and content. The grant is triggered automatically per participating or-
ganisation when applying for a collaboration project. The coordinating
institution is awarded a higher rate since greater administrative costs are
foreseen when coordinating a project.
RATE PER PARTICIPATING INSTITUTION FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT,

IMPLEMENTATION AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS

Coordinator: 3.000 €

Partner: 1.000 €
Transnational meetings
Grants for travel and subsistence for staff of participating institutions for
meetings between project partners with a view to planning, follow-up and
coordination of the project.Other forms of meetings, e.g. network meet-
ings, smaller seminars/courses with the participation of partners’ own
staff/adult learners, etc. are also covered by this unit cost. Costs for larg-
50
er, external events with participation of persons outside the partnership
are to be covered by the unit cost of “project management, implementa-
tion and dissemination of results”.
Please note that the unit costs include both travel and accommodation
expenses. They are based on the general mobility travel unit costs, with a
small contribution towards accommodation.
UNIT COST PER PARTICIPANT PER TRANSNATIONAL MEETING

Development work
The grant is designed to cover the hours spent in preparing substantial,
educational products. This may be curricula, IT tools, analyses, surveys,
open source materials teaching methods, etc.
Please note that time invested in project work and participation is not
included, but may be covered by the unit cost of project management,
implementation and dissemination of results.
The application must state an estimate of the number of workdays re-

quired for each individual partner for developing the project product(s).
The calculation is based on unit costs per person per working day within
three groups of countries.
UNIT COST PER PARTICIPANT PER DAY FOR DEVELOPMENT WORK
Denmark, Greenland, the Faroe Island,

Sweden and Norway 250 €
Finland, Åland and Iceland 225 €
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia 125 €
There is no fixed grant ceiling for development work, but all budgets will
undergo a careful assessment looking at the description of the actual de-
velopment work vis-à-vis the number of work days applied for. It will also
be taken into account whether the project scope and scale fall within the
budget of the Nordplus Adult programme.

Nordplus Adult
On average Nordplus Adult grants 25 working days per year per institu-
tion. The total number of granted working days per institution for a full
project period can only in exceptional cases exceed 40 days. It must be
explicitly substantiated in the application if the total number of working
days exceeds this level.
Ineligible costs
–O
Nordplus project
– P urchasing of office equipment (such as IT equipment)
–C osts for non-Nordic and non-Baltic participants
–C osts for activities outside the Nordic and Baltic countries
Special needs
Expenses for learners with special needs can be approved with up to

100%. If the need arises for additional granting to network/project and
mobility activities this may be applied for outside the ordinary applica-
tion round. This must be applied for directly to the main administrator of
Nordplus Adult along with a doctor’s certificate. Additional grants may be
approved to cover expenses for a companion, interpreter or similar. This
grant is only available to participants in activities that have already been
approved.
can decide to hold back or to withdraw funds.
Payment and auditing
The grant is paid to the project or network coordinator responsible for the
funds throughout the contract period. The project/network determines
how resources are to be distributed among the partners. The approved
contributions are paid in two separate instalments: 80% after the con-
52
tract has been signed and the remainder (20%) after the final report has
been approved. For applications granted 15,000 euro or less, 100% of the
funds are paid after the contract has been signed.
The Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education will issue the pay-
ment no later than 45 calendar days after the signed contract has been
received by the Nordplus administration.
The grant must be recorded in accordance with national and internal regu-
lations as a separate cost item in the institution or organisation’s account
so that all payments are visible in the event of an audit.
At www.nordplusonline.org you can find the financial guidelines for Nor-

dplus Adult named Guide for reporting, documentation of activities and
financial management of grants.


