Small-scale projects

What is a small-scale project?
A small-scale project could be a normal implementation project but in smaller scale, it can also be defined as a preparatory project or a pre-study.

The purpose of a small-scale project could be for example:

• people to people projects
• building suitable and well-balanced cross-border partnerships
• facilitate the joint development of cross-border implementation models that correspond with the objectives of the Programme
• reduce the risks associated with developing a regular project application
• further develop the indicative products and services and their features into viable solutions that can be implemented by a regular project

A small-scale project can be intended to lead to an application for a regular project, but it should also have other expected results. The programme does not finance the writing of an application; thus, the writing of an application cannot be an acitivity in a project. Please NOTE!  If the small-scale project is intended to lead to an application for a regular project, the final report of the small-scale project must be submitted before an application for a regular project can be submitted.

Budget limitation for a small-scale project
The maximum budget for a small-scale project is 60 000 euros when partners from all 3 programme countries participate and no more than 40 000 euros when only 2 countries participate in the project. This means a total budget of 20 000 euro per participating country.

• The maximum ERDF-funding is 13 000 euro per participating country from Sweden/Finland. That means it is possible to apply for ERDF-funding up to an amount of 26 000 euros if both countries participate and the budget is 40 000 for the EU-partners, but still, note that the budget limit is 20 000 euro per country and the ERDF-funding hence is 13 000 euro per participating country (65% of the costs).
• If the Finnish project partner/partners intend to apply for co-financing from Lapin liitto, the project budget needs to be at least 20 000 euro in the Finnish side to reach the minimum level of co-financing possible to apply, which is 4 900 euros. For smaller budgets than 20 000 euro, please use own funding or another external financier than Lapin liitto to cover the 35% Finnish co-funding needed. Read more about Finnish co-financing.
• For Norwegian partners participating in a small-scale project the maximum amount possible to apply from the IR-funding is 10 000 euro (50% of the costs).

Lump sum grant
Small-scale projects will be granted the support from the EU-funding and the IR-funding respectively as lump sums based on the approved draft budget. The lump sum will be calculated based on the approved draft budget in the project application and stated in the grant decision document from the Managing Authority and the Norwegian managing organisation.

The application for support must therefore contain a clearly specified draft budget which will be the base for approving the lump sum of support.  The budget must not be more than a total of 20 000 for any of the partner countries no matter the number of participating partners from the different countries. After submission of the application for support in Min Ansökan you need to add the signing document regarding the application for support, and it must be signed by the authorized signatory (both from Lead partner EU and Lead partner Norway when relevant).

Payment of the lump sum
The lump sum method leads to a simplified payment procedure. The payments of the granted EU-funding and IR-funding will be made as lump sums provided that the final report, describing project activities and the final outcomes, is approved by the Joint Secretariat and the Managing authority and Norwegian managing organisation. You will receive a project specific template for the final report.

The payment application for the EU-funding is made in Min Ansökan and the payment application for the IR-funding is made in the RF-system. There is no need to register the actual expenditures. You shall only upload the final report and submit the payment application in the systems. After submission of the payment application for EU-funding in Min Ansökan you need to add the signing document regarding the payment application, and it must be signed by the authorized signatory.

There will be no controls of the actual spending related to the project and activities carried out. If the result/outcome is reached and the final report is approved, the payment will be made. If the result/outcome should not be reached and the final report is hence not approved, there will be no payment at all. It is not possible to make a partial payment.