What NOREC LTD does

Norec (legal name: Norec – Norsk Senter for Utvekslingssamarbeid, organization number 981 965 132) is a Norwegian government agency (statsforetak) operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headquartered in Førde since its February 2018 relocation from Oslo. The agency delivers three legally distinct workstreams: (i) a work-exchange programme where Norwegian organizations and partner organizations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America co-design and implement staff exchanges through a two-phase grant cycle (Phase 1 project idea, Phase 2 implementation) supporting roughly 70 active projects and approximately 400 participants per year; (ii) recruitment of Norwegian professionals into Junior Professional Officer (JPO) and Senior Programme Officer (SPO) roles in UN agencies and the World Bank; and (iii) an independent department evaluating Norwegian development assistance. Adjacent offerings include a Post-Exchange Initiative grant scheme for alumni, and an external training catalogue of 75–80 courses per year on intercultural competence, travel safety, and global partnership success, delivered by six dedicated advisers.

Norec is funded entirely by Norway's development-policy budget via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and does not charge fees for its services; its revenue mechanics are grant-in / grant-out. Its operational technology stack is conventional enterprise software — Microsoft Dynamics for CRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Voice for surveys, the TietoEvry Public 360° system for NOARK-compliant document and case management, and Zoom for digital exchange collaboration — with no proprietary AI, data, or platform layer. The distribution model is a structured grant-application portal supported by webinars, information meetings, a LinkedIn presence, an email newsletter, and earned media through published impact stories.

The agency's customer base is bifurcated: end-beneficiaries span roughly 1,500 historical organizations across approximately 17 partner countries with sectoral depth in healthcare (Oslo University Hospital/Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital Malawi neurosurgery, neonatal-care exchanges with Indian hospitals), humanitarian work (Norwegian Red Cross), and inclusive entrepreneurship (DataDrivenFinance micro-insurance in Kenya, Techbridge). The single revenue counterparty, however, is the Norwegian state. The agency was founded within its current mandate structure in 2018 and currently operates with 60 employees under interim Director Tehetena Woldemariam, with Marit Lofnes Mellingen appointed by the King in Council to take up the Director role in August 2026, succeeding Jan Olav Baarøy.

Name

NOREC LTD

Legal name

Norec – Norsk Senter for Utvekslingssamarbeid

Website

https://norec.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Norec is a Norwegian government agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that funds and facilitates work exchanges between Norwegian organizations and partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, recruits Norwegians for UN and World Bank positions, and independently evaluates Norwegian development assistance, serving roughly 70 concurrent projects and 400 participants annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Cooperation Services

NAICS

Public Administration (92), International Affairs (92812), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bilateral Development & Aid Agencies (HLAJAKAB), United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

Keywords

• International work exchange
• Development cooperation
• Grant funding programmes
• Multilateral organisation recruitment
• Development evaluation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Førde

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Norec receives funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to operate exchange programs and recruit Norwegians for international organizations. The agency provides grants to partner organizations for work exchanges between Norway and countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Norec is a Norwegian government agency that funds and facilitates international work exchanges between organisations in Norway and partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America through a two-phase grant programme (Phase 1 project-idea development; Phase 2 implementation). It also recruits and places Norwegian professionals in UN, World Bank, and other multilateral organisations via the Junior Expert Programme (JPO) and Senior Expert Programme (SPO), runs a Post-Exchange Initiative grant scheme for alumni, delivers external training courses, and provides independent evaluation of Norwegian development assistance.