54
5
Nordplus
Horizontal
Introduction to Nordplus Horizontal 56
Funding 57

Nordplus Horizontal
Introduction to
Nordplus Horizontal
Nordplus Horizontal awards grants for innovative project and network ac-
tivities spanning more than one education sector in the Nordic and Baltic
countries. Any institutions and organisations working with education and
lifelong learning may apply, and projects may also involve partners outside
the field of education.
A grant application for project and network activities from Nordplus

Horizontal must involve participants from at least three Nordic and/or
Baltic countries. A further prerequisite is that the application must involve
participants from at least two educational sectors. Accordingly, the pro-
gramme is open to participation from institutions and organisations such
as enterprises, public and private sector organisations, labour market or-
ganisations and various administrative entities in addition to institutions
and organisations involved in education at any level. Nordplus Horizontal
is flexible in the sense that grants are available for a number of education-
al activities, ranging from conferences to major development projects.
Nordplus Horizontal awards grants for a wide spectrum of themes and

areas. Examples of themes eligible for support are activities that link
education and work life, activities that concern entrepreneurship, integra-
tion, democracy and active citizenship, inclusion of marginalised groups,
digitalisation/ICT, in-service training and further education for teachers
at all levels, development of new teaching methods, environment and
sustainable development, health, sports, art and culture. The main point is
that the activity is cross-sectorial and educational.
Target groups for

the programme
Nordplus Horizontal is aimed at institutions and organisations in the eight
participating countries and the three autonomous regions that mainly
work in the education and lifelong learning sectors. A Nordplus Horizontal
application for project and network activities must involve partners from
at least two sectors. They may be sectors within the education system,
e.g. partnerships between institutions in higher education and schools
(pre-schools and kindergartens as well), or between organisations, insti-
tutions and businesses across the public, private and/or voluntary sectors,
provided that the project applied for is an education partnership.
56
The activities should involve a minimum of three partners from three differ-
ent participating countries. Applications may also include participants from
countries outside the Nordic /Baltic countries that are deemed relevant
by the network or by the project partners. However, expenses for partners
from outside the Nordplus countries are not eligible for financial support.
The programme does not offer support for individual mobility, be it pupils,
students, teachers or staff, unless such mobility is linked to project and
network activities. To qualify for a grant, therefore, mobility activities must
be linked to a project or network.

Nordplus Horizontal can support the following activities:
–W orkshops
– S eminars for exchanging experiences
–C onferences
– S tudies and analyses
– S tatistics projects
– P rojects aiming to exploit the results of educational research
– T he production of materials for innovative language training, teaching
and translation, or similar materials in other areas of expertise
– T he establishment of new course modules using new learning and teach-
ing platforms
– T he publication, distribution and exchange of results and experiences in
education
Other examples of cross-sector networks and project activities may include

activities that build on and expand previous Nordplus-supported networks
and projects, e.g. activities that to a greater extent focus on analysis, the
exchange of experiences, comparisons and the dissemination of results.
The maximum duration of a Nordplus Horizontal project is three years.
Funding
Nordplus grants are a contribution to cover the actual costs of project
activities. Nordplus Horizontal can meet up to 50% of the total project
costs. This means that a degree of self-financing must be calculated into
the total actual costs. Applications to Nordplus Horizontal must include a
budget with an overview of the total estimated costs for the activities and
a plan of how these costs will be financed. Applicants are recommended to
use the budget template that can be found at www.nordplusonline.org.

Nordplus Horizontal
Approved costs include the participating institutions’ internal financing. In

addition to cash funding, in-kind contributions like work hours put into the
Nordplus project, can be included in the internal financing. It is possible to
receive full support for e.g. travel and board and lodging if the institution’s
own financing constitutes at least 50% of the total project costs.
Applications for funding can include support for travel, board and lodging,
administration, production and other costs. Nordplus Horizontal does not
define a maximum allocation limit, preferring instead to let the applicants
themselves define their need for funding for any given project. However,
applicants must note that Nordplus Horizontal has a limited budget and
that approximately 1 million euro is awarded in total each year. For that
reason, careful consideration is given to whether the amount applied for
is proportionate to the description of the individual project, its activities
and results. The Nordplus Horizontal administration may reduce allocation
to a project approved for a grant if the need for the grant is not clearly
described or justified in the project description. An average Nordplus Hori-
zontal grant is approximately 50,000 euro.
Support for travel costs
Nordplus Horizontal does not award grants for individual mobility. Ac-
cordingly, the unit costs applicable to mobility activities under the other
Nordplus programmes do not apply to Horizontal. Travel and board and
lodging costs must be calculated in relation to real costs, and these will
be approved as long as the expenses are related to project- or network
activities.

