Prevention of Plastic Litter 2024

The call is aimed at initiatives that prevent plastic litter from reaching the sea, waterways, and land. Grants may be applied for projects that prevent plastic littering throughout the entire value chain and are carried out in Norway.

All actors that can contribute with concrete measures to prevent plastic littering can apply. It is viewed positively if any problem owners or producers are involved in the project as applicants or project partners.

• • Published budget: Approximately 15 million NOK
  • Project duration: Up to 2 years after grant allocation
  • Requirements for additional funding*: At least 50% of total project costs
  • Two-step application process: Requires a preliminary application. Qualified applicants are invited to submit a full application

  * By additional funding, we mean own hours or money, private investors, and public or private support schemes such as Innovation Norway and the Sparebank Foundation. It is considered positive if the applicant contributes own funds rather than relying solely on external funding.

• Plastic litter can be prevented by implementing measures at various stages in the value chain: during the design phase when products are (further) developed, during the usage phase, and when the product or packaging has become waste.
  

  Example:

  It is estimated that 100,000 fish traps have been lost during lobster fishing over the last six years, and this is far more than we have the capacity to clean up. To reduce this number, measures can be taken in the design phase, for example, by replacing plastic/metal in the construction and plastic nets with biodegradable materials, implementing information measures on the correct use of fish traps, and introducing requirements for the design of the trap. Fish traps are one source of plastic litter – there are countless others.
  

• • Educational materials aimed at children and young people
  • Mapping of litter
  • Development of solutions to clean plastic litter
  • Clean operations:Development and testing of solutions and technology can be supported, but not the operation of the solution once it is fully developedPlastic management in established waste and recycling streams
  • Development and testing of solutions and technology can be supported, but not the operation of the solution once it is fully developed
  • Plastic management in established waste and recycling streams
  • Measures outside Norway
  • Measures and activities conducted before the date of allocation

• Private and public enterprises registered in the Brønnøysund Register Centre or an equivalent international body, such as Company "Registration Number (CRN), business number or equivalent, to verify the existence of your organisation)
• Organisation and contact persons must be registered in the project portal
• Applicants must submit an electronic application through the project portal
• Project accountingGuidelines for hourly rates for personnel must be followedAuditing, including Guide to project accounting and auditing
• Guidelines for hourly rates for personnel must be followed
• Auditing, including Guide to project accounting and auditing
• Applicants must provide realistic budgets and specify how the funds will be used
• Applications must be written in Norwegian or English
• Any previous agreements with the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund must have been honoured.
• If at least one of the points below applies to the project, the application form requires the applicant to answer additional questions:The application amount exceeds NOK 5 million.The country is listed in the EU Sanctions Map. Support cannot be applied for projects in countries listed on the EU/UN sanctions list, unless it can be documented through an extended self-declaration that the project's funds, for example, do not go to sanctioned persons.The country is mentioned in the Norwegian authorities' table 'Sanctions and restrictive measures'.The country has a lower score than 40 in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.
• The application amount exceeds NOK 5 million.
• The country is listed in the EU Sanctions Map. Support cannot be applied for projects in countries listed on the EU/UN sanctions list, unless it can be documented through an extended self-declaration that the project's funds, for example, do not go to sanctioned persons.
• The country is mentioned in the Norwegian authorities' table 'Sanctions and restrictive measures'.
• The country has a lower score than 40 in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.

• Before the second and subsequent payments, the recipient must submit a status report for the project when requesting the disbursement of funds.
• Multi-year projects: the recipient must submit a written annual report for the project each year.
• All projects must submit a final report for the project.
• All reports must be submitted electronically in the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund’s project portal. This will be explained in the startup meeting.

