1. Introduction to NPP 2007-2013 Niclas Forsling 14th of October – Tullamore Court Hotel, Ireland
European Union
European Regional Development Fund

2. Background
Builds on successes Interreg IIIB Northern Periphery Programme:
Total allocated funding to projects €30.2 million
62 preparatory and 47 main projects
400 project partners
68% of all projects involved SMEs
Case study binder available
Shift to the new programme period:
Additions to the programme area
More funding available for projects: €45 million
Official name: Northern Periphery Programme
Operational Programme approved in September 2007
Status of Northern Periphery Programme :
To date: 17 main projects and 12 preparatory project approved
41.6% of programme budget committed

3. Programme Area Regions in 9 programme partner countries
EU Member States:
Finland
Ireland
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Sweden
Non Member States:
Faroe Islands
Greenland
Iceland
Norway
Finland
Itä-Suomi, Pohjois-Suomi
Keski-Suomi
Ireland *
Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Cork, Kerry
Northern Ireland*
East of Northern Ireland, North of Northern Ireland, West and South of Northern Ireland
Sweden
Mellersta Norrland, Övre Norrland (only the 4 northern most counties Norrbotten, Vasterbotten, Jamtland and Vasternorrland)
Scotland
Highlands & Islands
Dumfries & Galloway*
North East Moray*
Faroe Islands
Entire territory
Iceland
Greenland
Norway
Finnmark, Troms, Nordland, Nord-Trøndelag, Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal*, Sogn og Fjordane*, Hordaland*, Rogaland*, Svalbard*

4. Common Characteristics
Geography
Sparsely populated area / low population density
Rurality, insularity, peripherality
Low accessibility
Environment
Harsh climate and difficult terrain
High quality but vulnerable environment
Abundance of natural resources
Threat of climate change

5. Common Characteristics
Economical and social
A flexible and skilled labour force
Dependence on single economic activities and public employment
Aging population and youth out-migration
Rich cultural heritage
Projects should especially focus on the characteristics of the programme area: rurality, peripherality, insularity

6. Joint Transnational Strategy
Programme response to the area’s strengths and weaknesses
Vision:
Regions working innovatively together to help communities to develop the potential of Europe’s Northern Periphery, and to achieve a sustainable and high quality future, and so make a distinctive contribution to a more dynamic EU.
Vision to be realised by implementing the strategic objectives for each priority
Takes into account Lisbon and Gothenburg Agendas
Lisbon Agenda
Re-launched in Feb 2005 with aim of “delivering stronger, lasting growth and creating more and better jobs”
3 areas of action:
making Europe a more attractive place to invest and work
knowledge and innovation for growth
creating more and better jobs
Gothenburg Agenda
Agenda recognises “that in the long term, economic growth, social cohesion and environmental protection must go hand in hand”
Renewed Gothenburg Agenda has 7 key issues that are thought to pose the biggest challenges to sustainable development in Europe:
Climate change and clean energy
Sustainable transport
Sustainable Consumption and Production
Public health threats
Better management of natural resources
Social inclusion, demography and migration
Fighting global poverty
Horizontal principles:
Equal opportunities
Sustainable development
Equal Opportunities
the prevention and elimination of discrimination between people on grounds of gender, marital status, cultural and social background, disabilities, age, sexual orientation, language or other personal attributes, such as religious beliefs or political opinions
Sustainable Development
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

7. NPP Concepts Strategic concepts Triple Helix Partnerships
Innovative outputs of relevance for whole area
Physical product or social capital and expertise
Informs policy development
Triple Helix Partnerships
Cooperation between business, higher education and the public sector
Core concepts
Added value
Transnational

8. NPP Concepts Strategic concepts Triple Helix Partnerships
Innovative outputs of relevance for whole area
Physical product or social capital and expertise
Informs policy development
Triple Helix Partnerships
Cooperation between business, higher education and the public sector
Core concepts
Added value
Transnational