maximum of 5% of the total used grant for administrative expenses to
meet the added cost of coordinating the activities. Coordinators do not
need to provide supporting documentation of administrative expenses.
Ineligible costs
–O
Nordplus project
– urchasing of office equipment (such as IT equipment)
P
– osts for non-Nordic and non-Baltic participants
C
– osts for activities outside the Nordic and Baltic countries
C
Generally speaking, Nordplus does not cover salary costs, but networks/
projects can include work hours directly related to Nordplus activities as
part of their self-financing.
58
Special needs
Costs involving participants with special needs may be met by a grant of

up to 100%. In the event of disabled participants requiring additional help
and support, the network/project may apply for further funds after the
to the main administrator of Nordplus Horizontal. A medical certificate is
usually required. Additional funds may be provided to cover the cost of a
companion, interpreter or similar.
This rule only applies to participants in activities that have already been
given a grant.
Payments and audits

60
6
Nordplus
Nordic
Languages
Introduction to
Nordplus Nordic Languages 62
Funding 64

Nordplus
Nordic Languages
Nordic Languages
Nordplus Nordic Languages provides grants to institutions and organi-
sations in the field of Nordic languages in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
The programme is aimed at all levels of education and is open for institu-
tions, organisations and actors interested in working with or, promoting
the Nordic languages.
Nordplus Nordic Languages should stimulate interest in, and knowledge

and understanding of the languages of the Nordic countries essential to
society which are Danish, Finnish, Faroese, Greenlandic, Icelandic, Norwe-
gian, Sami and Nordic sign language.
In particular, the programme puts focus on activities that improve lan-

guage comprehension of the Nordic languages among children and young
people, primarily Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. The programme places
a strong emphasis on projects that seek to develop materials, methods,
and strategies for improving comprehension of the Nordic languages
within the educational system.
Other thematic areas and activities covered by the programme include

methods of teaching neighbouring languages in schools, development of
teaching plans for Nordic languages in the school systems, second lan-
guage learning in adult education, language technology projects, devel-
opment and publication of learning and teaching materials, and other
activities that focus on improving educational and didactical methods in
relation to the Nordic languages.
Nordplus Nordic Languages only supports activities that aim to improve

the comprehension of another Nordic language than the Nordic mother
tongue of a given target group. However, Nordplus Nordic Languages also
supports projects aimed at language learning of Nordic languages for new
inhabitants of the Nordic countries, e.g. immigrants and refugees.
Applications may be written in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish or English.

programme
Nordplus Nordic Languages is aimed at institutions and organisations in
the eight Nordic and Baltic countries and the three autonomous regions.
62
As a general rule only participants from these countries and regions are en-
titled to support from the programme. However, the programme activities
can include participants from other countries if this is considered necessary
or helpful to the execution of the project, but Nordplus grants cannot be
used to cover these expenses.
All organisations within the Nordic language area can participate in Nord-
plus Nordic Languages such as:
– P re-schools, primary and secondary schools, adult education institutions,

universities and research institutions
–O rganisations and associations
–N GOs and other informal learning arenas
–N etworks
– P rivate companies

Nordplus Nordic Languages welcomes applications for the following activi-
ty types:
Projects and networks
Projects and networks must involve cooperation between at least two or-
ganisations from two Nordic and/or Baltic countries. Grants may be award-
ed to establish networks, between institutions or organisations in the area
of languages, or to various project activities within the language area.
The following activities may be carried out in the context of a Nordic Lan-
guages project:
–M
ethods for including neighbour language learning in schools
–D
evelopment of school curricula concerning the position of Nordic lan-
guages in the school systems
– Information campaigns about the Nordic languages
– C onferences
– S eminars
– P ublications
– L anguage technology projects
– D evelopment and publication of educational aids and teaching materials
It is possible to apply for funding for a project/network with duration of up

to 3 years.

