Assessment and selection procedure

After registration, each application submitted will be subject to an assessment and selection procedure. The application procedure regarding regular projects is expected to take approximately 10 weeks from submission of the application while as small-scale project applications will be assessed within approximately 6-8 weeks from submission of the application.

Admissibility and eligibility checks
In order to be considered for funding from the Programme, each application must pass the admissibility and eligibility criteria. The admissibility and the eligibility check will be made shortly after receival of the application. An application could be rejected at this stage if it does not meet the criteria.

It is possible for the applicants to add information to the application to solve formal and technical issues within a short deadline on a request from the Joint Secretariat. If satisfactory answers are not received, the project will not move on to further assessment of the quality criteria.

Admissibility Check
When the application is received it will be checked for its admissibility. Non admissible applications will be rejected. The checks in this stage are:

  1. The application must be submitted in Min ansökan by the deadline of the call. Applicants can find relevant call dates on the website. These are announced on beforehand. No deadlines for small-scale projects.
  2. The application must be completed in English, it must be correctly filled in, and all sections must have been completed with consistent information. Before submitting the application in Min ansökan, the applicant is advised to double check that all texts in Min ansökan are in English and that the form is correctly filled in (all fields have been filled in).
  3. The signing document regarding the application is signed by the authorized signatory. The authorized signatory is a person holding the right to sign documents on behalf of the Lead partner organisation. In case of projects with both LP EU and LP Norway, a signing document needs to be signed by both partners. The application shall be supplemented with documents to verify who is the authorized signatory holding the right to sign documents on behalf of the Lead partner organisation (-s).

Eligibility Check
If the application is admissible it will be checked for its eligibility. Non eligible applications will be rejected. The checks in this stage are:

  1. The project duration and request for funding must be within any limits set up.
  2. The co-financing of the project must be clearly specified in the application. Apart from the EU-funding and the IR-funding the co-financing can be either own financing or financing from other external sources. The partners must bear the risk of not receiving applied co-financing from external sources. In those cases, the partners must finance the costs by themselves. When submitting the signing document, the Lead partner certifies, on behalf of all partners, that all partners will commit to the project and bear full responsibility of the co-financing if external funding will not be approved or paid. If a project, during the assessment procedures, finds out that external co-financing will not be approved, there is always a possibility to withdraw the application of funding from Interreg Aurora if partners do not have the resources to finance the lack by themselves. Lead partner shall inform the Joint secretariat as soon as possible on any changes in the co-financing plan and if the application is still valid or if they wish to withdraw.
  3. The project must comply with relevant legislation such as eligibility of expenditure rules and state aid.
  4. There must be no indication of double funding of activities.
  5. There must be no indication of negative impact on social, ecological or economic sustainability.

Selection criteria
Applications that passed through the admissibility and eligibility assessment will be evaluated and ranked based on the selection criteria. Projects need to have a certain score to be proposed for funding. Based on the assessment the Joint Secretariat will prepare proposals for selection.

Scoring
All project applications and project types will be evaluated according to the Mandatory selection criteria and Qualifying selection criteria.

If the application is within sub-area Sápmi, four Additional selection criteria will be used to ensure that the project support the Sápmi values and are carried out with Sámi participation.

Small-scale projects within both sub-areas, will be assessed in proportion to the scope of the project-type and the assessment will be adapted accordingly.

Mandatory selection criteria 0-14 points

Small-scale projects and regular projects within both sub-area Aurora and sub-area Sápmi need to have at least 1 point per criterion and a minimum score of 7 points to be approved for financing.

Qualifying selection criteria 0-8 points

Small-scale projects and regular projects within both sub-area Aurora and sub-area Sápmi can collect extra points for a higher score.

Sub-area Sápmi selection criteria 0-8 points

Small-scale projects and regular projects within sub-area Sápmi need to have at least 1 point on two separate criteria, and a minimum score of 9 points to be approved for financing.

Mandatory selection criteria
At least 7 points are needed to be considered as an approval.

If the assessment is deemed a zero in any of these criteria, the project will be proposed as a rejection.

Cross-border cooperation

0 – The cross-border cooperation has a weak connection to the achievement of the project results. The project could have been implemented with national funding.

1 – The cross-border cooperation is connected to the achievement of the project results and adds value to the implementation of the project.

2 – The cross-border cooperation is strongly connected to the achievement of the proposed project results and adds significant value to the implementation of the project.

