Introduction

The Northern Periphery Programme (NPP) 2007 -2013 is one of several European Union funded programmes and is aimed at helping peripheral and remote communities on the northern margins of Europe to develop their economic, social and environmental potential. The success of the programme will be built on joint projects creating innovative products and services for the benefit of the programme partner countries and Europe as a whole.

The Northern Periphery Programme 2007-2013 covers a vast area. It encompasses the EU member states of Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom and Sweden and Non-EU member states Faeroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Norway.

To be considered eligible for funding, a project must concentrate on issues that require transnational cooperation and that are of relevance to the characteristics of the programme area. The regions of the Northern Periphery share many features. Sparseness of population, rurality, insularity, harsh climate and peripherality are common across the programme area.

The NPP generally calls for proposals twice a year, but in 2009 there is only one call, the Fourth Call, which closes on 18th March 2009. The Fifth Call for proposals will be in Spring 2010 and this will potentially be a focused call. More information about the exact nature of the Fifth Call will be published in August 2009 to inform applicants in good time about what will be expected from them.

Project Priorities 1.

1. Promoting innovation and competitiveness in remote and peripheral areas

i . Innovation, networks and competitiveness
ii. Accessibility

2. Sustainable development of natural and community resources

i.  Environment as an asset in the periphery
ii. Urban-rural development and promotion of heritage

Project Types

Preparatory Projects are a tool developed to bring potential project partners together and to generate high-quality main project applications. There is a continuous call system is in place for the submission of preparatory project applications, meaning that they can be submitted at any time and generally last 6 months to a year.

Main Projects, should have a project idea for transnational cooperation that addresses one of the priorities of the programme, a joint project plan, a firm project partnership consisting of three or more partners from at least three different programme partner countries and public match funding should be in place. The maximum project period is 3 years.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise provides a first point of contact for information and advice on the Northern Periphery Programme in Scotland.

More detailed information can also be found on the Northern Periphery Programme website which contains comprehensive details of the programme, including the programme documents, lists of projects and project ideas.

Regional Events and Seminars

Highlands and Islands Enterprise provides the Regional Contact Point (RCP) for Scotland for the Northern Periphery Programme. Part of this role is to provide relevant seminars on how to apply and project development. Details of any local events will be posted on the events page, which also has copies of presentations from previous events.