About Nordplus

Nordplus is the largest educational grant programme from the Nordic Council of Ministers. Every year, Nordplus awards around 10 million euros to organisations across the entire education sector in the Nordic and Baltic countries for international exchanges, networks and other collaborative projects.

Nordplus comprises five sub-programmes which together cover all levels of education. From early childhood, school and upper secondary to higher education and adult learning.

The goals of Nordplus 2023–2027

To strengthen and develop Nordic–Baltic cooperation in education
To develop, exchange and disseminate knowledge, experience and good practice within the field of education.
To contribute to quality development within educational systems for lifelong learning through educational cooperation and partnerships with working life.
To promote mobility for educational purposes and expand digital cooperation in education.
To promote inclusive access for all to participate in educational cooperation and to develop skills through collaboration at organisational level.
To promote Nordic languages and Nordic culture, and mutual linguistic and cultural understanding between the Nordic and Baltic countries.
To strengthen language comprehension, especially between Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.
To stimulate interest in the Nordic countries’ societal languages (Danish, Finnish, Faroese, Greenlandic, Icelandic, Norwegian, Sami and Swedish), Nordic sign language, and national minority languages.

Vision 2030

Nordplus Vision 2030

The Nordic Council of Ministers’ vision is to be the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030. The vision is aligned with Agenda 2030 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Within this vision are several themes that Nordplus project owners may consider when developing their projects:

Contribute to good health and well-being for all.
Strive to involve all Nordic citizens in the green transition and prevent the emergence of social divides.
Give children and young people a stronger voice and greater engagement in Nordic cooperation.
Maintain social trust and Nordic cohesion with a focus on culture, democracy, equality and integration.

Nordic Talks

The Nordic Council of Ministers’ podcast on sustainable development inspired by the Global Goals: Nordic Talks.

Nordplus highlights 2025-2027

In line with the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Vision 2030, Nordplus regularly presents a new focus area. The focus area from 2025 is: Knowledge and skills for a competitive Nordic and Baltic region.

A competitive region is a sustainable and equitable region that promotes education responding to the need for competence. The focus therefore lies on improving basic skills in languages and mathematics, which are essential for succeeding in studies. Knowledge in STEM subjects, AI and green competences is also important to remain competitive globally. Through mobility, individuals develop, gain new perspectives and experience other cultures, which in turn strengthens their opportunities to enter the labour market and contribute to a sustainable society.

The various Nordplus focus areas apply to all Nordplus sub-programmes and serve as a way to encourage initiatives within a specific theme, but there are no requirements for them to determine the content of new projects. The decisive factor for project approval is always quality.

Target groups

Nordplus is open to all organisations and institutions working with learning and education in a Nordic or Baltic country. It is not possible to apply for funding as an individual. Organisations outside the Nordic–Baltic region cannot receive funding, but they may participate in projects at their own expense.

More information about the conditions for applying and participating in Nordplus can be found under each sub-programme.

The five Nordplus sub-programmes

Nordplus Junior
Nordplus Higher Education
Nordplus Adult
Nordplus Horizontal
Nordplus Nordic Languages

The Nordplus Programme Committee

The Nordplus Programme Committee comprises 16 members from relevant ministries in the participating countries. The members are appointed by the participating countries - two from each of the Nordic and Baltic countries - and the three autonomous regions have two participating observers each. The Nordplus Programme Committee determines the distribution of the funds in each sub-programme and is also responsible for the development of each sub-programme and Nordplus as a whole.