The regional business fund is financed by Agder County Council and the municipalities of Kristiansand, Lindesnes and Vennesla. The size of the fund is NOK 3 million annually. The fund can support projects in one or more of the three municipalities.
Allocations from, and use of, the regional business fund shall support the Agder 2030 regional plan and the six focus areas in the business strategy "Strategy for value creation in the Kristiansand region":
- Energy industries
- Infrastructure and commercial space
- Experiences
- Jobs and expertise
- International competitiveness
- Innovation and transition to a sustainable low-emission society
If you wish to apply, we recommend that you contact the municipality in which your business is registered to find out whether your project is eligible for funding before preparing an application.
What can be supported?
The fund can support projects in one or more of the three municipalities.
Funding may be provided for measures that contribute to the achievement of goals within the priority areas of the "Strategy for value creation in the Kristiansand region" and that are of interest to large parts of the business community in one or more of the three municipalities. The funds can also be used for the municipality's share of costs in initiatives where the municipality chooses to act as a partner or organizer.
Funding will normally be considered to cover up to 50 percent of the approved funding requirement, but the proportion may vary. The remainder can be covered by equity and/or own efforts.
The support will usually be given as de minimis support.
Guidelines for the regional business fund
Please note that no one is entitled to support. General assessment criteria are as follows:
a) Particular emphasis is placed on whether the measure promotes increased activity, employment and sustainable value creation, including that the measure supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
b) The initiative must be of a high quality and have good support from any participating parties in terms of involvement and project funding.
c) The measure owner must have a realistic plan for implementation and be able to substantiate that sufficient financial and personnel resources have been allocated to ensure success.
d) Support is not granted for ordinary operations. Exceptions may be made for measures that are considered particularly strategically important.
e) Funding is not provided for projects that have already been completed.
a) The size of the grant is limited by allocated funds, other allocations and the rules on state aid.
b) Support can be granted for a maximum of 3 years.
Applications are assessed jointly by the municipalities. Applications are received and formally processed in the municipality in which the applicant company is registered.
Grants are paid in arrears. However, the grant may be paid in part as the grant recipient documents progress in the implementation of the measure. If necessary to get the project started, up to 20 percent of the grant may be paid at the start of the measure.
Geographically, the economic allocation fraction is used as a guideline for the distribution of allocations to projects in the various municipalities. Exceptions to this may be made if all parties agree.
The Local Government Act, the Public Administration Act and the Freedom of Information Act form the basis for grant management. The EEA regulations for public support(state aid regulations) will govern which measures can be supported and the scope of the support.
There are three application deadlines in 2024.
- April 30 at 23:59
- September 01, 23:59
- November 01, 23:59
Kristiansand municipality:
Business Manager Geir Haugum
Tel. 38 07 50 00
Lindesnes municipality:
Business Manager Kjell Rune Olsen
Tel. 38 25 70 00
Vennesla municipality:
Business Manager Torgeir Haugaa
Tel. 38 12 72 00