Guide to project accounting and auditing

Project accounts and auditing

• All projects must prepare final project accounts for the entire project period as part of the final report.
• For grants from NOK 350,000 up to and including NOK 1,000,000, a statement must also be provided by a state-authorised public accountant with “Agreed-upon procedures” in accordance with ISRS 4400 Agreed-upon procedures.
• For grants exceeding NOK 1,000,000, a statement must also be provided by a state-authorised public accountant with an audit of the project accounts in accordance with ISA 805 (Revised), Special considerations – audits of single financial statements and specific elements, accounts or items of a financial statement.

Costs associated with the use of an accountant are incurred by the project, and must be included in the budget when relevant.

The application is treated confidentially

The application process adheres to a strict protocol of impartiality and confidentiality. You can read these declarations here. Note that the information in the application may be shared confidentially with other funding bodies (such as the Norwegian Environment Agency and the Savings Bank Foundation DNB) as part of the application process when relevant. This is to ensure thorough and efficient processing, as well as the appropriate use of funds.

Selected experts from NREFs Committee of external experts and the Board of Directors may access the application during their evaluation and decision-making. In the application form, the applicant can specify names of individuals and businesses they consider to be impartial in the evaluation of their application, and therefore should not have access to the application.

Project evaluation

• Evaluation of prequalification: At least two employees of the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund evaluate the application. Once the administrative decision is made, the applicant receives a response, either a rejection or an invitation to submit a full application.
• Evaluation of full application: At least two employees of the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund evaluate the application. Additionally, external experts are involved:Applications up to and including NOK 500,000: An external expert's participation is only initiated based on the administrative team's judgement.Applications over NOK 500,000, up to and including NOK 1,000,000: At least one external expert evaluates the application.Applications over NOK 1,000,000: At least two external experts evaluate the application.
• Applications up to and including NOK 500,000: An external expert's participation is only initiated based on the administrative team's judgement.
• Applications over NOK 500,000, up to and including NOK 1,000,000: At least one external expert evaluates the application.
• Applications over NOK 1,000,000: At least two external experts evaluate the application.
• Decision: The administration of the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund compiles assessments from both its own and external experts and presents recommended grants to the Board of Directors, who makes the final decision.

Assessment criteria

The application will be assessed according to four assessment criteria, all of which are given equal weight on a scale from 1-7:

• The 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 plastic in the short and long term. To what extent the project can deliver good solutions and results. Plans for the dissemination and sharing of results, knowledge and of the concrete solutions developed in the project.
• Implementation
  The quality of the project's organisation, management and resource use. To what extent the project is well-organised with the right expertise in the project team and partners.
• Thematic priorities of the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund
  To what extent the project answers to the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund’s thematic priorities.

Some projects undergo additional scrutiny

• This applies to applications exceeding NOK 5 million, and select projects that, in the opinion of the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund, require more thorough assessment
• A web meeting with participants from the applicant, the Fund’s administration, and external experts will be arranged.
• The applicant will present the project, and the Fund’s administration and external experts can ask questions about the application and the project.

• • Design against littering, inspired by principles found at Grønt Punkt Norge and Hold Norge Rent
  • Reducing the risk of littering from industries with known challenges
  • Increased use of guidance materials, e.g. responsible fish trap usage which enhances knowledge on responsible fishing
  • Development of courses and certification for reduced littering, e.g. based on the online course Practical Plastic and the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries' online course Skitt fiske
  • Contributing to waste from ships, including cruise ships, fishing vessels, and leisure boats, not ending as litter both at sea and in harbours. Example: Measures ensuring good compliance with the Pollution Regulations' chap. 20
  • Stopping leaks from waste management during transport and storage, e.g. at construction sites and waste reception facilities

Professional Priorities

The funds from the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund may be used as own financing when applying to other funding schemes.

The grant includes all fees and taxes, including value added tax (VAT). The grant is given as a gift. Although the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund considers grants given as gifts normally not to be subject to VAT, the recipient is responsible for complying with applicable VAT rules and must make an independent assessment.

The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund cannot be invoiced or otherwise charged for additional costs if the grant recipient misinterprets VAT rules. Applicants must clarify with their auditor whether a grant will be subject to VAT.

• The call for applications is closed.
  

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