Soft Funding Norway
Comprehensive guide to non-dilutive funding sources for digital health startups in Norway.
Innovation Norway (Innovasjon Norge)[edit]
Innovasjon Norge is the main government agency for innovation support.
Innovation Contract[edit]
- Up to 2 million NOK per project
- Rolling applications via raskavklaring portal
- For companies with innovative projects with commercial potential
- Website migrating as of April 2026 — use raskavklaring portal
Commercialisation Projects[edit]
- Requires origin from a research organization
- FORNY2020 program is dead — replaced by this
- CLOSED as of April 2026
Founder Salary Notes[edit]
- 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)[edit]
IPN (Industry Innovation Projects)[edit]
- Open-ended, best current NFR option for companies
- Supports industry innovation projects including R&D, testing, piloting
SkatteFUNN[edit]
- 19% tax credit on R&D costs
- Always open, no deadline
- Fewer restrictions than grants
- Any Norwegian company doing R&D eligible
FORNY2020[edit]
- DEAD — no longer accepting applications
- Replaced by Innovation Norway Commercialisation Projects
EU Funding (Norwegian entities eligible) =[edit]
Horizon Europe[edit]
- Health cluster: HORIZON-HLTH calls for digital health tools
- Norwegian entities eligible as consortium partners
- EU Funding Portal
Digital Europe Programme[edit]
- EHDS-related calls for health data infrastructure
EIT Health[edit]
- Accelerator programs, grants, innovation competitions
- Nordic presence with relevant programs for Norwegian startups
- eithealth.eu
EIC Accelerator[edit]
- Up to EUR 2.5M grant + EUR 15M equity
- Highly competitive, requires strong traction
Health-Specific Programs =[edit]
Aleap[edit]
- Oslo Science Park, Norway's leading health startup hub
- 4,000 NOK/month, access to Aleap ventures fund
- Mentoring, investor network, lab space
- aleap.no
Norway Health Tech[edit]
- Cluster organization for Norwegian health industry
- norwayhealthtech.com
The Life Science Cluster[edit]
- Norwegian life science industry cluster
- lifesciencecluster.no
Key Universities with Health Innovation[edit]
- 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[edit]
- 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)