Funding
Grants from Nordplus Junior are based on fixed unit costs for different types of expenses connected to the applied activity. Grants from Nordplus are contributions to project expenses and all participating organisations must therefore expect some degree of co-financing.
The co-financing is not to be specified or documented neither in the application nor in the final report as it is presupposed in the unit rate system.
Furthermore, the unit cost system is based on the premise that it is the implementation of the activity and not the actual cost that must be documented. This provides greater financial flexibility in relation to the project implementation. It is advisable, to evaluate the level of co-financing needed to carry out the project before applying.
In the guide Advice on financial management and documentation for granted projects you will find more detailed information of requirements on reporting and documentation of activities. This guide can be downloaded from Nordplusonline.org
Mobility and development projects operate with two different unit cost systems described below.
Grants for mobility projects cover travel costs for pupils, and both travel and subsistence costs for teachers and other pedagogical staff.
Grants for development projects cover travels, expenses for board and lodging, and other relevant costs connected to the activities within the development project. See further details below.
Funding of mobility projects
The funding of mobility activities in Nordplus Junior is based on the following categories:
- Project management
- Fixed travel rates for return trips
- Subsistence (board/lodging) for pedagogical staff.
* Note that an administrative grant for project management is only granted to projects with a budget exceeding 15 000€.
Project Management / Mobility Projects
| Rate per participating organisation för project managment. *N.B. Only for budgets exceeding 15 000€ | |
| Coordinatior: | 1000 € |
| Partner: | 500 € |
The grant for project management can be used to cover the administrative costs but also for project related costs. The grant can be used to cover extra costs e.g., regarding travel and accommodation. It may also be used for costs related to arranging digital meetings as a compliment to the physical exchanges.
The grant is a lump sum and thus independent of project duration, type and content. The payment will be executed to the coordinating institution. The coordinating institution is awarded a higher rate since greater administrative costs are foreseen when coordinating a project
Fixed maximum travel rates for mobility projects
A. Preparatory visits (teachers/pedagogical staff only)
B. Teacher exchanges (and other pedagogical staff)
C. Class exchanges
D. Study visits (teachers/pedagogical staff only)
| Route | AMOUNT (RETURN JOURNEY) |
| To and from Greenland | 1300 € |
| To and from Faroe Islands and Iceland | 660 € |
| Between Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Åland | 330 € |
| Domestic, more than 500 km, return trip | 175 € |
*The amountfor domestic travel can be applied if the distance between the school and the nearest international airport, train or bus station are above 500 km return trip. This concerns trips within your own country or/and the host country. In the Espresso application system, you apply for this contribution by selecting the same to- and from-country, and “0” in duration of stay. Accordingly, this contribution is applied for in addition to the other ordinary travel contributions between participating countries.
Fixed rates for subsistence– for teachers and pedagogical staff:
| Fixed rates for subsistensce (not for pupils/students) | DAY | WEEK | MONTH |
| Teachers and mentors | 100 € | 500 € | 1350 € |
If you apply for 6-7 days duration you must use the weekly rate.
Funding of development projects
Grants for development projects are allocated according to fixed unit costs for travel, subsistence (board/lodging) and other project expenses. The system offers flexibility and permits moving funds within the various types of expenses included in the overall grant. See the guide Advice on financial management and documentation for granted projects at nordplusonline.org for further details.
The programme provides grants for two types of costs:
- Project management, implementation and dissemination of results
- Transnational meetings
Applications for development projects must attach a separate budget based on the unit cost categories above. The budget template is available on www.nordplusonline.org and it is also linked to in the application system Espresso.
Project management, implementation and dissemination of results
The purpose of the grant is to cover the administrative costs and expenses for dissemination of the project’s results which is required of all for Nordplus Junior collaborative projects. Administrative expenses may be any type of costs of coordinating and participating in a project such as accounting, reporting, meetings or arranging digital meetings etc.
The costs of disseminating project results could, for example, be publishing reports and pamphlets, translation, websites and organisation, conferences, seminars and meetings. To some extent even costs for rent, fees for speakers and food and beverage cold be included.
Expenses for services and external suppliers, such as fees, cannot be applied for separately, but may be covered by this unit cost or by the institutions’ co-financing.
The grant is a lump sum and thus independent of project duration, type and content. The payment will be executed to the coordinating institution. The coordinating institution is awarded a higher rate since greater administrative costs are foreseen when coordinating a project.
