Nordplus is bouncing back in 2023
The overall result of the Nordplus application round February 2023 is a total of 499 applications applying for a total grant of 27.119.697 €.
This is over 35% increase in applications from the previous year. This is a better result than expected, and we are happy with the quality of the applications.
The result of the administration’s assessment and acceptance by the Nordplus Programme Committee is that 340, or 68% of the applications, are proposed for funding, making for a total amount of 12.755.000 € or 47% of the applied amount.
The overall result of the Nordplus application round February 2023 is a total of 499 applications applying for a total grant of 27.119.697 €. This is over 35% increase in applications from the previous year. This is a better result than expected, and we are happy with the quality of the applications.
The result of the administration’s assessment and acceptance by the Nordplus Programme Committee is that 340, or 68% of the applications, are proposed for funding, making for a total amount of 12.755.000 € or 47% of the applied amount.
| Nordplus results 2022 vs. 2023 | |||
| 2022 | 2023 | % | |
| Higher | 162 | 183 | +13% |
| Junior | 100 | 151 | +50% |
| Adult | 62 | 88 | +42% |
| Horizontal | 27 | 44 | +63% |
| Nordic Languages | 20 | 33 | +65% |
| 371 | 499 | +35% |
Number of applications:
The increase in applications between years is a positive sign that the Nordplus plan is getting back on track after two difficult years. The large increase in mobilities shows that the educational community in the Nordplus area is very interested in traveling and gaining knowledge and experience from neighbouring countries. We have almost reached the same number of applications as before the Covid19 epidemic. It was especially gratifying to see the increase in the Junior program because there had been a significant decrease in numbers for several years.
Success rate 2023 – Rejections and reductions
The success rates 2023 for each of the Nordplus programs are as follows:
| Graph C.1 | Application submitted* | Application proposed | Success rate | Amount applied for (mio.€) | Amount proposed | Success rate |
| Nordplus Adult | 88 | 42 | 48% | 3.720.085 | 1.229.200 | 33% |
| Nordplus Higher Education | 183 | 152 | 83% | 11.088.930 | 4.977.245 | 45% |
| Nordplus Horizontal | 44 | 19 | 43% | 3.435.404 | 1.242.555 | 36% |
| Nordplus Junior | 151 | 109 | 72% | 6.563.395 | 4.552.985 | 69% |
| Nordplus Nordic Languages | 33 | 18 | 55% | 2.311.883 | 753.015 | 33% |
| Total | 499 | 340 | 68% | 27.101.597 | 12.755.000 | 47% |
The overall success rate is 68% for the number of applications, and 47% for grants, which is lower than the previous three years (2022 82%-61%, 2021 63-52%, 2020: 72-48%).
The overall success rate in 2023 reflects differences between the programs. The success rate in applications ranges from 43% for Nordplus Horizontal to 83% for Higher; while for grants the success rate extends from 33% for Nordplus Adult to 69% for Nordplus Junior. However due to the unusual circumstances in the previous tthree years, 2023 is not completely comparable with previous years. Because of the increase in Unit cost, the success rate in funded project is down in all sub-programmes. This is a change which was however foreseen to happen.
Country participation
Submitted: 3.227 organizations
Total numbers proposed 2019-2023
2019: 2.776
2020: 2.785
2021: 1.906
2022: 2.382
2023: 2.729
A total of 3.227 organizations are involved in the applications submitted, which is an increase of 35% compared to last year. When it comes to organizations funded, then the number 2.729 is 11% higher than the number funded in 2022.
All countries are represented in all the programs and, as has been the case previously, the overall representation of the countries reflects the relative size of the country´s population.
In this same context, the autonomous regions Åland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands appear over-represented as has also been the case in previous years. South Schleswig has unfortunately no representation in the call this year.
The participation by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is collectively on par with the relative size of the Baltic population, and of the Nordic countries Iceland is clearly above par in relation to their relatively small population size.
Newcomers
Every year the administration examines the level of newcomers in the applications submitted. Participating institutions and organizations are considered “newcomers” if they have not participated in any application within the individual program during the past three years - in this case the period 2020-2022
For the three programs Nordplus Junior, Nordplus Adult and Nordplus Horizontal, the level of newcomers varies between 40% and 65%, which is an average difference between the different sub-programmes.
In 2023 the level of newcomers for the five programs is:
Nordplus Adult 63%
Nordplus Higher Education 23%
Nordplus Horizontal 67%
Nordplus Junior 63%
Nordplus Nordic Languages 58%
The level of newcomers in all the sub-programs was high so it is positive to see that many organizations saw an opportunity to apply for Nordplus funding. Even Higher Education saw substantial increase in newcomers which is rather unusual due to the special nature of the program.
Highlight on socially sustainable future 2023 and 2024
In 2023 and 2024, Nordplus welcomes applications for the program having the theme “Enhancing Educational Cooperation for a Socially Sustainable Future”. The Nordplus highlight relates to all Nordplus programs and to all sectors within the field of education and training. The concept of „social sustainability “entails all aspects of the issue from for example health equity and human rights to cultural competence and community resilience. Integrated with this theme is also the Nordic competitiveness based on knowledge, innovation, mobility, and digital integration. Nordplus Highlight specifies an up-to-date theme, which becomes the focus for a two-year period and relates to all Nordplus sub-programmes.
The aim of the highlight concept in Nordplus is to draw attention to the issue of this theme in education without giving formal priority to the applications addressing this. The highlight is presented on the Nordplus homepage www.nordplusonline.org and in the Nordplus handbook.
Nordplus received 145 applications under this theme in 2023 and the administration has proposed to fund 98 such projects. In the Nordplus performance targets for 2023 and 2024, the aim was to have at least 120 approved applications within the social sustainable highlight for these two years. If the Program Committee accepts the current proposal notes, then it is very like that we will meet the targets for 2023 and 2024.
Factbox
Nordplus offers financial support to a variety of educational co-operations between partners in the area of lifelong learning between the eight participating countries and three autonomous regions in the Baltic and Nordic region.
The program supports networking, project collaboration and student/teacher mobility between the Baltic and Nordic countries.
The proposed program budget for 2023 is € 19.106.768 million. The budget result relates to the regular Nordplus budget and the allocation from returned and unused funding from previous years.
Participating countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Aaland Islands. Beneficiaries from Syd-Schleswig can also participate in the program with a special funding from Denmark.
All countries and territories are well represented in the program.
The next deadline for submitting applications to the Nordplus programs is 1 February 2024.
Preparatory visits in Nordplus Junior, Nordplus Adult and Nordplus Nordic Languages can be applied for in the supplementary application round with a deadline on 1 October 2023. Applicants can also apply for a new study visit programme within the Nordplus Junior programme on that date. For further information please consult the individual homepages of the sub-programmes.
Interested in looking into different Nordplus projects? The check out our Nordplus Data Base