Rannís, in cooperation with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) of the EEA Grants in Brussels, is hosting an online information meeting on opportunities for Icelandic participants to take part in projects funded by the EEA Grants in the new funding period.

The meeting will be held on Microsoft Teams on Friday, April 17, from 09:00–10:00. (Registered participants will receive a link the day before.)

The aim of the meeting is to share new information about the fund’s programs. The target audience includes anyone interested in participating in applications under the EEA Grants across all program areas. All calls published by the fund can be accessed on the official EEA Grants website.

Rannís will manage the following programs in seven countries:

• Poland (Basic Research, Applied Research, Green Transition, and Culture)

• Portugal (Blue Economy and Culture)

• Czech Republic (Applied Research and Innovation, and Culture)

• Romania (Research and Innovation, and Clean Energy Transition)

• Bulgaria (Local Development)

• Croatia (Green Transition)

• Slovakia (Culture-driven Local Development)

It is also possible to participate in projects in other beneficiary countries, including Greece, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia, and Hungary. The meeting will cover the current status of the new funding period and upcoming opportunities.

Agenda

09:00–09:15
Presentation from the FMO in Brussels – Borgar Þór Einarsson, Deputy Director of the FMO.
Overview of the EEA Grants and the status of the new funding program.

09:15–09:45
The role of Rannís as a program partner and upcoming opportunities – staff from Rannís and the FMO in Brussels.
Participation of Icelandic entities in the current funding period.
Special emphasis on collaboration with Poland, as the first calls in Basic Research and Culture will be launched this spring, and in Applied Research in the autumn.

09:45–10:00
Q&A – open for participant questions (participants are encouraged to submit questions via the Teams chat during the presentations).

Click here to register for the meeting.

About the EEA Grants

The EEA Grants are funded by the governments of Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Their goal is to reduce social and economic disparities within the European Economic Area and to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the EFTA states and fifteen beneficiary countries in Europe.

The EEA Grants operate in seven-year funding periods. The current period runs from 2021–2028, with project implementation continuing until April 2031. The total funding available for 2021–2028 is approximately €1.8 billion.

In parallel with the EEA Grants, Norway also operates a separate fund, the Norway Grants, amounting to nearly €1.5 billion.

Icelandic Participation

Icelandic participants have been involved in EEA cooperation projects since 1994. Over time, participation has increased significantly, with broader focus areas and more beneficiary countries. Iceland currently prioritizes projects in research, innovation, education and culture, energy and environmental issues, and social development.

Participants in previous projects have highlighted benefits such as expanded international networks, increased knowledge exchange, and the opportunity to engage with new professional and cultural environments.

There is a need to further increase participation among Icelandic entities that have not previously had access to international cooperation. This can open doors to continued collaboration, new business relationships, and access to new markets.

Previous Funding Period

The total budget for the 2014–2021 EEA Grants period was €1.5 billion. During this time, 238 Icelandic participants took part in 431 projects across twelve countries.

In programs where Rannís was a formal program partner (DPP), participation was strong:

• Poland (education program): 57 Icelandic partners in 104 projects

• Portugal (innovation program, blue growth): 8 Icelandic partners in 8 projects

• Romania (research and education): 12 Icelandic partners in 45 projects

• Czech Republic (culture): 24 Icelandic partners in 22 projects

Rannís also provided guidance to Icelandic participants across all beneficiary countries in research, innovation, education, and cultural programs.

The closing event for the 2014–2021 period in Iceland was held on April 29, 2025, organized by Rannís in cooperation with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Environment and Energy Agency. The event celebrated the success of the previous funding period and laid the groundwork for further cooperation across Europe.