Editing Soft Funding Norway

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Comprehensive guide to non-dilutive funding sources for digital health startups in Norway.

== Innovation Norway (Innovasjon Norge) ==
[https://www.innovasjonnorge.no Innovasjon Norge] is the main government agency for innovation support.

=== Innovation Contract ===
* Up to 2 million NOK per project
* Rolling applications via [https://www.innovasjonnorge.no/raskavklaring raskavklaring portal]
* For companies with innovative projects with commercial potential
* Website migrating as of April 2026 — use raskavklaring portal

=== Commercialisation Projects ===
* Requires origin from a research organization
* FORNY2020 program is dead — replaced by this
* CLOSED as of April 2026

=== Founder Salary Notes ===
* OK for formal employees, market-rate salary required
* 50% support intensity typical
* EUR 25K/mnd will be challenged — early-stage approved 60-90K NOK/mnd

== Research Council of Norway (NFR) ==
[https://www.forskningsradet.no NFR]

=== IPN (Industry Innovation Projects) ===
* Open-ended, best current NFR option for companies
* Supports industry innovation projects including R&D, testing, piloting

=== SkatteFUNN ===
* 19% tax credit on R&D costs
* Always open, no deadline
* Fewer restrictions than grants
* Any Norwegian company doing R&D eligible

=== FORNY2020 ===
* DEAD — no longer accepting applications
* Replaced by Innovation Norway Commercialisation Projects

== EU Funding (Norwegian entities eligible) ===

=== Horizon Europe ===
* Health cluster: HORIZON-HLTH calls for digital health tools
* Norwegian entities eligible as consortium partners
* [https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal EU Funding Portal]

=== Digital Europe Programme ===
* EHDS-related calls for health data infrastructure

=== EIT Health ===
* Accelerator programs, grants, innovation competitions
* Nordic presence with relevant programs for Norwegian startups
* [https://eithealth.eu eithealth.eu]

=== EIC Accelerator ===
* Up to EUR 2.5M grant + EUR 15M equity
* Highly competitive, requires strong traction

== Health-Specific Programs ===

=== Aleap ===
* Oslo Science Park, Norway's leading health startup hub
* 4,000 NOK/month, access to Aleap ventures fund
* Mentoring, investor network, lab space
* [https://aleap.no aleap.no]

=== Norway Health Tech ===
* Cluster organization for Norwegian health industry
* [https://norwayhealthtech.com norwayhealthtech.com]

=== The Life Science Cluster ===
* Norwegian life science industry cluster
* [https://lifesciencecluster.no lifesciencecluster.no]

== Key Universities with Health Innovation ==
* University of Oslo (UiO) — Faculty of Medicine, OUS collaboration
* NTNU — Health technology, SINTEF collaboration
* UiB (Bergen) — Haukeland University Hospital
* OsloMet — Health sciences, applied research

== Tips for Norwegian Health Startups ==
# Start with SkatteFUNN (always open, simple)
# Apply for IPN for concrete R&D projects
# Join Aleap for network and credibility
# Consider Horizon Europe consortium participation
# Plan for 60-90K NOK/mnd founder salary (not EUR 25K)

== See Also ==
* [[Soft Funding]]
* [[Investors]]
* [[AIDAVA]]
* [[Nordics]]

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[[Category:Norway]]