Norwegian Financial Mechanism programme “Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Environment”

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MoEPRD) offers support to the project applicants of the Open Call “Mitigation of Risks Related to Historically Contaminated Sites” in finding project partners from Latvia. The Deadline for submitting project proposals is 7 December 2020. The Open Call will support projects to clean up historically polluted sites. In addition to remediation work, the project must include also a public awareness campaign. The project implementation period and eligibility period for the costs shall not exceed 30 April 2024.

Those Norway organizations who are interested in this offer must complete a partner search form. It will be necessary to provide in this form details of your organization and offer for activities and experience in the fields covered by Open Call, as well as information about the role of potential partner. The information about Norwegian organizations seeking partnership in Latvia will be published on the MoEPRD website 

We would encourage those willing to find their project partners in good time to complete and submit the form as soon as possible. The completed forms should be e-mailed to norwaygrants@varam.gov.lv with a reference ‑ Application for Finding a Project Partner in Latvia.

The potential project partners from Norway may be involved as, for example, project remediation experts, or for the purposes of implementation of the public awareness campaigns, or for organizing specific activities for exchange of experience, knowledge and good practices.

Please note that as part of preparing a project application, the project partner from Norway should also sign a partnership statement confirming their commitment to the project. In case of a project award, it will be necessary to sign a Partnership Agreement with the project partners after concluding a Project Agreement.

More information about an Open Call is available here.

Mitigation of Risks Related to Historically Contaminated Sites
 
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development as operator for Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 programme Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Environment (hereinafter the Programme) announces the open call for project proposals Mitigation of Risks Related to Historically Contaminated Sites (hereinafter the Open Call). The aim of the open call is to support the remediation of historically contaminated sites with a view to improving the quality of soil, ground, groundwater or surface water, restoring and improving the quality of the environment in and around contaminated sites and to prevent public health and environmental hazard. 
 
What kind of project are supported?
The Open Call will support projects to clean up a historically polluted site where the "polluter pays" principle cannot be applied because the person responsible for contamination no longer exists and there is no direct successor of such a person, and the State or local authorities could not prevent such contamination. In addition to remediation work, the project must include a public awareness campaign including at least two public awareness events regarding topical climate and environmental issues. 
The project implementation period and eligibility period for the costs shall not exceed 30 April 2024. 
 
Who can apply?
The eligible project applicant is a local government, direct or indirect administration institution, port authority or special economic zone authority, which is responsible for the port. Each project applicant may submit only one project proposal. 
The project applicant shall implement the project alone or together with one or more project partners. The following may be involved in the implementation of the project as project partners, such as: 

• direct administration institution of the Republic of Latvia or a derivate public person, or its institution; 
• an association, foundation or merchant registered in the Republic of Latvia - only in relation to the public awareness activities implemented within the project; 
• legal entity governed by public or private law from the donor country (Kingdom of Norway) and the beneficiary countries of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Estonia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary). 

What is the available funding?
The total programme budget available for projects within the Open Call amounts to EUR 11,000,000. Programme co-financing available for one project:

• minimum: EUR 1,000,000
• maximum: EUR 4,350,000

Maximum project grant rate is 85% of the total eligible costs of the project. The project applicant shall provide own budget of at least 15% of the total eligible costs of the project.
 
How to apply?
The project applicant shall submit the project proposal only in the form of an electronic document signed by a secure electronic signature containing a time stamp, using electronic mail, sending it to the e-mail address: sanacija@varam.gov.lv.  
The Deadline for submitting project proposals is 7 December 2020. The project proposal must be submitted by 23:59 on the last day of the deadline. 

More detailed information can be found in the Open Call documentation: 

* Amendments have been made to point 25 of the Rules, changing the composition of selection committtee from three to five voting members, taking into account the addendum to the Programme Agreement.

Video on requirements of Open call
The Programme Operator has prepared an informative video on the most important requirements of the Open Call to help successfully participate in the Open Call and apply for Norway Grants support for the implementation of the project.

Contents:
0:00 Start
3:18 Project applicant and project partner
4:52 Support for attracting Norwegian partners
6:20 Conditions for participation in the open call
8:08 Supported activities
10:08 Public awareness campaign
12:46 Eligible costs
16:09 Project application preparation, design and submission
18:01 Filling in the project application form
36:19 Attachments to Project application
40:50 Bilateral Cooperation Fund
43:47 Conclusion

Information on how projects are selected? 
Evaluation of the project proposals shall be performed according with Annex 1 of 18 February 2020 Cabinet Regulation No. 93 and carried out by a project selection committee formed by the Programme Operator. Based on the conclusion of the Selection Committee, the Programme Operator shall issue a decision on regarding the approval of the project proposal, regarding the approval of the project proposal with a condition or regarding the rejection of the project proposal within four months after the deadline for submission of project proposals.
 
Questions?
The questions about the Open Call and preparation of the project proposal may be asked by sending them electronically to the e-mail address (sanacija@varam.gov.lv). Answers the received questions will be given electronically within three business days after the receipt of the question, but not later than one business day before the deadline for submission of project proposals. 
Frequently asked questions and answers will be available here. 
 
Contact information for queries:
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
Investment Supervision Department
Project Monitoring Division 
E-mail: sanacija@varam.gov.lv   
 
Working together for a green Europe! 
Detailed information on Norwegian Financial Mechanism is available on website www.norwaygrants.lv