Find and win more grants: a practical guide for nonprofits

Grants are abundant — the challenge is finding the right ones and writing applications that win. Here are the most important Norwegian and European sources, plus a workflow that makes the hunt systematic rather than random.

Start with the Frivillighetsregister

Registering in the Norwegian Frivillighetsregister is the gateway to a lot: VAT compensation, the Grasrotandel from Norsk Tipping, and many other schemes. If you are not registered yet, that is step one.

VAT compensation — now rule-based and 100%

This is the big, predictable scheme. On 5 May 2026 the Norwegian Parliament adopted rule-based VAT compensation: full compensation for voluntary organisations' VAT costs, which cannot be cut. For 2026, 3.08 billion NOK is allocated, and new, simpler rules apply from 1 January 2026. It is administered by the Norwegian Lottery and Foundation Authority — apply well before the deadline.

Foundations, the state and the EU

• Foundations: Gjensidigestiftelsen, Sparebankstiftelsen DNB and many regional savings-bank foundations hand out large sums to local projects.
• State schemes: use the grant portal tilskudd.no (DFØ) to find state grants you qualify for.
• EU/EEA: Erasmus+, Creative Europe, Horizon Europe and the Active Citizens Fund (EEA grants) are open to Norwegian actors — often in partnership.

How to win more

1. Match carefully: theme, geography, budget size and deadline.
2. Write concretely: a clear problem, measurable outcomes, a realistic budget.
3. Build a calendar of deadlines and follow up systematically.

Let AI do the grunt work

An AI grant assistant can search Norwegian and European sources, score each opportunity on criteria such as thematic fit, geography, budget, competition and deadline, draft a first application, and keep track of deadlines. It turns hours of searching into minutes.