9. Core concepts of transnational cooperation in NPP 2007-2013
Added value
All projects must develop concrete, tangible results
By working together to produce a new product or service that has a transnational or transregional character
Transnational or transregional character: product or service can be used/implemented in many regions across the programme area
Methods: knowledge transfer, innovation, organisational learning
Transnationality
Each project must address at least 3 of the transnationality criteria:
Joint development  Joint staffing
Joint implementation  Joint financing
In addition:
Projects must involve a minimum of 3 partner countries; 1 EU Member State
Joint strategy for implementing and disseminating project results
Transnational impact
Added value methods:
Knowledge transfer: facilitating the transfer of economic development solutions, and their practical application, from one country/region to another
Innovation: working together to develop new or innovative economic development solutions that can be applied in practice in more than one country/region
Organisational learning: exchange of ideas, experience and good practice that improve the stock of organisational knowledge. Topics addressed should be of strategic interest for the daily work of all project partners. For the utilisation of the project results, the project needs to be fully integrated into the overall objectives of the organisation

10. Pitfalls Products and services not clearly listed;
Other outcomes that are not products/services are listed here (networks, studies, reports).
The products/services have to be extracted from a long description
The project will not develop any products/services.
Viability of products/services not clear:
The demand for the products/services has not been described
It is unclear who will provide the products or services
It is unclear how the products/services will be brought to the end users
The project does not use the NPP definition of transnationality
The project does not outline how the criteria of transnationality are met
The transnational impact of product and services is not strong or not described
REMEMBER, ONLY THE WRITTEN WORD COUNTS.

11. NPP Concepts Strategic concepts Triple Helix Partnerships
Innovative outputs of relevance for whole area
Physical product or social capital and expertise
Informs policy development
Triple Helix Partnerships
Cooperation between business, higher education and the public sector
Core concepts
Added value
Transnational

12. Triple Helix Partnerships
Definition:
The three different spheres of business, higher education and public institutions working together on new tasks and in new fields. These three spheres together, and not only by themselves, make it possible to obtain an enhanced outcome from the cooperation and invested capital, in the form of innovative new products and solutions.
Encouraged when appropriate
Community aspect: emphasis on ensuring that the end beneficiaries are located within the communities of the Northern Periphery
Pitfalls
The project does not explain how the triple helix is represented.

13. NPP Concepts Strategic concepts Triple Helix Partnerships
Innovative outputs of relevance for whole area
Physical product or social capital and expertise
Informs policy development
Triple Helix Partnerships
Cooperation between business, higher education and the public sector
Core concepts
Added value
Transnational

14. Strategic Projects
Projects that make a strategic contribution towards achieving the objectives and
vision of the programme
Features:
Innovative outputs of relevance to whole programme area with a focus on peripheral regions
Beneficial impact in terms of a physical product or social capital and expertise
Involves cooperation at transnational, national, regional and local level to inform policy development
Strategic projects:
Strategic themes will be identified for each priority by the Monitoring Committee
Specific calls will be held for strategic projects

15. Remember when applying
Build an appropriate partnership:
Core partnership consisting of implementing project partners
Ensure that the partnership construction is including end users of the products and services, keep a demand driven perspective!
Ensure that basic research is in place, avoid research oriented partnership
Demonstrate the need from end users perspective:
Ensure that end users form a part in the construction of the project
Demonstrate clearly the end users demand, and ensure that your project is build on demand or addressing a specific need.
Projects should especially focus on the characteristics of the programme area: rurality, peripherality and insularity. Ensure that your idea is being addressed with the specific characteristics in mind, make your idea unique and attractive to NPP regions.
Put a lot of effort on writing a good application, keep the language simple and make it understandable what you wish to achieve. ONLY THE WRITTEN WORD COUNTS!

16. Available Funding Types of funding:
European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) for Member States
ERDF equivalent for Non Member States
Public/Public-like match funding
Amounts available:
€ ERDF
€ ERDF equivalent
€ match funding
Total programme budget (including match funding): €79 million
Current commitment level, approximately 41 %

17. Project Setup 2 types of projects:
Preparatory projects: to generate high quality main project applications
Requirements:
>2 partner countries
Address programme priorities
Public match funding
Main projects: to implement a project idea addressing the objectives of the programme
>3 partner countries; at least one Member State
Eligible public match funding
Budget
Preparatory projects: max. €30,000 with a grant rate of 60% (up to €18,000)
Main projects: between €250,000 and €1.5 million. Maximum €3 million
Grant rate: 60% for Member States, 50% for Non Member States (30% for NMS Norway)
Preparatory Projects
Purpose → to generate high-quality main project applications, mobilise well-balanced partnerships and facilitate the development of joint project plans
Min requirement to have 2 contributing partners from 2 countries, an idea that addresses the programme priorities and eligible public match funding in place
Purpose of preparatory projects
· Assist with building suitable and well-balanced partnerships
· Facilitate the development of joint project plans that correspond to the objectives of the
programme
· Commit partners to their contribution to the project
· Reduce the risks associated with developing a main project application
Minimum requirements
· An eligible project idea
· 2 contributing partners from 2 countries
· Eligible match funding in place
· Completion of the specific preparatory project application form
Main Projects
Purpose → to implement a project idea that focuses on addressing the objectives and priorities of the Programme.
Min requirement to have 3 participating partners from 3 programme partner countries, one of which must be a member state, and to have eligible public match funding in place.