Specific objective

 

0 – The project makes a week contribution to fulfilling one specific objective of the programme.

1 – The project contributes to fulfilling one specific objective of the programme.

2 – The project makes a strong contribution to fulfilling one specific objective of the programme.

Sustainable development

0 – The partnership is not including the three dimensions of sustainable development in the project.

1 – The partnership is including the three dimensions of sustainable development in the project.

2 – The partnership is using sustainable development as a driving force in the project.

The partnership

0 – The partnership does not have the capacity to achieve and implement the project results.

1 – The partnership has the capacity to achieve and implement the project results.

2 – The partnership has significant capacity to achieve and implement the project results.

Logical

0 – The proposed project plan is not logical and realistic.

1 – The proposed project plan is logical and realistic.

2 – The proposed project plan is logical and realistic, and all parts of the project are well connected.

Relevance to target group

0 – The result of the project is not based on needs of a target group.

1 – The result of the project is based on needs of a target group.

2 – The project idea is initiated by the target group and the expected result of the project is based on needs of the target group.

Value-for-money

 

0 – The value of the proposed project results is disproportionate to the level of funding requested.

1 – The value of the proposed project results is proportional to the level of funding requested.

2 – The value of the proposed project results exceeds the level of funding requested.

 

Qualifying selection criteria
Interreg Aurora has four qualifying selection criteria where the project can collect points to be presented as an extra strong contribution to the programme goals. An application can receive 0-8 points from this section.

Concrete result

0 – The results of the project do not contribute to solving a problem, raising awareness, nor changing attitudes or behaviours.

1 – The results of the project contribute to solving a problem, raising awareness, or changing attitudes or behaviours.

2 – The intended results of the project contribute strongly to solving a problem, raising awareness, or changing attitudes or behaviours.

Innovative result

0 – The project results are not innovative.

1 – The project results adapt or transfer already developed solutions.

2 – The project results go beyond existing practice in the programme area.

Lasting results

0 – The project results will not be practically applied, reproduced or additional to other actions.

1 – The intended project results will be practically applied, reproduced, or additional to other actions.

2 – The project results will be highly applicable and replicable or additional to other actions.

Plan after project completion (Exit strategy)

0 – The partnership has no plan for the project results after the completion of the project.

1 – The partnership has a plan for how the results of the project can continue to benefit the programme area after the completion of the project.

2 – The partnership has a plan and a recipient of the project results after the completion of the project.

New partnership

0 – The project does not constitute a new partnership considering partners stemming from regions that was not part of the same programme during former programme periods nor is it new in regards of partners that has not had projects together before.

1 – The project constitutes a new partnership considering partners stemming from regions that was not part of the same programme during former programme periods or is new in regards of partners that has not had projects together before.

2 – The project constitutes a new partnership considering partners stemming from regions that was not part of the same programme during former programme periods or is new in regards of partners that has not had projects together before. The partners in the project are furthermore active in different sectors and the cooperation leads to cross-sectoral collaboration.


Additional selection criteria Sápmi
An application needs to have at least 1 point from two separate criteria to be proposed for approval. If the assessment is deemed lower than the limit, the project will be proposed as a rejection.

Promoting/

strengthening árbediehtu

0 – The project does not promote or strengthen árbediehtu.

1 – The project works actively with árbediehtu and contributes to make árbediehtu visible.

2 – The project involves Sami knowledge holders.

Promoting/ strengthening Sámi languages

0 – The project does not promote or strengthen the Sami languages.

1 – The project makes Sami languages visible and involves Sami-speaking actors.

2 – The project includes activities conducted partly or completely in a Sami language.

Creating long-term benefits for Sámi society

0 – The project does not create long term benefits for Sami society.

1 – The project will support Sami partners/actors/organizations/institutions in establishing new cooperation’s between Sami actors or between Sami and non-Sami actors.

2 – The project has potential to create long term benefits to Sami society.

Projects strengthening Sámi traditional livelihoods and Sámi businesses

0 – The project does not strengthen traditional Sami livelihoods and Sami businesses.

1 – The project benefits Sami traditional livelihoods and Sami businesses.

2 – The project idea comes from traditional Sami livelihoods or the Sami business sector and involves Sami entrepreneurs.

* Arbediehtu means, transferring the knowledge, which is linked to the traditional Sami livelihood, within Sami businesses and livelihoods. The central part in this transformation is also the Sami languages and the interaction with nature. Arbediehtu is the core element for the Sami culture, languages and for the Sami businesses.