Nordplus
Nordic Languages
Preparatory visit
The aim of preparatory visits is to support the preparation and planning

of projects and applications within Nordplus Nordic Languages.
Grants for travel and subsistence are available for participating in joint
meetings between organisations from different countries with a view to
clarifying scope for collaboration and planning a concrete application for
the next Nordplus Nordic Languages application deadline.
Grants may be given for one preparatory meeting of a maximum of five

days’ duration (including travel time) with the participation of up to two
representatives from each organisation. The activity must be carried out
within a period of one year.
One of the participating organisations serves as host for the preparato-

ry meeting. Travel expenses grants are only available to cover the travel
expenses of the visiting organisations.
An application must describe the following elements:
–A detailed programme of the planned visit

– T he background and motivation as well as general topics and objectives
of the future project
– ach organisation’s contribution and expertise in relation to the future
E
project
Funding
Nordplus grants are a contribution to cover the actual costs of project
and network activities. Nordplus Nordic Languages can meet up to 75%
of the total project costs. This means that a degree of self-financing must
be calculated into the total actual costs. Applications to Nordplus Nordic
Languages must include a budget with an overview of the total estimated
costs for the activities and a plan of how these costs will be financed. Ap-
plicants are recommended to use the budget template that can be found
at www.nordplusonline.org.
Nordplus Nordic Languages does not define a maximum allocation limit,

preferring instead to let the applicants themselves define their need for
funding for any given project. However, applicants should note that Nord-
plus Nordic Languages has a limited budget and approximately EUR 0,6
million is awarded in total annually . For that reason, careful consideration
is given to whether the amount applied for is proportionate to the descrip-
tion of the individual project, its activities and results. The Nordplus Nordic
64
Languages administration may reduce allocation to a project approved for
a grant if the need for the grant is not clearly described or justified in the
project description..
Please note that Nordplus Nordic Languages does not award grants for
individual mobility except for preparatory visits described in the paragraph
below where fixed mobility rates must be used. For projects and networks,
travel and board and lodging costs must be calculated in relation to real
costs, and these will be approved as long as the expenses are related to
project- or network activities.
Funding for preparatory visits
Grants for preparatory visits is based upon fixed unit costs for travel and
subsistence, (lodging/board) and will automatically be calculated in the
application when information on the number of participants, their home
and hosting country(-ies) and the duration(s) of the stay(s) is inserted.
TRAVEL UNIT COSTS (PER PARTICIPANT)

330 €
Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Åland
*Domestic, more than 500 km (both ways) 150 €
*The unit cost for domestic travelling is an addition to the unit costs for transnational travel.
Grants for domestic travel can be applied for when the distance between the participant’s
hometown and the nearest international airport, train or bus station in their home country is
more than 250 km.
ACCOMMODATION/BOARD PER PARTICIPANT
PER DAY PER WEEK
Participant 70 € 355 €
Funding for projects and networks
Applications for projects and networks can include grants for travel and
board/lodging for participants, work hours, support for dissemination
production and publication of materials and other relevant costs in con-
nection with the project and network.

Nordplus
Nordic Languages
Please note that Nordplus can only grant work hours directly related to
development work in connection with preparing substantial, educational
products. This may be curricula, IT tools, analyses, surveys, open source
platforms, teaching methods, etc. Time invested in general project work
and participation may be included as part of the co-financing of the insti-
tutions.
Funding from Nordplus for other expenses in connection with project and
network activities may comprise a maximum of 75% of the approved
expenses. It is possible to receive full support for e.g. travel and board and
lodging if the institution’s own financing constitutes at least 25% of the
total project costs.
In the appended budget, which can be downloaded from the application

form or at www.nordplusonline.org, the applicant must show how the
remaining expenses will be covered.
maximum of 5% of the total used grant for administrative expenses to
meet the added cost of coordinating the activities. Coordinators do not
need to provide supporting documentation of administrative expenses.
Ineligible costs:
–O
Nordplus project
– urchasing of office equipment (such as IT equipment)
P
– osts for non-Nordic and non-Baltic participants
C
– osts for activities outside the Nordic and Baltic countries
C
Special needs
Costs involving participants with special needs may be met by a grant of

up to 100%. In the event of disabled participants requiring additional help
and support, the network/project may apply for further funds after the
to the main administrator of Nordplus Nordic Languages. A medical cer-
tificate is usually required. Additional funds may be provided to cover the
cost of a companion, interpreter or similar.
This rule only applies to participants in activities that have already been
given a grant.
66
If the funds are not used as agreed in the contract, and/or final reports
Payments and audits

68
7
General
information
about
applying
The application 70
Processing of applications 73
Project follow-up and reporting 75

