206 applications received — decisions expected in November

“We are very pleased to see such strong interest in the call. We are now working our way through the 206 applications and look forward to learning more about the partnerships and projects behind them,” says Tehetena Woldemariam, director of programmes at Norec.

This is the first call in which Norec has used its new application portal. The portal has generally worked well, but we have experienced some technical problems. We are working to resolve them and make sure that we have all the information we need to assess each application fairly.

Applicants do not need to take any action unless they are contacted directly by Norec.

“We know that applicants are waiting to hear the outcome of their application, and we apologise for the delay. Our priority is to make sure that we have the information we need and that every application is assessed properly,” says Woldemariam.

Applicants can expect to receive a decision on their phase 1 application in the course of November.

The delay will not reduce the time available for phase 1. Partnerships whose phase 1 applications are approved will be able to apply for phase 2 by 15 February 2027. This will give them enough time to complete phase 1 before the next deadline.