FFI Accelerera the transition to sustainable road transport - spring 2025

Automotive Strategic research and Innovation (FFI) is a long-term collaboration
between the state and the automotive industry to jointly finance research,
innovation and development activities with a focus on making Sweden a leader in the global transition to sustainable road transport. FFI finances research and development activities for approximately one billion kronor per year, where state funding constitutes 420 million kronor.

This the offer finances project within FFI's Accelerate sub-program.
The focus is on broad collaborations and larger system demonstrations. At I Accelerera, innovative system solutions with high societal benefit will be demonstrated on a large scale in a real environment in broad collaborations.

Applications funded in this offer

Preparatory project for a system demonstrator:

• Project duration up to 9 months.
• The maximum funding to apply for is SEK 750,000.
• Maximum aid intensity is 75 percent.
• At least 25 percent business financing.
• At least two parties, of which at least one is a need owner.
• A feasibility study must have been completed, not necessarily within the FFI program.
• In addition, the state aid rules apply to each party. See further under section 4.

The preparatory projects form a project group of actors with a common drive and direction, in preparation for building a system demonstrator. The chosen societal challenge should have already been explored in a previous feasibility study project, which has shown that the solutions have potential to create a major change. In the preparatory projects, relevant actors are mobilized to participate and a plan is developed for the implementation of the system demonstrator, funding, utilization and dissemination of the results.

System demonstrator:

• Project duration up to 36 months.
• Project budget of at least 10 million SEK and at least 50 percent in
  co-financing.
• At least 25 percent business financing for the total project budget.
• At least three parties, of which at least one is a need owner.
• Completed a preparatory project, not necessarily within the FFI program. See further under section 2.
• In addition, the state aid rules apply to each party. See further under section 4.

A system demonstrator should clearly address one or more societal challenges linked to sustainable road transport and be crucial in accelerating the pace of the transition.

The project should have a high level of technical maturity, where industry and stakeholders (users such as transport buyers or others who benefit from the solution) see a value in investing in the solutions and spend time and resources to demonstrate them in a real environment. A wide range of actors with the power to influence different parts of the system work actively and jointly in the project.

The solution should have potential to be implemented broadly within a few years and be scalable in a national and international context. The system demonstrator should not be limited to technical innovation including services and processes, but should clearly integrate the other system perspectives of infrastructure, business models, regulations and behaviors. Broad collaborations are therefore crucial and relevant actors should participate, see more about the system demonstrator in section 2.

The total grant budget for this call for proposals is approximately SEK 70 million.

Project may advantageously include several project partners from the same type of actor, i.e. those who operate and compete in the same area or sector. This could be, for example, vehicle manufacturers, suppliers or public organizations.

Please note that there are several sub-programs within FFI: Accelerate is focused on larger system demonstrators and does not support pure technology demonstrators .If the planned project is a technology demonstration or has a low technical maturity level, it does not fit into Accelerate. Then see FFI's other sub-programs' calls for proposals to see if it can fit.

FFI's mission is to drive road transport innovations for a sustainable society.
The program has a roadmap that sets the direction towards 2030. The long-term vision is for Sweden to lead the global transition to sustainable road transport.

Three objectives guide the work:

• FFI demonstrates solutions that make society's road transport fossil-free, safe, equitable and efficient.
• FFI develops sustainable solutions that are implemented and accepted by users and society.
• FFI contributes, through innovation, partnership and collaboration, to developing expertise, infrastructure, new technology, regulations and business models within the road transport system.

Read more about FFI's roadmap

This call for proposals is part of FFI's Accelerate sub-program. With this offer we want to create conditions for system demonstrators through broad collaborations aim achieve significant system changes that accelerate the pace of the transition to sustainable road transport.

Read more about FFI Accelerera

• Preparatory project for system demonstration project.
• System demonstration project.

What is a system demonstrator?

System demonstration projects are a way to take the knowledge of what is required to change a system and put it into practice. To change at the system level, a portfolio of solutions that interact and move different parts of the system is often needed, rather than a single solution being implemented.

The demonstrator should not be limited to technical innovation, including services and processes, but also needs to work with culture and behaviors around the new solutions. Digital and physical infrastructure may need to be developed. Business models may need to be developed or adapted. Regulations and standards may also need to be adapted as technology and services develop, and this requires both dialogue and cooperation with relevant actors.