General
information
General information
about applying
The application
In this chapter you will find information on the formal eligibility criteria
that each application must meet in order to be considered for funding.
Subsequently, you will find information on the qualitative criteria by which
applications are assessed, as well as information on the most important
things to remember before submitting an application.
Assessment of eligibility
The following criteria must be met in order for the application to be con-
sidered for funding in Nordplus. Please note that special conditions may
be in the individual sub-programmes.
The application must be submitted electronically using the

Espresso application system within the application deadline.
The application must be written in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish

or English.
All the necessary appendices must be included – Letter of Intent

(LOI) and, if relevant, budget.
All organisations participating in an application, including the

coordinator, must submit a duly completed and signed LOI. The
LOI is proof of the agreement between the partners involved in
the project, and failure to include the LOI will result in a rejection
of the application.
The applicant institution must have fulfilled any previous obliga-

tions to Nordplus, e.g. reporting or repayment of unused funds.
Applications for mobility must include at least two participants

from two different Nordplus countries.
Applications for project or network activities must include at least

three organisations from three different Nordplus countries.
Applications for projects or network activities for Nordplus

Nordic Languages must include at least two organisations from
two different countries.
Applications to Nordplus Horizontal must include participants

from at least two different sectors.
Applications must include funding for future activities only.

Ongoing or completed activities cannot be funded.
70
Assessment criteria
Nordplus applications are assessed according to four general aspects: pro
ject relevance, objectives and content, organisation and implementation,
and dissemination of results. You can read more about what is entailed by
each criterion below.
Visit www.nordplusonline.org to access a guide to writing a successful

application.
Relevance
–D
oes the application follow the overall objectives of Nordplus? A de-
scription of these can be found in the introduction to this handbook.
–D
oes the application fall within the sub-programme’s framework in
terms of target group and activity?
–D
oes the application involve a true transnational cooperation, where all
partners contribute actively to the implementation of the project and
benefit from the outcome?
– hat is the added international value of this collaboration?
W
Project objectives and content

–D
oes the application describe clear, realistic objectives and outcomes?
–D
oes the application describe specific, relevant activities spanning the
entire project period?
– Is there a clear connection between objectives and planned activities?
– D oes the application have a realistic budget in relation to the activities
planned and the funding available in the programme?
– D oes the application describe how the objectives will be evaluated, and
how the outcome will be achieved?
Organisation and implementation

–D
oes the application have a clear, realistic project implementation plan
with balanced distribution of tasks and responsibilities between the
partners?
– re the organisations involved relevant to the implementation of the
A
planned activities and to the utilisation of the expected results?
– oes the application show how activities are anchored within the parti-
D
cipating organisations?
– oes the application describe how the project will secure efficient com-
D
munication and good cooperation between the participants?
– oes the application clearly define the expected effects and benefits
D
for the participants?
Dissemination of results
–D
oes the application have a clear, realistic plan for dissemination of re-
sults, including a description of the intended method of communicating
with relevant target groups during the project period?
– ill results and products be made available to the public so that others
W
can benefit?
– oes the application include ideas and plans for longer-term outcomes?
D
General
information
Preparatory visits
A successful application for preparatory visits should describe:
– P roject background and motivation

– T he subject and target group(s) of the future project and which type of
project activity is planned for
– E ach organisation and its capacity within the project – e.g. the organ-
isation’s particular expertise and competencies as well as its role and
contribution to the project
– he agenda and programme for the visit
T
– lace and date
P
Formal checklist when you submit an application

Please make sure to fully answer the questions in the application
form in Espresso, and remember to submit your application within
the deadline.
Letter of Intent (LOI):

Have you included an LOI for each organisation? (Please note the
special rule for Nordplus Higher Education)
Has the LOI been signed by the institution’s legal representative
and the project coordinator?
Partners:
Is your institution eligible for support from the sub-programme?
roject/network applications: Does the application include at
P
least three participating organisations from three different
countries? For Nordplus Nordic Languages: Does the application
include at least two organisations from two different countries?
Mobility applications: Does the application include at least two
participating organisations from two different countries?
For Nordplus Horizontal: Does the application include partners
from at least two sectors?
Budget:
Applications for project/network grants under any sub-pro-
grammes except for Nordplus Adult must include a budget – you
can find a template at www.nordplusonline.org. However, if
you are only applying for mobility funding, you do NOT need to
include a budget.
The budget must clearly indicate the costs to be covered by the
Nordplus grant together with amounts and types of costs to
be covered by self-funding. However, there is no need to include
self-funding in the case of grants from Nordplus Adult, which are
based on unit costs, or for intensive courses with Nordplus Higher
Education.
Remember that the budget is an important part of the assess-
ment.
72
For further information please contact the Danish Agency for Science and
Higher Education in Denmark.
Access for schools from South Schleswig
As of 2018, schools under Dansk Skoleforening for Sydslesvig (Danish

