The Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Government of Denmark have now agreed how the Foundation will implement its DKK 10 billion contribution in support of the green transition within the framework of the Green Tripartite agreement.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation will allocate DKK 10 billion (€1.34 billion) over the next 10 years to support specific projects and initiatives that can especially contribute to land conversion that supports nature and biodiversity to benefit people throughout Denmark based on the agreement in principle with the Government of Denmark announced in June 2024.

A framework has now been confirmed for how the DKK 10 billion to contribute to the green transition is expected to be implemented within the agreement. The Foundation’s funds are expected to be used for projects in which public and private actors collaborate and for projects the Foundation supports alone or in collaboration with other foundations and private actors. The framework has been formulated in collaboration with the Government of Denmark and is available in Danish here.

“The Novo Nordisk Foundation allocating DKK 10 billion is crucial for initiatives that support the green transition. We have a massive societal task to accomplish, and the Foundation’s support will make a huge difference to Denmark’s landscape and how we experience nature in the future. The Foundation will allocate money to create large coherent natural areas and for afforestation so that we will experience an even greener Denmark. The Foundation also plans to allocate money for research projects to achieve even better solutions related to biodiversity, developing agricultural crops and sustainable agriculture,” says Jeppe Bruus, Minister for the Green Tripartite.

The DKK 10 billion from the Foundation is not being pooled with the DKK 43 billion set aside by the Government of Denmark and will be allocated to specific projects the Foundation chooses. The Government of Denmark and the Foundation will regularly coordinate to ensure that these projects support the joint visions.

“The Green Tripartite agreement is an ambitious vision for a new map of Denmark with more nature and more modern and sustainable agriculture that will affect many people in Denmark. The initiative is fully aligned with the Foundation’s goal of promoting knowledge and solutions that support the green transition of society, and we are proud to be able to contribute to this important joint endeavour,” says Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Grants over the next 10 years
The Foundation’s grants for projects that support the goals of the Green Tripartite agreement will be awarded over the next 10 years under the following three categories:

• Land conversion
• Research and innovation
• Community engagement

“We think that the Foundation’s funds can be optimally used under these three categories and that they can complement the initiatives that have been agreed politically. Many diverse initiatives are needed both nationally and locally to carry out this important and complex task,” says Lars Hansen, Project Director for the Green Tripartite at the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Land conversion
The Foundation plans to use about 75% of the allocated funds, corresponding to about DKK 7.5 billion, for projects focusing on land conversion, mostly to accelerate the creation of large coherent natural areas and afforestation.

The grants will mainly support projects carried out by established operators and foundations that already have the necessary skills and experience. The Foundation will therefore not purchase and convert land with its funds.

“Developing major land conversion projects typically takes several years if they are to be well embedded locally, and projects and initiatives are already underway among competent actors who have worked within this field for many years. We will focus on two things: strengthening ongoing land conversion projects and contributing to identifying new projects that could, for example, emerge from local green tripartite agreements,” elaborates Lars Hansen.

Research and innovation
The other main category to which the Foundation has allocated funds is promoting research and innovation. The grants for these types of projects will focus on developing and implementing knowledge and technology to be used to support the visions of the Green Tripartite agreement.

The Foundation already awards grants for research and innovation in this category and in related areas. The projects that will be supported within the framework of the Green Tripartite agreement should be effective as soon as possible and within the next 10 years.

“The aim is to accelerate and further develop research and innovation in areas such as plant-based food production, biodiversity and climate and environmental effects. We will focus on applied research, including testing new and existing technologies. The goal of the financial support for this category is that new technologies and methods will be able to be tested and integrated more rapidly on agricultural fields,” explains Lars Hansen.

The Foundation plans to allocate about 15% of the total funds, corresponding to about DKK 1.5 billion, for research and innovation projects.

Community engagement
Implementing the Green Tripartite agreement is a complex task that will require collaboration from many partners such as the municipalities, civil society organisations and landowners. The Foundation has therefore set aside funds to support community engagement and democratic participation in connection with the changes that will take place in Denmark’s communities over the coming decades.

“A prerequisite for good local embeddedness is involving the relevant partners. By allocating funds to support community engagement, we want to help to ensure that the appropriate competencies and knowledge at the local level can carry out the ambitious restructuring we will be carrying out,” says Lars Hansen.

The Foundation plans to allocate about 5% of the total funds, corresponding to about DKK 500 million, to support community engagement relating to Green Tripartite initiatives.

The Foundation has preliminarily allocated the remaining 5% of the total funds as a contingency to be awarded depending on how the initiatives within the three categories develop. Likewise, the overall allocation of funds between the three categories could change over time.

Further information
The grants for projects within the framework of the Green Tripartite agreement will be managed and awarded according to the Foundation’s standard grant procedures. The grants are expected to be awarded based on open calls for applications and on dialogue with applicants.

More information about applying for grants, the latest information on the opportunities to apply and an overview of the grants that have been awarded is available here.