From Leakage to Solution - Stop Plastic Litter

Monitoring data from the Cleanup Norway in Time programme documents that plastic waste from sea-based industries such as fisheries, aquaculture, and the maritime sector, as well as consumer-related plastic products and packaging, are the dominant types of plastic litter in Norway, in terms of weight and quantity. 

The call for applications “From Leakage to Solution” targets specific measures that stop the identified plastic leakages so that they do not end up in the ocean. The measures can target sources both in Norway and in other countries if the plastic waste ends up along the Norwegian coast.  

Plastic waste from sea-based industries such as fisheries, aquaculture, and the maritime sector dominates the identifiable plastic waste and is especially prioritized in this call for applications.   

Consumer-related waste can originate from both sea-based and maritime industries, as well as from land-based sources, for example, as a result of inadequate waste management or poor securing of waste. 

Other sources of plastic waste identified in the monitoring report include construction activities, industry, agriculture, and road construction.

The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund therefore announces funds for projects implementing measures directed towards the sources of plastic litter along the Norwegian coast identified in the Cleanup Norway in Time monitoring programme. Sources can be – both from Norway and other countries.

• • All businesses

  The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, according to the statutes, cannot support projects for individual members, but it is now open for our members in the category of industry organisations to receive support for projects, provided the results from the project are made publicly available. The industry organisations currently members of the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund are Virke, NHO Service og Handel, and the Grocery Retailers' Environment Forum.

• • Total budget: Up to 10 million NOK
  • Project duration: Up to 2 years
  • Requirement for other funding: Minimum 30% of total project costs. Other funding may include 1) the applicant's own contribution, either in the form of work hours or money, 2) money from private investors, or 3) funds from support schemes
  • Application process: One-step application

The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund prioritises projects in this call for applications that target known and significant sources of littering, as identified through the monitoring report from the Cleanup Norway in Time programme, particularly:

• Sea-based and maritime industries: Measures that reduce the risk of plastic leakage from fisheries, aquaculture, sea transport, and cruise.
  
• Waste management: Measures that prevent plastic leaks during collection, transport, and storage, including construction sites, ports, and waste reception sites.
  
• Training, guidance, and standards: Development and implementation of guidelines, requirements, and training that contribute to reducing plastic litter.

Projects that clearly specify the industry and source of pollution in the application form, related to findings in the monitoring report, will be prioritised.

• • Projects that do not align with the call for applications' goals and priorities
  • Information campaigns aimed at the general population
  • Development of solutions to clean up plastic litter
  • Mapping of littering
  • Operation of already commercialized systems or technology
  • Regular operations, including rent, electricity, and similar. Project support can cover the costs related to the development and piloting/testing of new solutions, but not ongoing costs once the solution has become part of the organization's regular operations.
  • Measures and activities carried out before the grant allocation date.

• • The applicant must have an organisation number and be registered in the Brønnøysund Register Centre or equivalent internationally.
  • The applicant must register the business and contact persons in the project portal.
  • The application must be submitted via the project portal.
  • Project results must be made publicly available.
  • Economics:Regulations for hourly ratesGuide for project accounts and audit
  • Regulations for hourly rates
  • Guide for project accounts and audit
  • Realistic budgets and descriptions of how the funds will be used
  • Requirement for other funding: Minimum 30% of total project costs
  • The application must be written in Norwegian or English.
  • Any previous agreements with the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund must have been upheld.
  • Additional requirements may apply for projects over 5 million NOK, projects in sanctioned countries, projects with a high risk of corruption, and projects in countries with a low score on Transparency International's corruption index.

• • The applicant is the project owner. The application can preferably include other enterprises as project partners. Allocated funds are only disbursed to the project owner, with whom the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund enters into a project agreement. The project owner is responsible for further disbursement to any subcontractors, for the implementation of the project according to the application, and for reporting to the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund.
  • The applicant is obliged to describe the main findings and results in a summary that the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund is free to communicate.

  Reporting and Financials

  • The recipient of the grant must submit a short status report before each project disbursement.
  • All grant recipients must submit a final report after the project has concluded.
  • All reporting is done in the project portal.

  Accounts and Audit

  • See the guide for project accounts and audit.
  • All projects must submit a project account for the entire project period as part of the final reporting.
  • For allocations over NOK 350,000 up to and including NOK 1 million, the recipient's auditor must review the project accounts by providing a declaration in accordance with ISRS 4400 Agreed-upon procedures. See the guide for more information.
  • For allocations over NOK 1 million, the recipient's auditor must review the project accounts for the entire project period through a regular audit in accordance with ISA 805. See the guide for more information.
  • Costs related to the use of an auditor accrue to the project and must be budgeted for in the application.
  • The hourly rates in the application must comply with the guidelines.

  Grant Allocations and VAT

  • Support from the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund can be used as a contribution in applications to other support schemes.
  • Support from the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund includes any charges, including VAT. The funds are allocated as a gift.
  • The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund considers that grant allocations are generally not subject to VAT, but it is the recipient's responsibility to ensure compliance with VAT regulations, and this must be assessed independently by the recipient. The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund cannot be invoiced or otherwise charged for additional costs in cases where the applicant has misinterpreted the VAT regulations in their application for support. The applicant must clarify with their own auditor whether a grant is subject to VAT or not.

• The processing of the application follows a strict impartiality and confidentiality declaration. Read the declarations here. Note that the information in the application may be shared confidentially with other funding bodies (such as the Norwegian Environment Agency and Sparebankstiftelsen) in relation to the application process where it is relevant. This is to ensure efficient processing and appropriate use of funds.

  These are our external experts

  Selected external experts and the Board of the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund may access the application during assessment and board processing. In the application form, the applicant can provide the names of individuals and organisations they believe to be disqualified, and thus should not access the application.

  Application processing procedure

  • Evaluation of the application: At least two employees of the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund evaluate the application. In addition, external experts with relevant knowledge are used:
  • Applications up to and including NOK 500,000: An external expert is involved only if the administration deems it necessary.
  • Applications over NOK 500,000, up to and including NOK 1 million: At least one external expert evaluates the application.
  • Applications over NOK 1 million: At least two external experts evaluate the application.

  Decision: The administration of the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund compiles its own and external experts' evaluations and presents recommended allocations to the board, which makes the final decision.

  Evaluation criteria

  The application will be evaluated according to four criteria, all weighted equally on a scale from 1–7:

  Quality of the project

  The quality of the proposed measures, activities, and methods. To what extent the proposed work is ambitious and innovative, realistic, and well-founded in knowledge and experience.

  Environmental impact

  The potential to reduce the negative environmental effects of plastics in the short and long term. To what extent the project can deliver effective solutions and impacts. Plans for disseminating the results, knowledge, and concrete solutions developed in the project.

  Implementation

  The quality of the project's organization, management, and resource use. To what degree the project is well-organized, with the right expertise in the project group and partners.

  Professional priorities

  To what extent the project responds to the professional priorities of the call for applications.

  Some projects are assessed more thoroughly

  This applies to applications for more than NOK 5 million and selected projects that, according to the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund's assessment, require more thorough evaluation.

  A web meeting will be held with participation from the applicant and case handlers in the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund.

  The applicant presents the project, and case handlers and experts have the opportunity to ask questions about the application and project.

• • For questions regarding the project portal: Contact Borghild Storaas at borghild@handelensmiljofond.no
  • For questions regarding the call for applications: Contact Mari Kristin Martinsen at m.kristin@handelensmiljofond.no