General Information

The new exchange programme is a sub-programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Knowledge Building and Networking programme in North West Russia.

The new exchange programme opens up a possibility for people socially and politically active in Russian voluntary non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to intensify cooperation with Nordic partners and apply for financial support from the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM).

The Nordic Ministers for Co-operation adopted guidelines for co-operation with North West Russia 2009-2013 on 13 November 2008. These guidelines constitute the framework for the Nordic Council of Ministers' co-operation with Russia.

The possibility to apply for financial support for joint Nordic-Russian activities within the new exchange programme is complementary to the existing NGO-programme with more flexibility. Both activities are supported by the NCM with a view to broaden and intensify co-operation between NGOs and to strengthen the civic community in the region.

The exchange programme is aimed at supporting the ongoing democracy development processes in Russia through enhancing networking between various Russian and Nordic non-governmental organizations.

The exchange programme for the year 2012 is administered by the Nordic Council of Ministers Information Office in Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg.

Programme Objectives

• Establishing and developing networks between partner organizations in the Nordic countries and North West Russia;
• Promoting exchange of knowledge, experiences and skills in socially active NGOs activities;
• Spreading information about the democratic process and values of Northern European countries, society and culture.

The new exchange programme is designed to provide seed money for new cooperation initiatives and to further develop existing partnerships. It may also support preparation of cooperation projects for participation in a call of applications in the mentioned NGO-programme. The overall aim is to enhance sustainable and long-term partnerships between Northwest Russian and Nordic partner organizations.

Information for Applicants

Why participate in the new exchange programme?

• Possibility for Russian and Nordic organizations to develop international relations and establish lasting mutually beneficial contacts;
• Possibility to improve competences and knowledge through practical level exchange of experiences, knowledge and skills at minimal costs;
• Strengthening personal professional skills of participants in socially oriented activities;
• Being introduced to new social and political culture.

Requirements (the eligibility criterias)

The cooperation project
The cooperation project in frames of the NGO Exchange Programme includes a study visit to partner NGOs from at least two Nordic countries(Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Åland Islands, Faroe Islands, Greenland) with an aim to exchange experience and develop a network of contacts, and a final event on distributing the new knowledge and the results of the project. It is expected that the developed partnership with Nordic NGOs has a continuation even after the project realization proving its sustainability.

Requirements for the applying Russian NGOs

NGOs registered according to Russian legislation during at least 1 year and located in North-West Russia in the prioritized for the Nordic countries areas, including St. Petersburg, the Leningrad oblast, Republic of Karelia, Archangelsk, Murmansk, Pskov and Kaliningrad regions, may apply for funding.

Requirements for the group and Russian participants

• The number of the participants in the group for the study visit - from 3 to 7
• Relevant education or at least one year practical experience of NGO activities (all participants);
• Good English or any Nordic language skills;
• Women and men are equally encouraged to participate in the new exchange programme.

Applying NGOs can include representatives and members from their partner NGOs in North West Russia in proposed study tours. Partners from local authorities or other official institutions, journalists could also be part of a delegation if travelling together with NGO representatives.

Documents for applying

• Filled in Application form (in English). The application is to be sent both in the hard copy and by the e-mail;
• Letter of interest from Russian home organizations. The letter should be written on the official paper and present the background information about the applying NGO as well as proving the importance of the project and the professional competence of the NGO. The letter is to be sent in hard copy;
•Letter of confirmation from Nordic host organizations (at least two Nordic NGOs from different Nordic countries). The letter is written in a free format. It should contain the confirmation of the Nordic side to host the representatives of the Russian NGO for the joint meeting, presentation of activities, and discussion of possible ways of cooperation as well as to show the interest of the Nordic NGO in the project.  The fax copy or scanned copy will be enough;
• Recommendation letters from other Russian participants and partners of the project, in case if the group has participants from other institutions.
• Additional information optionally

All documents should be submitted by the deadline in hard copies to the following address: Chernyakhovskogo Str., 6, office 116, 236040 Kaliningrad, Russia.

