Test your idea

Once the basic conditions are met, the application is assessed in the next step using selection criteria. The selection criteria help the board assess how well a project can contribute to the strategy's objectives.

There are four general criteria plus one specific criterion for each focus area. This means that there are five selection criteria for each project. The criteria are assessed using a points system that can give a maximum of 1000 points per project. A minimum of 500 points is required for a decision to approve.

Selection criterion 1

The project contributes to lasting results and long-term effects

• Step 1: The project is expected to create lasting results. Lasting results could, for example, include a plan for how maintenance of an investment will be financed in the long term or reports that are made available to the target group or the public.
• Step 2: The project application contains a plan for interventions that make long-term effects likely. By long-term effects we mean, for example, changes in attitudes or structural changes such as new jobs or increased access to services and infrastructure.

This selection criterion is used for assessing projects in all areas of intervention.

Selection criterion 2

The project is innovative

By innovation we mean, for example, new activities, new meeting places, new networks, products and services, market and/or method development or new ways of working that can be transferred to others. It can also be a proven method that is developed, used by a new target group or tested in a new context.

Step 1. The project is innovative locally

Step 2: The project is innovative for the leader area

Step 3. The project is innovative outside the leader area

This selection criterion is used for assessing projects in all areas of intervention.

Selection criterion 3

The project contributes to sustainable development

Sustainable development is based on three dimensions. Ecological sustainability is about climate & environmental aspects and conscious choices of materials, travel methods, services and products or active efforts for increased biodiversity, resource and energy efficiency or shorter supply chains. Social sustainability refers to the human dimension, how the efforts affect increased inclusion, security, accessibility, gender equality. Economic sustainability refers to the household dimension, acting long-term and considering resource efficiency.

Step 1. The project considers the three dimensions of sustainability during the project and actively works with one of the dimensions.

Step 2. The project considers the three dimensions of sustainability during the project and actively works with at least two of the dimensions.

Selection criterion 4

The project contributes to youth participation

By youth participation, we mean that children and young people < 25 years of age have been involved in the planning or implementation of the project.

Step 1. The project includes activities whose results benefit young people < 25 years old

Step 2. The project includes activities in which young people < 25 years of age participate.

Step 3. At least 50 percent of the project management team is young people < 25 years old.

This selection criterion is used for assessing projects in all areas of intervention.

Selection criterion 5

The project contributes to increased competence, knowledge and learning

Step 1. The project implements knowledge or skills-enhancing initiatives.

Step 2. The project contributes to the use of knowledge and skills. This may involve, for example, project participants interning at a company/organization, or developing products/concepts/models for, for example, marketing, information dissemination, business or product development.

Knowledge or skills-enhancing initiatives: activities with or without elements of practice, exchange of working methods or experiences through, for example, study circles, training courses, workshops or study visits. This includes initiatives within skills provision, skills and knowledge transfer.

Selection criterion 6

The project contributes to new collaborations that benefit business development and collaborative solutions

Kriterert is about efforts that companies, associations, industries or different sectors of society make together to find better and more effective solutions that create synergies.

Step 1. The project develops new or existing products, services, business plans, strategies or collaboration solutions in active collaboration between at least two actors

Step 2. The project conducts meetings, conferences, study visits, etc. where actors outside the project are invited with the aim of creating further synergies and learning.

Step 3. The project develops networks or collaborations that are lasting after the project's implementation.

Selection criterion 7

The project contributes to developing an existing or new site/natural environment with minimal environmental or climate impact

Step 1. The project creates, restores or preserves a meeting place/premises/natural environment/investment that is assessed to be able to last after the end of the project.

Step 2. The project minimizes negative environmental and climate impact during implementation through conscious choices of materials, transportation/travel methods, services or products.

Step 3. The project includes active efforts for increased biodiversity, resource and energy efficiency, improved water quality or shorter supply chains.

Selection criteria Pre-studies

The project leads to new knowledge

Step 1. The project leads to new knowledge.

Step 2: The project contributes to putting the knowledge into practice. This means developing a plan for how the results will be managed and how the knowledge will be used in practice after the feasibility study is completed, for example by describing who owns the results, how the results can be taken forward to the next stage or what funding is required for implementation.

This selection criterion is used for the assessment of feasibility studies.