Schools Association of South Schleswig) may participate in Nordplus.
In order to be considered, applications must meet the requirement of repre-
senting at least two or three countries. Accordingly, in the case of mobility
applications, schools in South Schleswig may participate with educational
institutions from at least two countries and in case of project collabora-
tion with at least three participating countries. Schools in South Schleswig
cannot be the coordinator of a project, and must therefore participate as
a partner. For participants from South Schleswig the same mobility rates
apply as participants from Denmark.
The expenses associated with the schools’ participation are covered by

funds specifically earmarked for this purpose by Denmark with a total
budget of DKK 200,000 per year.
For further information please contact the Danish Agency for Science and
Higher Education in Denmark.
EU rules on state aid
Funding from Nordplus falls within the EU “de minimis” regulation. Ac-
cordingly, if applicants receive grants for activities that may be described
as “economic activity” in accordance with EU rules1, they will be asked to
declare any previously received state aid. This is done to ensure compliance
with the established limit of 200,000 euro of funding per organisation over
a period of three years.
Processing of applications
All applications that fall within the objectives and framework of the pro-
gramme will be subject to two independent assessments by the Nordplus
administration. Applications are received and processed by the Nordplus
programme office responsible for the sub-programme in question (if any
1
Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013 of 18 December 2013 on the application of Ar-
ticles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid
(the general de minimis Regulation). http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/legislation/
de_minimis_regulation_en.pdf

General
information
funds are allocated, the contract will be signed and payment issued by
the designated Nordplus office). All applications are handled by at least
one other programme office. The programme offices may obtain external
expert assessments of the applications. The decision determining which
applications will receive grants is made by the Nordplus Programme
Committee on the basis of a recommendation from the administration.
Read more about the Nordplus Programme Committee at the end of the
handbook.
Applicants to the general annual deadline in February will be notified

approximately three months after the deadline, while applicants to the
supplementary deadline for preparatory visits in October will be notified
approximately six weeks after the deadline. If the project is approved,
the coordinating organisation will receive a contract. Part of the grant
amount or the full grant will be paid once the contract has been signed
and returned to the Nordplus administration. The programme offices send
information to all applicants regarding the outcome of the application,
and a summary of results from the entire round of applications is provided
at www.nordplusonline.org.
Applications can be awarded a full grant (the amount applied for), a par-
tial grant (only some of the activities will receive a grant or the budget will
be reduced) or they may be rejected. The main reasons for rejection are:
– Ineligibility
– T he application is not of sufficient quality in relation to the assessment
criteria
– T ough competition for funding can mean an application that meets the
evaluation criteria is nevertheless not recommended for funding
Reduced grant: In some cases, approved applications are awarded a lower

amount than the amount applied for. The most typical reasons for this
are:
– T he application budget includes expenses that are not eligible for grants
– Imprecise calculations
– T oo big a budget in relation to the activities and results described
– T oo big a budget in comparison to the total available budget for the
entire sub-programme
The rejection letter will describe the main reason for rejection. For further
explanation of why an application was not approved for a grant or for
information on how to improve an application, please contact the main
administrator for the sub-programme in question.
How to appeal
All applicants may ask for an explanation as to why their application was
rejected. Please note, however, that an explanation is not the same thing
74
as an appeal. An appeal is only possible if the applicant can argue that
the decision is based on formal procedural errors made by the Nordplus
administration. Any appeal must be provided in writing to the programme
office responsible for the relevant sub-programme. The appeal must clear-
ly state any mistakes that the applicant considers were made.
The programme office will decide – if need be in cooperation with the
rest of the Nordplus offices – whether an appeal is valid. If the appeal
is deemed valid, the programme office decides whether the application
should be reassessed or whether to recommend it for a grant award. The
Nordplus Programme Committee has the final say on any award.
If the appeal is deemed invalid, the programme office will inform the
applicant of the outcome and also provide information on the applicant’s
right to appeal the decision to the Nordplus Programme Committee. An
applicant who does take the appeal further must present his/her version
of the case for why the decision of the programme office is not accepted
as well as the communication in the case. Similarly, the programme office
presents its version of the case to the Nordplus Programme Committee.
The Nordplus Programme Committee makes a subsequent decision re-
garding the case.
Follow-up and reporting