The application form should also be sent by e-mail to Christina Parkhomenko, Project Coordinator,  and Natalia Khalyuk, Project Coordinator,  

Selection criteria

Priority will be given to those proposals and participants:

• Proposal

o Proposal novelty;
o Clear description of the problem to be addressed and their relevance to the Guidelines for cooperation with Russia 2009-2013;
o Consistency of the proposal: coherence between problem(s), objective(s), activity(ies) and result(s); coherence between financial resources and activities;

• Verifiable indicators;

o The perspective of the sustainable and long-term partnership;

• Nordic partners

o Proposals including partner NGOs from more than two Nordic countries;
o Priority will be given to cooperation activities with Nordic host NGOs with beginning relations to Russia and\or using innovative approaches in their activities;

• Cofinancing

o Level of Russian co-financing;

• Russian participants

o Priority will be given to cooperation activities including young people (up to 35 years old) actively involved in socially oriented organisations, associations, groups, etc. in North West Russia;
o Gender equality;

• Final event on the results

o Participation in the event of at least 1-2 representatives of Nordic partner NGOs.

Search of partners
The exchange programme is designed to provide seed money for new cooperation initiatives and to further develop existing partnerships. The search of partners within the frames of the exchange program is made by the applicant. The Nordic Council of Ministers may assist in providing the existing contacts if needed.

Grant Conditions

• The grant will be paid with 80% up front after the signing the target financial agreement (and Annexes 1 “Budget expenses”, 2 “Schedule of work performance”, 3 “Letter on accepting the first 80% of the grant”) , and the rest - after the study trip when finalizing documentation (reporting) is approved;
• The grant can cover expenses on travel, visas, insurance, accommodation, daily allowances, seminars and meeting materials and publications;
• Travel and accommodation (3 stars hotel) should be as economical as possible;
• Salary during the study tours is to be covered by participants’ home organizations in Russia;
• The study tours should not last longer than two weeks (14 days) in total;
• The grant is valid during one year.

Budget

The maximum amount granted for one organisation is 200 000 DKK.

Daily allowance for 1 participant is calculated according the Russian legislation, but should not exceed 2 500 RUR per 24 hours on the territory of the Nordic countries and 1 500 RUR per 24 hours on the territory of the Russian Federation. Daily allowance may be covered by applicants as cofinancing.

Application and selection procedures

• Evaluation of applications takes up to one month after each deadline;
• Selection of grant-holders is done by the NCM Information Offices in St. Petersburg and in Kaliningrad;
• All applicants are notified by e-mail of the outcome of the selection;
• 80% of the grant transfer in DKK is done after the grant contracts signing;
• Study trip and events within the project;
• Reports should be submitted not later than one month (30 days) after the trip, otherwise the released grant is to be refunded to NCM;
• 20% of the grant transfer is paid within 10 days after the reception of the final report.

The deadline for spring call of applications is 30 April March 2012.

Documents for reporting
(should be submitted not later than one month after the trip)

• Content report

o Descriptive report of the project (in English);
o Individual reports from each participant of the trip (in English);
o 5-10 photos illustrating the project (in electronic form);
o Information materials (hard copies \ copies of all printed materials on the results of the projects, presentations, etc.)

• Financial report

o Annexes to the target financial agreement: Annex 3 “Letter on the accepting the rest part of the grant”, 4 “Financial report”, 5 “Letter on co-financing”, 6 “List of participants of the study trip”, 7 “Work completion statement”. In case of return of funds use the Annex 7-1 “Order for return of funds” and 7-2 “Requisites”.
o The copies of international passport pages with a photo and with stamps confirming crossing the border;
o The copies of financial documents. If bank transfers – copies of bank orders, delivery notes, agreements, invoices, work completion statements; if payment in cash – copies of cash receipts and sales receipts.

Events within the project and printed materials

When you use the granted funds for organizing seminars and round tables on the results of the study trip, publications, printed materials, news on the web pages, please indicate that the financial support is provided by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Using the NCM logo is obligatory. You can get the logo in a needed format from the Information office of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Kaliningrad.
When organizing seminars, round tables and other activities within the project, please inform the Information office of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Kaliningrad in advance. Contact persons – Christina Parkhomenko and Natalia Khalyuk.

Any further questions are welcomed and should be sent to  or  or addressed by the telephone +7 (4012) 61 69 72.