Funding for disability organisations enables Nordic-Baltic cooperation

Around SEK 1.5 million is distributed every autumn to promote cooperation in the Nordic and Baltic region. In 2025, more than 30 organisations received funding, and between three and eleven organisations participate in each funded activity.

Funding example: AI webinar

This year, Åland Islands Disability Rights Federation (Funktionsrätt Åland) received funding together with Handikapporganisationernas Nordiska Råd (HNR) and the Finnish Disability Forum (Vammaisfoorumi ry) to organise a webinar on AI and its effects on the rights of persons with disabilities. Over 50 participants from all the Nordic countries and autonomous regions took part in the webinar, some attending in person in Helsinki, Finland.

– Funds from the Funding Scheme made the webinar possible. We rented a venue in Helsinki and invited participants from all the member countries and regions of the HNR. The support from the Funding Scheme was used to cover their costs, says Karl Wahlman, managing director at Funktionsrätt Åland.

Finding partners for the project was a seamless process.

– Since we already have a network with the Nordic countries and regions, we could use these contacts to find speakers, a venue and a moderator. The event was largely a cooperation between many Nordic organisations, says Erika Elfsberg, communications officer at Funktionsrätt Åland.

After the webinar, the hosting organisations compiled a list of joint recommendations on making AI more inclusive, which was handed to the Nordic Council of Ministers.

– AI and digitalisation are highly relevant issues for the disability field in both the Nordic region and in the rest of the world. For organisations like ours, AI and digitalisation are huge questions, and it is not always easy to follow the rapid development. We believe that joint monitoring and exchange of experiences are very important in the Nordic region, where our social structures are very similar, says Karl Wahlman.

New call for applications opening 25 September

The next round of funding will be open from 25 September to 30 October. Funding decisions will be made before the end of the year.

National organisations, groups, or other civil society operators in the field of disability can apply for funding from the Nordic Welfare Centre. Applicants must be organised by, with, and for persons with disabilities or chronic diseases.

Before applying, read through the Funding scheme handbook to make the application as accurate as possible. The handbook is available in English and Swedish.

Activities resulting in Nordic added value

The funding scheme is part of the Nordic Programme for Cooperation on Disability 2023–2027. All activities that receive funding must have a connection to one of the three sub-areas of the programme: human rights, participation or free movement.

The activities must contribute to Nordic benefit and added value by providing participants with a larger Nordic network of contacts and by promoting organisational and knowledge development.