RATE PER PARTICIPATING INSTITUION FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS |
€ |
|---|---|
| Coordinatior | 3000 € |
| Partner | 1000 € |
Transnational meetings
This grant covers travel and subsistence for meetings between project partners with a purpose of planning, follow-up and coordination of the project. Other forms of meetings, e.g. network meetings, smaller seminars/courses with the participation of partners’ own staff etc. are also covered by this unit cost.
Costs for larger, external events with participation of persons outside the partnership
are to be covered by the unit cost of “project management, implementation and dissemination of results”.
Please note that the unit costs include both travel and subsistence expenses. They are based on the general mobility travel unit costs, with a small contribution towards subsistence.
| UNIT COST PER PARTICIPANT PER MEETING | |
| To and from Greenland | 1600 € |
| To and from the Faroe Islands and Iceland | 960 € |
| Between Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Åland | 630 € |
| * Domestic, more than 500 km(return trip) | 175 € |
| **Domestic travel and subsistence, national meetings, more than 500 km (return trip) | 475 € |
*The unit cost for domestic travelling is an addition to the unit costs for transnational travel. Grants for domestic travel can be applied for when the distance between the participant’s hometown and the nearest international airport, train or bus station in their home country is more than 500 km both ways (return trip).
**Unit cost for domestic travel and subsistence can also be applied for by participants from partner institution(s) in the same country as the hosting institution, if the distance is more than 500 km both ways (return trip).
The lump-sum principle
When an application has been approved, the applicant will be informed of how much the project has been allocated. This will be expressed in a number of approved mobilities (1 mobility = 1 return journey between partners in a mobility project).
All mobility projects are covered by the lump-sum principle. This principle means that if partners in a project manage to finance the number of mobilities with a lower sum than granted, they can use the surplus money for relevant project activities without having to present proof of these expenses. Such surplus money could be used to cover accommodation and board expenses for students, or other costs related to the project.
In the final report, the grant holders must affirm the actual number of accomplished mobilities in the project. If they have completed fewer mobilities than granted, a repayment must be made.
Ineligble costs
- Overheads, i.e. general unspecified costs not directly connected to the project.
- Office equipment (such as IT equipment and fixed inventory).
- Costs for non-Nordic or non-Baltic participants.
- Costs for activities outside the Nordic or Baltic countries.
Special needs
Costs involving participants with special needs may be met by a grant of up to 100%. If support for special needs is required, coordinators may apply both in the ordinary round, and if the project is funded after the application deadline. When applying in the ordinary round, the need must be explained in the application. The application should be addressed directly to the main administrator if the application is after the ordinary round, and only applies to participants in projects which have already been funded.
A doctor's certificate, or a certificate issued by the school nurse, is required but should be kept by the institution and not enclosed in the application. Additional funds may be approved to cover the cost of a companion, interpreter or similar.
Irregular use of funds
If the funds are not used as implied in the contract, and/or final reports are not submitted as agreed upon in the contract, the main administrator can decide to hold back or withdraw funds.
Payments and audits
All applicants receive detailed information on the conditions of the grant, if awarded one. If funding has been granted for parts of the application only, the applicant will receive information about this and the reasons for the reduction. Reductions might be the result of ineligible costs, calculation errors, or that only certain activities were approved. Applications who are not eligible, or have reached the approved level of quality, will be rejected.
Funds are paid to the project coordinator, who is then responsible for the allocation during the project period. Within each project, the partners and coordinator jointly decide how the contribution is to be distributed between the participating institutions.
For applications granted 15,000 Euros or less, 100% of the funds are paid after the contract has been signed. Applications granted more than 15,000 Euros will receive the grant in two separate instalments: 80% after the contract has been signed and the remaining 20% after the final report has been approved. The grant will be disbursed in Euros and should not be converted to another currency due to the risk of losing funding because of changes in currency rates.
Note: The Swedish Council for Higher Education will issue the payment no later than 45 calendar days after the signed contract has been received by the Nordplus Administration.
The grant must be recorded in accordance with national and internal regulations as a separate cost item in the institution’s accounting so that all payments are visible in the event of an audit. The coordinating entity should save the documentation for at least five years.
At www.nordplusonline.org you can find the following guides and template:
- “Nordplus budget model” (template for project/networks only)
- “FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions”
- “Advice on financial management for granted projects”
- "User and help guide when reporting in Nordplus Junior”
Here you can access the Junior Budget Model 2024