Norwegian Development Programme to Combat Marine Litter and Microplastics (Norad/MFA)

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Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 17:21

Funder: Norwegian Development Programme to Reduce Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter

Norwegian international development funding for reducing marine litter and microplastics in partner countries, especially Africa and Asia. Supports land-based waste management systems, technology transfer, capacity building, and value chain development for plastic waste collection, sorting, and recycling.

Source: https://www.norad.no/en/front/funding/

Funding Details

Funder: Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
Funding Goal: Norwegian international development assistance channelled through Norad to partner organisations including Norwegian companies, government agencies, NGOs, universities, and cultural institutions. Funding covers diverse development themes including climate, nature, private sector development, civil society, governance, and human rights in developing countries.
Funding Amount: Total Norwegian aid in 2025: NOK 58.9 billion; individual grant sizes vary by programme. Norad supports approximately 1,557 projects annually.
Deadline: Rolling - depends on specific open call (Rolling)
How to Apply: Applications submitted through specific calls for proposals published at norad.no/en/for-partners/guides-and-tools/calls-for-proposals2/. Read the Grants Handbook (available on the Norad website) before applying. The GranMa digital platform is being developed for future grant management.
Target Region: Developing countries globally; Norway has bilateral programmes in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere. Climate and nature programmes focus on Africa, Asia, and other developing regions.
Contact: Norad, Bygdøy allé 2, 0257 Oslo, Norway. Email: postmottak@norad.no. Phone: +47 22 30 40 50.
Last Checked: 2026-05-07 02:02

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Norwegian organisational lead typically required (NGO, company, university, or research institution)
In-country implementing partner required for developing country projects

Required Documents

Monitor norad.no/en/for-partners/guides-and-tools/calls-for-proposals2/ for open calls relevant to marine litter
Read the Norad Grants Handbook before applying

Constraints

Eligibility criteria, geographic focus, and deadlines depend on specific call
Open Policy requirements apply to all projects funded by the Department for Climate, Nature, and the Private Sector

Summary

Norad (the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) is Norway's primary development aid agency, administering Norwegian development assistance across a wide range of thematic areas and geographies in developing countries. The registered URL points to Norad's general 'For partners' page, which serves as a portal for organisations seeking to collaborate with Norad on development projects. Thematically, Norad supports diverse areas including climate change and nature, private sector development, civil society and governance, humanitarian assistance, health, education, and human rights. Relevant to ocean plastic and marine litter, Norway has a dedicated marine litter and microplastics programme (the 'Norwegian Development Programme to Combat Marine Litter and Microplastics') which channels funds for land-based waste management, technology transfer, and capacity building for plastic waste collection and recycling in developing countries, particularly Africa and Asia. Eligible activities vary by specific call but typically include technical assistance, capacity building, infrastructure investment, and systemic change projects in developing countries. Norwegian organisations are typically required as lead or implementing partners, often working with in-country partners. Geographically, Norad focuses on developing countries globally, with particular concentration in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and selected partner countries. The marine litter programme focuses on countries with high ocean plastic input risk. Eligible applicants include Norwegian NGOs, companies, research institutions, government agencies, and universities. Most calls require Norwegian organisational lead, with flexibility for international implementing partners. The Strategic Civil Society Partners (Plusspartner) scheme provides multi-year framework agreements to large Norwegian NGOs. No specific marine litter call was found open on the Norad funding portal at time of review. Organisations should monitor the calls for proposals page regularly.

Historical Context

Norad is the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, founded in 1968. In 2025, Norway allocated 1.03% of GNI to development aid, totalling NOK 58.9 billion across approximately 1,557 projects. Norad manages Norwegian development assistance on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sources

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