All parties receiving funding from Nordplus must submit a final report no
later than 30 days after expiry of the project period. The final report must
be submitted electronically via Espresso. You must use the same login
and password used in connection with the application. For projects that
last more than 18 months, an interim report must be submitted halfway
through the project period. The final report is divided into a contents
section and a financial section. The financial report must be authorised
by the finance unit of the institution or organisation. Among other things
the final report must answer questions concerning how the activities were
carried out, how the results were obtained and how the grant was used.
Audit
Documentation of realised activities is not to be included in the final

report, but all documentation from all participating organisations must
be collected by the coordinating entity and retained by the coordinating
entity for at least five years after approval of the final report, in case an
audit is conducted. Nordplus project coordinators must be prepared for
follow-up visits, including audits, from Nordplus.

8
Nordplus
76
Contact
information

Nordplus
Nordplus Administration
Each Nordic country and Baltic country has a programme office, and the
autonomous regions each have their own information office. Applicants
must address questions about the programme and applications directly to
the office in their home country.
The five Nordic programme offices have primary responsibility for the
administration of its own Nordplus sub-programme. Here is the list of
countries having the main responsibility of the various sub-programmes:
Nordplus Junior:
The Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR)
Nordplus Higher Education:

The Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)
Nordplus Adult:
The Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education (SFU)
Nordplus Nordic Languages:

The Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís)
Nordplus Horizontal:
Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhance-
ment in Higher Education (Diku)
The main administrators are responsible for processing applications for

their own sub-programme. Working with the programme offices in the
Baltic countries, they form a coordinated administrative system for the
whole of Nordplus. The autonomous regions are part of the administra-
tion and provide information on Nordplus in their territory, but they do not
participate in the processing of applications.
The Nordplus Programme Committee
The Nordplus Programme Committee comprises 16 members from rele-

vant ministries in the participating countries. The members are appointed
by the participating countries – two from each of the Nordic and Baltic
countries – and the three autonomous regions have two participating
observer each. The Nordplus Programme Committee determines the
distribution of the funds in each sub-programme, and is also responsible
for the development of each sub-programme and Nordplus as a whole.
78
Denmark Greenland Norway
The Danish Agency for The Nordic Institute of Norwegian Agency for
Science and Higher Education Greenland – NAPA International Cooperation
(SFU) Imaneq 21, P.O. Box 770, and Quality Enhancement
Bredgade 40, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland in Higher Education (Diku)
DK-1260 Copenhagen K Phone: +299 32 4733 P.O. Box 1093,
Phone: +45 3544 6200 Fax: +299 32 5733 NO-5809 Bergen, Norway
Fax: +45 3544 6201 E-mail: [email protected] Visiting address: Fortunen 1
E-mail: [email protected] www.napa.gl Phone: +47 5530 3800
www.ufm.dk/nordplus Fax: +47 5530 3801
E-mail: [email protected]
www.diku.no
Estonia Iceland
Archimedes Foundation – Icelandic Center for
Sihtasutus Archimedes Research – Rannís Sweden
L. Koidula 13A, 10125 Tallinn Borgartún 30, 105 Reykjavik, The Swedish Council for
Phone: +372 699 399 Iceland Higher Education (UHR)
Fax: +372 697 9226 Phone: +354 515 5800 P.O. Box 45093,
E-mail: E-mail: [email protected] SE-104 30 Stockholm,
[email protected] www.nordplus.is Sweden
http://archimedes.ee/haridus/ Visiting address:
nordplus Wallingatan 2
Latvia Phone: +46 (0) 10 470 0300
State Education E-mail: [email protected]
Finland Development Agency – Valsts www.utbyten.se
Finnish National Agency Izglītības Attīstības Aģentūra
for Education (EDUFI) Vaļņu iela 1, Rīga,
P.O. Box 380, LV-1050, Latvia Åland
FI-00531 Helsinki, Finland Phone: +371 6 78 14 322 The Åland Government,
Visiting address: Hakanie- Fax: +371 6 78 14 344 Department of Education
menranta/Hagnäskajen 6 E-mail: [email protected] and Culture
Phone: +358 (0) 295 331 100 www.viaa.gov.lv The Åland Government
(switchboard) P.O. Box 1060,
Fax: +358 (0) 295 331 035 AX-22111 Mariehamn, Åland
E-mail: [email protected] Lithuania Phone: +358 (0)18 25 000
http://www.oph.fi/english Education Exchanges Fax: +358 (0)18 19155
Support Foundation – E-mail:
Švietimo mainų paramos [email protected]
The Faroe Islands fondas www.regeringen.ax
Altjóða Skrivstovan – Rožių al. 2,
International Office LT-03106 Vilnius
J. C. Svabos gøtu 7, Phone: +370 5 261 0592
P.O. Box 272, FO-110 Fax: +370 5 249 7137
Torshavn, Faroe Islands E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +298 292513 www.nordplus.lt
Fax: +298 352501
E-mail: [email protected]
www.setur.fo/ask

