The EEA Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to reducing economic and social disparities and to strengthening bilateral relations with 16 EU countries in Central and Southern Europe.
Strengthening bilateral relations is a primary objective of the EEA and Norway Grants. Strengthening ties between European countries brings mutual benefits for institutions and organisations in both the donor and beneficiary countries.
To enhance cooperation and knowledge exchange, partnerships between organisations in the donor and beneficiary countries are widely encouraged for mutual benefit and strengthening of the programme and project's quality. Funds are set aside in all beneficiary countries to support networking and foster project partnerships on initiatives of mutual interest.
The EEA Grants and Norway Grants are set up for five-year periods, current period is 2014-2021.
The EEA Grants are jointly financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, who contribute according to their size and economic wealth.
Funding is channelled through 150 programmes in the 16 beneficiary countries. Country allocations are based on population size and GDP per capita, making Poland the largest beneficiary state, followed by Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Each beneficiary country agrees on a set of programmes with the donor countries, based on national needs and priorities and the scope for cooperation with the donor countries. All programmes must adhere to standards relating to human rights, good governance, sustainable development and gender equality.
More information on the EEA Grants is available here; http://eeagrants.org/
Database of Icelandic Ngo's here.