RFF Oslo Qualification support
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Purpose
Regional qualification support will contribute to strengthen the research and innovation capabilities of business and industry and the public sector in Oslo.
The aim of regional qualification support is to develop user-led research and innovation projects that can qualify for further support through a main project.
About the call for proposals
A qualification project shall:
- Have clearly defined research questions
- Document the project's relationship with the knowledge and research front
- Solve research challenges critical to establishing and/or implementing a main project
- Clarify the basis for going forward in a main project
Priority areas
The priority areas of Oslo’s regional research fund (RRF Oslo) are described in the Policy Document for RRF Oslo 2020-2023. RRF Oslo calls for proposals for qualification projects for all areas of priority within in research based innovation within business and industry and the public sector:
- Research and development in business and industry within
- Environmental technology
- Energy technology
- Circular economy
- Digitalisation and digital transformation
- Health and life sciences, including technological solutions
- Sustainable services
- Research-based innovation in the public sector
- Climate, environment and emission-free solutions
- Formative years and knowledge
- Health, welfare and the care sector
- Research basis for developing public services
In addition, topics relevant for pandemics are prioritised, i.e the Corona situation.
Tools available
You are welcome to use tools for project development developed by the Research Council and/or KS - Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities when working on the application.
This call is available in English and Norwegian. The Norwegian call text is legally binding.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Companies with registered business address in the Municipality of Oslo
- Municipal undertakings and agencies in the Municipality of Oslo
- Municipally owned companies in the Municipality of Oslo
- State undertakings with business address in Oslo
When processing applications from business and industry, we will prioritise projects from small and medium-sized enterprises and applications from larger companies with little or no research experience.
Who can participate in the project?
Requirements relating to the Project Owner
The organisation that applies shall be listed as the project owner in the application form and must have approved the submission of the application.
Collaboration partners
The project owner (applicant) can collaborate with other partners:
- Business and industry within all sectors with a registered business address in Norway
- Public actors in Norway, within and outside Oslo
- Research organisations and R&D entities in Norway and abroad
What can you seek funding for?
RRF Oslo can support project costs related to R&D activities in the project. R&D activities are either feasibility studies, industrial research or experimental development as defined in the conditions for awarding state aid.
You can find detailed and important information on this website about what the budget may contain.
- payroll and indirect expenses
- procurement of R&D services
- other operating expenses: travel and accommodation, dissemination, materials, or the project's share of depreciation costs for equipment and research infrastructure that the project is dependent on using
The grant support cannot be used for:
- mapping of literature and research front
- preparing an application for a main project
- conducting market research and marketing
- purchasing equipment with an acquisition cost of more than NOK 80 000
Read more on the information page about the rules for state aid.
Calculation of support
You may apply for support for up to 70 per cent of budgeted project costs, upwards limited to NOK 350 000. The minimum application amount is NOK 100 000.
Conditions for funding
Projects that receive funding must start no later than one month after the grant letter. The latest project final date allowed is 12 months after the start of the project.
Support for "undertakings" constitute state aid. As a rule, an "undertaking" is a company, but in this context means any actor that carries out economic activity consisting of offering goods and/or services in a market. This can also apply to publicly owned undertakings or companies. When an undertaking is to have part of its project costs covered, either as a project owner or as a partner in the project, this must be done in accordance with Article 25 of the General Block Exemption Regulation (Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014). Read more about state aid on the Research Council's website.
Applications that do not meet the requirements of the announcement will be rejected.
Reporting and disbursement of aid
We disburse 75 per cent of the aid at the start of the project.
The rest will be disbursed at the end of the project, provided the final report and project accounts are approved. Only real costs included in the project owner's accounts are covered.
Relevant thematic areas for this call
RRF Oslo's priority areas are described in the Policy Document for RRF Oslo 2020-2023 (English version will be made available).
In addition, topics relevant for pandemics are prioritised, i.e the Corona situation.
Regional utvikling
Practical information
Requirements for this application type
You can save and revise your application while working on it. Once the application has been submitted, it cannot be changed.
The application and all of the attachments must be submitted in Norwegian or English.
- All attachments must be in PDF format.
Mandatory attachments
- Project description with a maximum length of 5 pages. Use the standard template that you can download at the bottom of this web page (ENG prosjektbeskrivelse_kvalifiseringsstotte_oslo_v2020).
- CV for project manager.
- Form for partner information. Use the standard template that you can download at the bottom of this web page (ENG skjema for partneropplysninger).
- Self-declaration for private undertakings. Use the standard template that you can download at the bottom of this web page (ENG Egenerklæring bedrift).
Applications that do not meet the above requirements will be rejected.
Optional attachments
- CV for key participants in the project
Links to websites and documents, as well as other attachments other than those specified above as mandatory, will not be included in the application review process. There is no technical validation of the content of the attachments you upload, so please make sure that you upload the correct file for the selected type of attachment.
Assessment criteria
We assess the grant applications according to these criteria:
- Excellence
- Impact
- Implementation
- Project idea relevance to the call for proposals
Administrative procedures
Grant applications for qualification support are assessed by the administration. The administration then writes a recommendation to the board of directors for RRF Oslo, which makes decisions on grants and rejections.
Applications submitted before 1 November 2020 can expect a reply during week 47.
Applications submitted before 15 December 2020 can expect a reply during week 3, 2021.
Applications submitted before 5 February 2021 can expect a reply during week 8 or 9, 2021.