Northern Periphery Programme 2007-2013

Programme Information

Lead Partner Seminar28th September 2011 – Hotel Rica Alta, Alta, Norway

Christopher Parker & Mattias Assmundson

Current programme status – “ A Snap shot”

Overview

Where are we today? Programme commitment level Main and preparatory projects Programme activities Messages from Regional Contact Points

Programme commitment level

To date: 41 main projects and 32 preparatory project approved In total 94% of programme budget has been allocated after the 7th call for main

applications

Programme partner country Allocated to date Total available in €

Member State ERDF 94%

€ 2 134 855 • Priority 1 86% € 2 046

626• Priority 2 95% € 88

229

Faroe Islands 88% €103 342

Greenland 100% € 0

Iceland 115% € (260 312)

Norway 78% € 1 045 528

Main projects

The NPP 2007 – 2013 Programme Monitoring Committee has approved 41 main project in two priorities:- Priority 1: 24 projects and Priority 2: 17 projects

Programme secretariat has received 82 applications

6 strategic projects are on-going:- SMALLEST, RASLRES,RTS, TG4NP, ITTS and SECRE

NPP target for main projects is 40 and 8 strategic project

Partners in approved main projects – 2007 - 2011

Partners in approved NPP main projects - 2011

  Finland Sweden ScotlandNorthern Ireland Ireland Norway Iceland Greenland

Faroe Islands

Other EU states Canada Total

No.Projects in programme partner country

18 21 27 15 17 19 17 8 9     

Partners 50 43 31 25 25 28 28 10 10 1 3 254

Lead partners 11 10 9 1 5 4 1 0 0    41

Total partners 61 53 40 26 30 32 29 10 10 1 3 295

Percentage of total partner participation by programme partner country 21% 18% 14% 9% 10% 11% 10% 3% 3% 0,3% 1% 100%

Preparatory projects

The NPP 2007 – 2013 Programme Monitoring Committee delegated authority to the Programme secretariat to approve preparatory projects and make funding decisions.

The Programme Secretariat has assessed 71 and approved 32 preparatory projects

Committed funds preparatory projects: € 625 000(Remaining € 79 500)

Special preparatory project call from June 2011 for the preparation of strategic project call in early 2012

Programme activities

In preparation for the Eighth Call the PMC agreed to the definition of products and services has widened and alternative wording has been provided for a number of themes to facilitate a better understanding.

Producing a new product or service that has a transnational or trans-regional character.

Transfer and adaptation of existing products and services from one region into transnational or trans-regional solutions

Update and adaptation of existing transnational or trans-regional products and services with additional features

Call Opens: 5th of September 2011 Call Closes: 14th of October 2011

Programme activities

8th call has targeted themes

1. Increased use of ICT to overcome distance

2. Developing innovative product and service solutions for developing and maintaining transport infrastructure with regard to roads, railways, airports and ports under harsh climatic conditions

3. Maritime safety in relation to remote areas with arctic, harsh conditions

4. Building the capacity to respond to and prepare for emergencies and natural disasters to which the Northern Periphery is exposed.

Programme activities

8th call has these terms of reference:-

The PMC expects all applicants to outline project ideas that are focusing on activities facilitating economic benefit, which could be measured by demonstrating the expected “pay off time” of the NPP investment, or the expected increase in turn over or similar.

In addition, the PMC expects a strong focus on job creation both direct and indirect as a result of the project. Safeguarding of sustainable jobs will also be viewed as a strong outcome if it is clear and well demonstrated how the project's intervention will lead to business efficiency, increased competitiveness and added value to their current product and or service portfolio.

Programme activities

Events Lead partner seminar – Final project reporting and new lead partner seminar –

September 28th. Final Report package seminar, which is especially relevant for those projects due to finish during the second half of 2011 and early 2012. Lead Partners will learn what is expected from them when closing an NPP

project and what information should be provided in each of the 3 main templates: Final Project Claim Final Administrative Report Final Content Report. 

Annual conference – September 29th in Alta, NorwayTheme:- “NPP Beyond 2013”.

Joint Transnational Conference in Katowice, Poland. Six cooperation themes in ETC were highlighted :- Energy, Transport, Innovative, Environment risk management, Enlargement and Demographic change

Programme activities

Project development

Strategic project Call for Applications will be launched January 2012. The PMC views this second Strategic Call as a focused call with the view to generate strategic projects in the following themes:-

Renewable energy solutions adapted for remote areas and to the scale of sparsely populated areas

  Responding to climatic change in the Northern Periphery

Previously, Priority 2 Rural health services in the Northern Periphery Programme area

Filled by ITTS in the 7th call

Programme activities

Pre-announced Strategic project in June 2011. 

Strategic Project idea developers will be requested to submit their ideas on a “Strategic project idea template” by 30th September 2011. 

A Strategic Project Development Clinic will be held for strategic project applicants, if needed .

In January 2012, the Strategic Project Call will be formally launched, together with the application pack. However, the Programme Secretariat encourages partnerships to start discussing their proposals already in connection to this pre-announcement.

On 9th February 2012, a “How to apply” seminar for strategic project applicants will be held in Copenhagen.

  The deadline of the Call for Strategic Projects will in the spring/summer of 2012. 

