The international agreements (Memoranda of Understanding) were signed by:
- Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy,
- Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway,
- Martin Eyjólfsson, Permanent Secretary of State of Iceland,
- Pascal Schafhauser, Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the European Union.
The Crown Prince Haakon of Norway also attended the ceremony.
"Poland is the first country in the European Union to sign the Memorandum of Understanding and receive 1/4 of the entire investment pool. We have a very ambitious goal to launch the first programmes at the beginning of next year - much faster than formally required. This is the largest investment pool, which is growing from each perspective. In the current one, it will be PLN 4 billion - huge funds for the development of Poland, the development of local communities, Polish democracy, local government organizations, and Polish culture" – said minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.
"Thanks to the EEA and Norway Grants from previous editions, almost 100 schools have been insulated, and several dozen patents have been signed. Very important cultural sites and Polish monuments, including the Malbork Castle, have been renovated. Many investments in the development of local communities and a large support project for Polish NGOs, important for non-governmental organizations, have been implemented" – added the head of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy.
Two agreements, one goal
There are two agreements because the EEA and Norway Grants are formally two mechanisms – the Norwegian Financial Mechanism (the so-called Norway Grants) and the EEA Financial Mechanism (the so-called EEA Grants). The Norway Grants are financed by Norway, while the EEA Grants are financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
The most for Poland
Under the signed agreements, Poland will receive nearly PLN 4 billion (€925 million). This is the most among all 15 countries that benefit from the EEA and Norway Grants. In the previous perspective, it was almost PLN 3.5 billion (€809.3 million).
This money will be allocated to:
1) Eight programmes to be managed by Polish public institutions (the so-called Programme Operators), as well as technical assistance and the Bilateral Cooperation Fund. In total, over PLN 3.3 billion (€772 million) will be allocated to the programmes:
- Applied Research and Innovation (managed by the National Centre for Research and Development) – approximately PLN 343 million (€80 million),
- Basic Research (National Science Centre) – approximately PLN 257 million (€60 million),
- Local Development (Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy) – approximately PLN 720 million (€168 million),
- Green Business and Innovation (Polish Agency for Enterprise Development) – approximately PLN 236 million (€55 million),
- Justice (Ministry of Justice) – approximately PLN 257 million (€60 million),
- Home Affairs (Ministry of Interior and Administration) – approximately PLN 300 million (€70 million),
- Green Transition (Ministry of Climate and Environment) – approximately PLN 685 million (€160 million),
- Culture (Ministry of Culture and National Heritage) – approximately PLN 385 million (€90 million),
- as well as technical assistance and the Bilateral Cooperation Fund – approximately PLN 124 million (€29 million).
2) The Civil Society Fund for non-governmental organizations, which will be managed by an entity selected by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway – approximately PLN 358 million (€83.5 million).
3) Smaller initiatives, such as: the Fund for Social Dialogue and Decent Work, the Fund for Capacity Building and Cooperation with International Partner Organizations and Institutions, management costs – the remaining amount.
What's next?
The next step after signing the memoranda will be work on individual programmes. They will be prepared by the Programme Operators in cooperation with partners from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
The likely date for signing agreements for the first programmes is the turn of 2025 and 2026. Subsequently, the call for proposals can be launched.
The eligibility period for projects under the IV edition of the EEA and Norway Grants begins on April 24, 2025, and lasts until the end of April 2031. This means that expenses incurred by beneficiaries during this time can be reimbursed.
Previous edition of the funds
The Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy is also working on closing the previous, III edition of the EEA and Norway Grants. The closing event of the III edition took place on December 4, 2024, in Warsaw.
Nearly 1,800 projects in the areas of scientific research, entrepreneurship, culture, justice, home affairs, health, education, urban development, environmental protection, and support for civil society were implemented from the grants of the III edition. In total, 50 calls for proposals were announced in 13 programmes under the III edition of the EEA and Norway Grants.
What are the EEA and Norway Grants?
The EEA and Norway Grants are funds allocated by the countries of the European Economic Area — Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway — for the development of 15 EU countries, including Poland. This is because these EEA countries are not members of the EU but benefit from the common market.
The value of the IV edition of the EEA and Norway Grants for the 15 beneficiary countries is €3.268 billion (approximately PLN 14 billion), of which 97 percent comes from the Norwegian budget.