Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as non-EU countries, have been providing financial contributions through EEA Grants and Norway since 1994 to those EU countries whose per capita gross domestic product is below 90% of the EU average. Contributing countries, on the other hand, are allowed the free movement of goods, capital, services and people within all EU member states. The Slovak Republic has been a recipient country since 2004, when it became a member of the European Union and thus part of the European Economic Area.
The EEA Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.
There are two overall objectives: reduction of economic and social disparities in Europe, and to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor countries and 15 EU countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics.
The three donor countries cooperate closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). The donors have provided €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes between 1994 and 2014. For the period 2014-2021, the EEA Grants amount to €1.55 billion. The priorities for this period are:
1 Innovation, Research, Education and Competitiveness
2 Social Inclusion, Youth Employment and Poverty Reduction
3 Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy
4 Culture, Civil Society, Good Governance and Fundamental Rights
5 Justice and Home Affairs
The EEA Grants are jointly financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, whose contributions are based on their GDP.
Eligibility for the Grants mirror the criteria set for the EU Cohesion Fund aimed at member countries where the Gross National Income (GNI) per inhabitant is less than 90% of the EU average. All projects are co-financed by the State Budget of the Slovak Republic in the amount of 15%.
The “Red Monastery – reborn” project is implemented through the Culture program. The aim of the program is “Social and economic development strengthened through cultural cooperation, entrepreneurship in the field of culture and cultural heritage management”. The program will support projects under two outputs – the first is aimed at restoring and revitalizing cultural heritage and the second at improving access to contemporary art.
The first output will support the improvement of the cultural heritage through projects implemented under the CLT01 call for projects for the restoration and revitalization of cultural heritage for reuse or further use of cultural monuments and the promotion of entrepreneurial potential, with the ambition of at least 30% of projects in cooperation with partners from contributing countries. Supported projects under this CLT01 output are available here.
The second output, with its content, will support the improvement of access to contemporary art through the implementation of projects implemented under the small grant scheme, which will consist of two calls CLT02 and CLT03. The small grant scheme will focus on supporting projects to develop the capacity of cultural actors and work with the audience, to support projects of organizing events focused on the cultural and artistic interests of the audience and their involvement in culture and the arts. At the same time, it will support projects for the organization of events dedicated to artistic and / or freedom of expression, events aimed at raising awareness of minority culture and the involvement of educational institutions. Supported projects within this CLT02 output can be found here.
Comprehensive information on grants and calls under individual programs is available on the website of the National Contact Point for EEA and Norwegian Grants www.eeagrants.sk.