Nordic Climate Facility

Nordic climate initiative for developing countries

The Nordic Climate Facility finances projects that have a potential to combat climate
change and reduce poverty in low-income countries. The Facility is financed by the
Nordic Development Fund (NDF) and implemented jointly with NEFCO.

Mission

NCF encourages and promotes technological innovation in areas susceptible to climate change such as: energy, transport, water and sanitation, health, agriculture, forestry as well as other areas related to natural resource management. Once every year, NCF calls for innovative proposals comprising specific themes related to climate change. The best proposals may receive grant financing amounting to between EUR 250,000 and 500,000. The projects should have an implementation period of less than 24 months.

The main themes

The calls for proposals are based on two main themes: adaptation to and mitigation
of climate change. Climate change adaptation proposals may be related to issues such
as, rising sea levels, threats to water and agricultural resources as well as to overall
human welfare. Climate mitigation proposals can comprise efforts to reduce the emission
of greenhouse gases by utilizing energy efficiency technologies, substituting fossil fuels for environmentally-sound renewable sources, and carbon sequestration. The climate change themes vary each year.

The third call for proposals

The two previous calls each had separate themes for mitigation and adaptation proposals. The third call, however, has a single designated theme focusing on “Innovative low-cost climate solutions with focus on local business development”. The theme encourages business development and business opportunities which provide goods and services that will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and facilitate climate change adaptation. A strong positive development impact, in addition to expected climate change benefits, is expected from successful applicants. The deadline for submitting proposals for the Third Call for Proposals was 16 January 2012.

Key requirements

The applicant must be an active institution, organisation, company or authority holding a registered place of operations in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden with relevant experience. The applicant may have one or more partner(s).

The applicant’s average annual audited turnover for the past two years must exceed the NCF funding applied for. In case the applicant alone cannot fulfil this requirement, the applicant is allowed to be supported, on a joint and several basis by another Nordic institution, organisation, or company. The applicant shall have an eligible local partner in an eligible country where the project is proposed to be implemented.

The project must be implemented in at least one of the following eligible countries:

Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Asia: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam