Hurtigruten Foundation Invites Coastal Communities to Apply for Funding with New Grant Opportunities

• Communities where Hurtigruten Group operates are encouraged to apply ahead of November 1, 2023
• Over one-third of allocated grants in 2022 were recommended by Hurtigruten Group employees; harnessing its peoples’ insights, the Foundation encourages employees to put forward projects that positively impact the communities they visit at sea

London, UK (September 13, 2023) — Since its establishment in 2015, Hurtigruten Foundation, has allocated 7.25 million NOK (approx. 633,500 euros) to support environmental and community initiatives. Ahead of its November 1 deadline, the Foundation is now inviting funding applications from coastal communities where Hurtigruten Group, the leading adventure travel company, operates. Empowering its people, the Group is encouraging employees across its Hurtigruten Expeditions, Hurtigruten Norway, and Hurtigruten Svalbard brands to recommend projects that support the regions they visit.

"Our objective is to invest in the very communities our guests explore,” stated Henrik A. Lund, Managing Director of Hurtigruten Foundation, which seeks to fight climate change, strengthen local communities, and combat unsustainable mass tourism. “We are committed to supporting initiatives with a net positive impact on the people and places that lie at the heart of our adventures.”

In 2022, over one-third of grant recipients were recommended by Hurtigruten Group’s own employees. “The Foundation provides our team members at sea with a meaningful channel to engage with - and give back to - the regions and communities they encounter daily,” added Lund.

The upcoming grant marks the Foundation's second allocation for the year, which awards grants biannually (in May and November). In the first 2023 cycle, a record-breaking sum of 83,000 euros was distributed to 14 projects, constituting the Foundation’s largest single-round distribution to date. The milestone came as a result of new fundraising initiatives, including the 'camping for climate' fundraiser, which Hurtigruten Expeditions will repeat in the upcoming 2023-2024 Antarctica season.

Recent recipients include a project that safeguards the critically endangered Gálapagos Petrel bird; beach clean-ups that have removed 8,845 kilograms of plastic waste and marine litter from Svalbard’s coast; the restoration of underwater kelp forests in Northern Norway; and educational support for young Greenlanders through the Association of Greenlandic Children.

Eligibility and Submission Requirements

Interested parties can download the simple application and submission guidelines on the Hurtigruten Foundation website. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2023.

The Foundation welcomes applications from any organisation undertaking projects or initiatives concerned with Hurtigruten Group’s regions of operation. Alongside Hurtigruten Norway and Hurtigruten Svalbard, Hurtigruten Expeditions programs travel to the below destinations:

• Alaska
• Antarctica
• Arctic Canada
• The British Isles
• Caribbean and Central America (Panama, Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua, and El Salvador)
• Ecuador
• The Gálapagos Islands
• Greenland
• Iceland
• Norway
• Svalbard
• South America (Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina)
• Cape Verde
• Senegal
• The Gambia
• The Bissagos Islands, Guinea-Bissau

Read more about the last round of grant recipients here.

To learn more, visit the Hurtigruten Foundation’s website.