Seed funding is intended to be used to start new collaborations or expand existing ones in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, and in some cases in Moldova and Georgia.

Projects must create conditions for lasting relations between organisations. Applicants can apply for up to SEK 500,000 in funding.

The Swedish Institute (SI) invites Swedish organisations to submit applications for seed funding under the framework for collaboration in the Baltic Sea region. The project activities should contribute to economically, environmentally and socially sustainable growth and development in the Baltic Sea region and vicinity through its activities there.

The project activities must be aimed at developing conditions for long-lasting sustainable relations between organisations in the Baltic Sea region. The basis of activities for developing relations is the meeting between individuals and organisations whose aim is to support and stimulate the development of mutual and sustainable relations, partnerships and alliances. The projects are to be based on a clear needs analysis and take an innovative approach in the region – for instance, this could involve collaboration in new constellations, with new methods or on a new theme.

It is also important that the project address a challenge in one of the following documents –the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (http://www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/), the EU’s Eastern Partnership (http://eeas.europa.eu/eastern/docs/eap_vilnius_ppt_201113_en.pdf) or the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (http://helcom.fi/baltic-sea-action-plan) – or be in line with ambitions for a closer partnership with other countries in the Baltic Sea region, including Russia.

General areas:

The Seedfunding 2016 call for applications for funding in the following general areas:

• An ecologically sustainable region
• Sustainable growth from increased prosperity
• Challenges to the region

Seed funding can be awarded, for instance, for projects that:

• Set up new networks or expand and strengthen existing ones
• Prepare an application for EU funding
• Conduct a preliminary study

Through seed funding, participants are expected to create conditions for closer, long-lasting collaboration in the region as well as develop their international relations there, improve their competence in Baltic Sea region cooperation and increase knowledge in their collaborative field.

• For more detailed information about how to apply and what an application should include, see the application instructions for seed funding.
• All applicants are asked to contact SI’s Programme Managers (http://bit.ly/1pXaOAH) for a dialog before submitting an application.

Who can apply for and take part in projects?

A partnership may consist of the organisations below. The main applicant must always be a Swedish organisation.

• Local authorities, regional authorities, regional development councils and county councils
• Government agencies
• Institutions of higher learning and research institutes
• Business and trade organisations
• Companies
• NGOs
• Intergovernmental organisations

SI applies state funding rules.

Partner countries

Partner countries that qualify for funding:

• Sweden
• Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland
• Russia (with priority given to northwest Russia)
• Ukraine and Belarus
• Georgia and Moldova: mainly academic institutions. Provided that one academic institution from these countries is represented, other organisations may also join the partnership.

Organisations from other countries in the Baltic Sea region – Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Iceland – are welcome to join the partnership, but SI does not provide any funding for their participation.

Requirements for the partnership

• A partnership must include at least three countries that qualify for funding, with the main applicant being from Sweden
• A partnership must include at least three organisations.

SI takes a positive view of partnerships that include more organisations when they can contribute to longer-lasting collaboration and increased dissemination of project results.

Funding

Projects can run for up to 18 months, and applicants can apply for up to SEK 500,000 in funding.

Funding is awarded mainly for travel, food and lodging, and meeting costs. The grant from SI may also fund costs for such items as project management as well as analysis, reporting and communication costs (these costs may constitute at most 35% of the amount awarded). SI sets requirements for a certain amount of co-financing.

Deadline and decisions

This call closes April 14, 2016. A decision on each application is usually announced at the latest three months after the closing of the call. SI’s decision is final and may not be appealed.

How do I apply?

Please read the application instructions for seed funding.
Then you fill in these appendices:

1. PI_2016_App1_Project_Description_20160211
2. PI_2016 App2_Organisation_assessment_20160211
3. PI-2016-App3-Budget (in Swedish only)
4. No template: Funding disbursement details
5. No template: Document attesting that the person named by the applicant organisation in the application is authorised to sign for the organisation.
6. No template: For applications in which an NGO is the main applicant, three mandatory appendices are also required.
   • Statutes
   • Most recently adopted financial annual report and audit report.
   • Certificate of registration from the Swedish Tax Agency or local county administration board.
7. State aid: Template is published on the Swedish version of our website only.

When you have filled in the forms, please log in to our application portal (https://applications.si.se/LogIn) and attach all the application forms to your application.

More information: http://bit.ly/1UyVgzG