18. How to apply Next call for main applications Preparatory projects
3rd call:
Just closed, with 11 applications
Decision: 4 December 2008
4th call:
Not yet scheduled
Planned to be open from mid/late January – mid March 2009
5th call:
“call free period” June-December 09
5th call will open spring 2010
Preparatory projects
Open call since June 2007
Currently focusing on selected themes
Where to find information
Programme Manual
Application pack on website:
Programme Secretariat
Regional Contact Points
Find the list of selected themes for preparatory projects.
Themes to be addressed:
· In Priority 1, in the Objective ” To facilitate development through the use of
advanced information and communication technologies and transportation in the
programme area” and the four themes:
i) increased use of ICT to overcome distance
iii) developing innovative product and service solutions for developing
and maintaining transport infrastructure with regard to roads,
railways, airports and ports under harsh climatic conditions
iv) development of transport schemes that benefit rural communities,
such as new maritime routes
v) maritime safety in relation to remote areas with arctic, harsh
conditions.
· In Priority 2, in the Objective ” To strengthen the synergies between environmental
protection and growth in remote and peripheral regions and the two themes:
ii) Impact and possible implications of climate change and means to
reduce it at a community level
iii) Development of small scale renewable energy solutions
· In Priority 2, in the Objective ” To improve sustainable development in peripheral
regions by strengthening urban-rural relations and enhancing regional heritage” and
the two themes:
i) urban-rural partnerships for new service solutions and
iv) promotion of natural and cultural heritage that supports the
development of sustainable industries

19. Contact Details – Programme Secretariat
Northern Periphery Programme Secretariat
Strandgade 91, 4. sal
DK-1401 Copenhagen K, DENMARK Fax:
Niclas Forsling – Head of Secretariat
Tel , mobile ,
Christopher Parker – Programme Manger for Project Development Support
Tel , mobile ,
Kirsti Mijnhijmer – Programme Manager for Information & Communication
Tel ,
Maxi Nachtigall – Project Officer
Tel ,

20. Contact Details – Regional Contact Points
Republic of Ireland
Northern Ireland
Mr Michael O'Brien BMW Regional Assembly The Square Ballaghaderreen County Roscommon, Ireland Tel.: Fax: Website:
Ms Teresa Lennon SEUPB, EU House 6 Cromac Place Belfast BT7 2JB, Northern Ireland Tel.: Website:

21. Contact Details – Regional Contact Points
Norway
Sweden
Ms Greta Johansen Landsdelsutvalget Sjøgata 3 N Bodø Norway Tel.: Fax: Website:
Mr Bernt Vedin Region Västerbotten Norrlandsgatan 13, Box 443 S Umeå Sweden Tel.: Fax: Website:

22. Contact Details – Regional Contact Points
Finland
Iceland
Ms Paula Mikkola Regional Council of Lapland P.O. Box 8056 FIN Rovaniemi Finland Tel.: Mobile: Fax: Website:
Mr Þórarinn V. Sólmundarson Institute of Regional Development in Iceland Ártorg 1 IS Sauðárkrókur Tel.: Fax Website:

23. Contact Details – Regional Contact Points
Faroe Islands
Scotland
Mr Jakup Sørensen NORA (Nordisk Atlantsamarbejde) Bryggjubakki 12 Box 259 FO-110 Tórshavn Tel: Mob: Fax Website:
Ms. Annalee Sutherland (temporary) Highlands & Islands Enterprise Cowan House Inverness Retail & Business Park Inverness IV2 7GF Tel Fax Website:

24. Contact Details – Regional Contact Points
Greenland
Mr Anders Ullrich la Cour Vahl Greenland Tourism and Business Council Hans Egedesvej 29 PO Box Nuuk Tel: Mob: Fax: Website:

25. For further information, please visit: www. northernperiphery
For further information, please visit: Thank you for listening!