Nordic Gender Equality Fund

Targeted call for proposals combating gender segregation in the labour market

The Nordic countries have the ambition of becoming a world leader in gender equality, and to this end, the Nordic Council of Ministers has adopted a co-operation programme on gender equality for the period 2019–2022. The Nordic Council of Ministers has now allocated funds for a call for proposals, in which the projects that are granted funding are to implement a sustainable
change process focusing on the intervention area ‘the gender-segregated labour market’.

Read more about the new call for proposals here and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates on the Nordic Gender Equality Fund.

Looking for project partners? Participate in our digital information meeting September 15.

Want to check if your idea is similar to previously funded projects? See a list of NIKK-supported projects.

Deadline for applications: 2020 October 16

The Nordic Gender Equality Fund addresses a broad target group and calls for proposals are open to a variety of activities and organisations including:

• Volunteer organisations (citizen organisations/not-for-profit organisations)
• Networks
• Government agencies and other public sector activities (such as municipalities, university departments, divisions, etc.)
• Other non-commercial actors
• Business enterprises (SMEs)

Each project must involve at least the three Nordic countries, where the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Aaland Islands may constitute one of these only. In addition, grants can be awarded to activities that include cooperation in neighbouring areas, i.e. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and north-west Russia, that also include at least two Nordic countries. The principal applicant should come from a Nordic country or the Faroe Islands, Greenland or the Aaland Islands.

The Nordic Gender Equality Fund finances activities initiated in the same year as the funding is granted and which are completed within two years from the commencement date. Activities commenced before the application deadline are not eligible for funding.

What can you apply for funding for?

The following types of activities may be funded:

• Staging of Nordic gatherings/meetings
• Investigations/inquiries
• Network-building
• Activity projects
• The participation of volunteer organisations in Nordic or international conferences/courses/meetings/gatherings

Funding will not be granted for:

• Activities already financed wholly or in part by Nordic Council of Ministers for Gender Equality (MR-JÄM), or the Nordic Council of Ministers.
• Activities that submit a budget in a currency other than DKK.
• Applications submitted after the deadline.
• Activities that submit an incomplete application (all mandatory fields not filled in or applications without the requisite attached documentation).
• Political party organisations.
• Private individuals.
• Activities whose purpose is to generate a profit or equivalent for the funding beneficiary.

How much money can be applied for?

The amount applied for should be between DKK 50,000 and DKK 500,000.

Organisations applying for grants need to be able to contribute at least 20 per cent themselves and/or have other sources of finance.  The organisation’s own contribution and/or other sources of funding could come from sponsorship or other financial contributions, voluntary work, participant fees, or indirect costs for example.

Funding will not be given for audits or travel expenses (with the exception of travel expenses for representatives of volunteer organisations/not-for-profit organisations and invited speakers). Funding cannot be provided to cover indirect costs, such as the support organisation’s salaries and other running costs (such as rent, electricity, IT).

Successful applicants may be granted a lower total amount of funding than they have applied for in all or in parts of their applications.

How are applications assessed?

Funding applications are to indicate how well the project meets the following criteria:

• Nordic benefit
• Added value for gender policy
• Sustainability
• Implementation
• Economic reasonableness

What is the assessment process?

All project applications are assessed by NIKK’s assessment team, which consists of people with a variety of skills and backgrounds. The assessment team processes each application on the basis of the above criteria and makes a decision. Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Gender Equality (EK-JÄM) then have the option to veto a decision. The decision cannot be appealed. If necessary, the assessment team may ask for clarification from the applicant during the assessment process.

Notification of the decision

NIKK will communicate its decision via e-mail to each applicant in May after the decision has been made and the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Gender Equality (EK-JÄM) has been afforded the opportunity to veto the decision.

Further information

Further information about the Nordic Gender Equality Fund with detailed criteria for the projects and the application form is available on the NIKK website.