Product overview

NOREC (Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation) operates as a government agency managing a three-part mandate: work exchanges between Norwegian organizations and partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin-America; recruitment of Norwegians to multilateral organizations; and independent evaluation of Norwegian development assistance. The core offerings consist of the Work Exchange Programme with two phases (Phase 1 for project idea development and Phase 2 for implementation), recruitment programmes placing Norwegians in UN and World Bank positions (JPO and SPO), a Post-Exchange Initiative grant scheme for former participants, external training courses, and evaluation services. The organization facilitates approximately 400 young people annually on work exchanges worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Work Exchange Programme – Phase 1 (Project Idea Development) First phase of Norec's two-phase exchange programme. Applicant organisations in Norway and partner countries apply jointly to receive funding and guidance for developing a work-exchange project idea, including physical meetings and structured support on international partnership work.
• Work Exchange Programme – Phase 2 (Implementation) Follow-up phase of Norec's exchange programme. Partnerships that completed Phase 1 apply for funding to implement the actual work exchange, with additional guidance, training, and course participation provided during implementation.
• Junior Expert Programme (JPO) Programme that finances positions for young Norwegian professionals placed in UN agencies, the World Bank, and other international organisations on contracts of one to three years.
• Senior Expert Programme (SPO) Programme that finances senior positions for experienced Norwegian professionals in UN agencies, the World Bank, and other international organisations.
• Post-Exchange Initiative Grant Scheme Small-project grant scheme exclusively for former Norec exchange participants who want to implement ideas developed during or after their exchange.
• Training Courses External training offerings covering intercultural competence, travel safety and preparedness, succeeding in global partnerships, and pre-departure training for researchers on fieldwork, delivered by Norec's six advisers with extensive international work experience.
• Evaluation Services Independent department providing evaluation of Norwegian development assistance, one of the three core pillars of Norec's mandate alongside work-exchange and multilateral recruitment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,000+ young people have participated in exchanges over 25 years, reaching approximately 130,000 people through knowledge sharing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Norwegian Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner20-year partnership for youth delegate exchange program between Norwegian Red Cross and Red Cross national societies globally. Norwegian volunteers work 9 months abroad while hosting delegates from partner countries.
• Oslo University HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare personnel exchange between Oslo University Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Malawi for neurosurgery training program, transforming access to life-saving healthcare.
• DataDrivenFinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange partnership between DataDrivenFinance Norway and DataDrivenFinance Kenya for micro-insurance platform development, providing health and life insurance to 10,000 low-income Kenyans.
• Lady Hardinge Medical College & Kalawati Saran's Hospital (India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term healthcare exchange since 2012 for neonatal care improvement, including milk bank establishment and breastfeeding support, resulting in 50% reduction in infant mortality.
• TechbridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting young entrepreneurs through exchange programs focused on technology and innovation in developing countries.
• Norwegian Ministry of Foreign AffairscoreOthersPrimary government funder and oversight authority. Norec's appellate authority for appeals decisions. Provides strategic direction aligned with Norwegian foreign and development policy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: Dutch development organisation working on poverty reduction through advisory services and capacity building in agriculture, energy, and water. Comparable in mission-driven model and partner-country programme execution.
• KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency): South Korea's bilateral development agency running fellowship programmes, expert dispatch, and grant-funded projects. Comparable to Norec in combining grant-funded work exchanges, training, and volunteer programmes.
• DANIDA (Danish International Development Agency): Denmark's development cooperation arm under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, financing programmes across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Comparable in scale, bilateral-aid model, and Nordic development cooperation framework.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): Germany's federal agency for international cooperation, delivering development programmes through staff exchanges, capacity building, and project funding. Highly comparable as a bilateral government agency executing work-exchange and development cooperation mandates on behalf of a national foreign ministry.
• Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency): Sweden's bilateral development cooperation agency, funding partnerships and capacity-building programmes with NGOs, public agencies, and multilateral organisations. Comparable in mandate, Nordic governance context, and channel-of-funding structure to Norec.
• JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency): Japan's government agency for technical cooperation, dispatching experts, running training programmes, and managing grant aid globally. Comparable as a bilateral agency facilitating knowledge exchange between Japan and partner countries.
• Norad (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation): Norway's sister agency to Norec under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for grant management to NGOs and civil society. Highly comparable as a domestic bilateral-development peer within the same ministry and country context.
• Expertise France: France's public agency for international technical expertise, mobilising public expertise for development projects globally. Comparable as a public agency facilitating cross-border expert exchange and project-funded cooperation.

Broad incumbents

• USAID: US government's primary development assistance agency, funding global programmes and capacity building. Comparable in operating as a bilateral development funder with global reach, though substantially larger and more diversified than Norec.
• FCDO (UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office): UK government department managing the full spectrum of foreign policy and development cooperation. Comparable at the mandate level (development aid and exchange), but much broader in scope including diplomacy and trade policy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/norec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NOREC LTD