Nordplus

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The

The Nordplus Handbook

The publication can

Chapter 2 Nordplus Junior 14

Chapter 3 Nordplus Higher Education 28

Chapter 4 Nordplus Adult 40

Chapter 6 Nordplus Nordic Languages 60

Chapter 7 General information

Chapter 8 Contact Information 76

The Nordplus Handbook 2018–2022 5

Information & Guidance 12

The Nordplus Handbook 2018–2022 7

Welcome to the Nordplus handbook. The handbook is a guide to you as an

The first part of the handbook is a brief introduction to Nordplus, provid-

The chapter General information about applying provides information

Nordplus consists of five sub-programmes:

Nordplus Higher Education

Nordplus Nordic Languages

The Nordplus Handbook 2018–2022 9

The general objectives for Nordplus 2018–2022 are to:

– strengthen and develop Nordic co-operation on education, including

Nordplus Highlight in 2019 & 2020

Nordplus welcomes applications that strengthen digital compe-

Nordplus Highlight relates to all Nordplus subprogrammes – learn

Nordplus Highlight specifies an up-to-date theme which becomes

Nordplus is open for applications with other topics or themes than

Nordplus is aimed at all educational sectors and organisations and institu-

Only applicants from the Nordic countries – Denmark, Norway, Sweden,

Nordplus primarily supports two types of activities:

Project and networks

The Nordplus Handbook 2018–2022 11

Deadline for applications

– Application deadline for preparatory visits 1 October every year –

All Nordplus applicants – regardless of which participating country they

Information & guidance

You can find contact information at the end of the handbook.

Introduction to Nordplus Junior 16

Target groups for the programme 17

Activities in the programme 18

The Nordplus Handbook 2018–2022 15

Nordplus Junior gives contributions to school development work through

Target groups for the programme are kindergartens/preschools, prima-

Teachers and staff receive an opportunity to strengthen their profession-

Pupils get an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge and abilities

All projects should originate in the development needs of the participating

Examples of themes and areas for collaboration within Nordplus Junior

– Kindergarten/preschools (for children from 1 years and older)

All projects must appoint a coordinating institution which will be respon-

Only schools within the formal education systems and kindergartens/pre-

All projects must be based on mutual agreements between the participat-

The Nordplus Handbook 2018–2022 17

Activities in the programme

Nordplus Junior supports the following activities:

If a project has received Nordplus Junior funding in previous application

The project period officially begins 1 August, in relation to the start of a

Mobility activities require cooperation between at least two partners

Eligible participants: Teachers and other pedagogical staff.

Duration of activity: Preparatory visits may last a maximum of 5 days,

Eligible participants: Teachers and other pedagogical staff.

– strengthen and develop Nordic co-operation on education, including

E. Individual student exchange – work placement (including accompanying

– “ User and help guide when applying in Nordplus Junior”