Achievements

Closing projects Strategic projects – SECRE and ITTS RegioStars 2011

http://www.northernperiphery.eu/en/news/show/&tid=206 RegioStars 2012 Nomination -

O4O Inclusive growth: Addressing the challenge of demographic change and supporting active ageing.

RASLRES - Informing the public on the internet about projects benefiting from EU Regional policy

Evaluation

Outcomes of evaluation of the NPP 2007-2013 Project generation process Project application process Project claiming and reporting process

Simplification measures - What is possible and not

Suggested simplification measures

As soon as possible:

Project mentors NPP appointing seasoned persons with good knowledge of the programme to be used as mentors for

projects.

Responsibility – MA/PS

Some aspects to consider: They might be reimbursed or just on a voluntary basis. A screening for these to select the best suited ones for NPP is well-advised. They could also be appointed on a national-, regional-, thematic- or process level.

As soon as possible:

Letter of intent The proposed solution means that a letter of intent would be signed at the PMC-meeting, by the PMC-

chair and the Programme director, declaring the programmes intention to fund the project, thus maybe allowing an earlier start for the project.

Received the second highest rating on impact of all stakeholder ideas in the three questionnaires

Responsibility – PMC and MA

Suggested simplification measures

Other suggestions for benefit for the PMC’s consideration

As soon as possible:

Set the same time for the administration as for the projects in the claim process, i.e. 4 month Will work well as a signal of the programme administrations ambition. 4 months should however be adequate time given that all goes well earlier in the process and that all

documents are in order. This solution would not however benefit the projects as the 4 month time limit can never be

guaranteed to be met.

Received the highest rating of all stakeholder ideas in the questionnaires.

Responsibility – PMC

During this programme period:

Changing conditions Adopt a change in conditions where ever possible to be implemented as a part of the project instead of

as a requirement before the project starts.

PS and RAG implementation

Inform about large conditions earlier in the process Address; recruitment of partners, the size of the project and the project scope in the preparation phase

of any application, not after the RAG assessment

PS and RAG implementation

Suggested simplification measures

During this programme period:

Webinars and chat sessions Using a combination of both these features could possibly replace activities during the calls such as the

How to apply seminars.

This would significantly cut the costs for aspiring project applicants in terms of travel and time; this is especially relevant as they are not reimbursed by the programme for activities held before the application is sent in.

Responsibility – MA/PS

Suggested simplification measures

Messages from Regional Contact Points

From the Swedish RCP, regards to all Swedish Lead Partners and all the luck in their future work. One date, as a reminder Swedish Lead Partners and Partners will meet for the

annual partner meeting 18-19 April 2012. A separate invitation will be sent out in the beginning of 2012.

The RCP in Northern Ireland and the transnational team are delighted to welcome the first Northern Ireland Lead Partner to the Northern Periphery Programme. This is the Rural Development Council, which will be leading the Rural Youth Entrepreneurship project - RYE.   There are now 15 projects with Northern Ireland partners. The RCP and the team are available for meetings projects to discuss progress

and also for all queries on the First Level of Control process. Do not hesitate to contact us, if you are working with a Northern Ireland partner!

Messages from Regional Contact Points

Finnish RCP sends her best regards to the Lead Partner seminar participants, and wishes you all an informative day .

Following up-coming events have been reported by project actors: Rural Transport Solutions is arranging a seminar in Brussels during Open Days on October 12th. The seminar will discuss how sustainability, cost-effectiveness, social inclusion, and accessibility of transport services can be improved in areas outside urban centres. Retail in Rural Regions will have their final seminar in Iceland during 8.-9.

November. FIN-RAG will discuss the submitted applications from the 8th call in a telephone

conference on November 11th. There will be a national partner meeting in early December for Finnish project

actors – date to be determined. Various NPP projects will conduct seminar in 2012 such OCTES &TG4NP. Finnish partners will participate in the SMALLEST Road Show in Northern

Sweden in April 2012.

Messages from Regional Contact Points

The Scottish RCP is disappointed that she can't be here but she sends her regards to the participants and hopes that you all have an informative and fun time

Potential applicants are busy “beavering” away pulling together applications for the 8th round and a date for the Scottish RAG is to be determined. She is attending the MicrE partner meeting and technology showcase event in Dumfries on 15/16th November 2011.

Scottish RCP expects to arrange a partner meeting by the end of the year to catch up with all the projects and discuss progress and issues. A date is to be confirmed, but she'll be in touch as soon as possible.

Just a reminder that she's always happy to hear from the partners, so drop her a call anytime for a catch up. Have a fabulous time in Norway!

Messages from Regional Contact Points

Irish RCP sends his best regards to all Lead Partner participants in Alta and conveys apologies for not being able to attend the event.

Ireland 30 partners participating in 17 approved projects and three being led by Irish organisations.

Irish RCP welcomes the latest Irish led project, Creative Edge led by NUI Galway. Irish led RASLES project is being presenting at the International Nordic Bioenergy

Conference in Jyvaskyla, Finland this September. The Irish RCP wishes to bring to participants attention that a major EU conference on

the Marine Economy will be hosted by the BMW Regional Assembly on February 7th 2012 in Dublin. The purpose of the conference is to look at the opportunities for the marine sector

post 2014 in the context of EU macro regions strategies. The conference will specifically look at the Atlantic potential.

The Irish RCP encourages NPP marine stakeholders to attend and their interest should be directed to the Irish RCP.

www.northernperiphery.eu

Thank you for listening!