NORA Action Plan for 2026

Nordic Atlantic Cooperation (NORA) contributes to the development of a green, competitive and socially sustainable North Atlantic by stimulating and initiating cooperation among relevant stakeholders in the Nordic region’s North Atlantic area. NORA supports the regional sector’s Vision 2030 action plan. NORA’s 2025-2028 strategy programme reaffirms its role as a project-supporting, agenda-setting and alliance-building organisation, and it outlines thematic priorities for collaboration.

1. Two funding rounds

Project funding is an important tool for NORA to achieve the objectives of the strategy and the regional sector’s Vision 2030 action plan. Grant-receiving projects are an important part of NORA’s network. The 2026 application deadlines fall in early March and early October. NORA will conduct two webinars (one in Scandinavian and one in English) for potential applicants well in advance of the deadlines.

2. Leader project Greenland

Greenland chairs NORA in 2026. The project focuses on competence development, networking and organisational strengthening as part of NORA’s action plan.

3. Collaboration with the Barents Secretariat

As part of our alliance-building activities, we will work to strengthen our collaboration with other stakeholders in the NORA area, initially with the Barents Secretariat, which has overlapping tasks and focus areas where there are apparent synergies.

4. Generation Nordic

Youth participation and implementation are integral parts of all NORA activities. In 2026, we will continue to work with our partners in the region on a Generation North Atlantic II event, now called Generation Nordic.

5. Silver Economy Award 2026

NORA has made senior citizens and the resources they can contribute a part of our 2025-2028 strategy. One way to raise awareness about this focus area is by highlighting success stories. To do this, we have set up the Silver Economy Award. The award, which also includes a monetary prize, will recognise initiatives that articulate how senior citizens are a resource for regional development. Nominations for the inaugural award will open later this year, and the winning initiative will be announced at a ceremony held in connection with a relevant event (Arctic Frontiers, Arctic Circle or the like).

6. Collaboration with the Nordic region’s western neighbours

Collaboration with the Nordic region’s neighbours to the west (NiVs) is a cross-cutting focus in all of NORA’s work. As part of this long-standing priority, NORA assesses whether NiV participation in its initiatives is relevant and possible. We are considering an information campaign focused on the Shetland Islands, which has shown an interest in collaborating with NORA.