In a system demonstrator, all five system dimensions should be addressed:

• Behavior, culture
• Business models
• Regulations and standardization (“policy”)
• Infrastructure, physical and digital
• Technology, products, services and processes

Read more about the five dimensions in FFI's Roadmap

A system demonstrator should clearly address one or more societal challenges related to sustainable road transport where actors, who have the power to change the system and achieve a larger change, come together. The actors should operate within and have an impact on the five system dimensions.

A system demonstrator demonstrates how new, strategically selected solutions with a high degree of maturity work in a real-world context. It therefore shows not only technical innovation, but also how, for example, behaviors, culture, regulations, digital interfaces and markets need to change in order to achieve the intended change. A system demonstrator is therefore carried out in a real-world context, where relevant actors in the system come together to identify opportunities, obstacles and choices. It is the interaction between the solutions and reality that is the key.

To understand which solutions and interventions need to be included, the projects should
carry out analyses of the system they intend to change. What major obstacles, needs and opportunities are linked to the societal challenge that the project intends to address? The implementation of the tests then takes place in a real environment, where all actors in the project participate actively, including need owners as users. It is the interaction between the solutions and reality that is sought and that leads further.

The solution has a high level of technical maturity with potential to be implemented within a few years and be scalable in a national and international context. To achieve this high pace, it is crucial that relevant actors participate with a
significant effort in both time and financial resources.

More information about system demonstrators

Expectations for a system demonstrator preparation project

The preparatory projects aim to prepare a proposal for a system-
demonstrator. The preparatory projects will provide increased knowledge and dialogue between
the actors about obstacles and opportunities linked to the societal challenge, and
plan to test selected solutions together. A feasibility study needs to have
carried out which identified the main focus and key actors of the preparatory project.

The preparatory project is expected to address the following outcome objectives:

• Mobilize relevant actors in the value chain, including stakeholders.
• Map and understand the system that is intended to be changed and deepen the needs analysis. What obstacles and opportunities are there?
• Identify what needs to be implemented and changed to move forward.
  desirable direction.
• Conduct a relevant strategic analysis.
• Clarify how strategically selected innovative solutions can be tested in a real environment and achieve desirable change.
• Plan for a system demonstrator where all five system dimensions are explored.
• Develop a schedule, activities and plan for the financing of a system demonstrator.
• Develop a comprehensive plan for utilizing and disseminating the results from the investigated solution.
• After completion of the preparatory project, the project is expected to be able to scale up to a system demonstrator.

Expectations of a system demonstrator

A system demonstrator aims to test and evaluate strategically selected innovative solutions in a real environment and contributes to accelerating the transition to sustainable road transport. A preparatory project needs to have been completed before a project can apply for a system demonstrator. The final report for the preparatory project must be attached with proposal. The preparatory project does not need to have been completed within the framework of FFI, but needs to meet the requirements described.

The system demonstrator is expected to address the following performance objectives:

• A common goal that provides direction, future perspective and creates commitment among the actors to tackle the chosen key challenge in sustainable road transport.
• All five dimensions of system innovation have been addressed in the system demonstration project.
• Selected solutions have a high level of technical maturity and have been demonstrated in a real-world context, together with stakeholders and users.
• There has been broad collaboration between relevant actors to address the key challenge and the five system dimensions. They have shown commitment, have a large impact on the system and a willingness to make the necessary investments.
• A description has been developed for how demonstrated solutions will be scaled up both nationally and internationally. Commitment and recipient capacity exist among relevant need owners to implement selected solutions within a few years.
• Results, experiences and lessons learned have been packaged and disseminated in communication that creates broad engagement and can inspire more system changes.

Contribute to a sustainable system transformation

Vinnova is tasked with promoting sustainable growth and system transformation. To implement sustainable system transformation, we have chosen to base ourselves on the UN's global sustainability goals, defined in the 2030 Agenda. There, Vinnova prioritizes two perspectives: gender equality and climate change. All initiatives and project we finance are assessed based on how they contribute to these perspectives.

We therefore always follow up and assess:

• whether women and men participate in the project on an equal footing, benefit from the contribution and have influence and power over the project
• how well the project analyzes and decides whether there are sex or gender aspects that are relevant to the project's problem formulation, solutions and effects
• how well the project contributes to the climate transition

Gender-equal innovation – what it means for those seeking funding from us

Agenda 2030 as a driver for innovation

Making scientific publications and results available

When results from research and innovation are made freely available, more people can contribute to solving societal challenges. This the call for proposals will help make results available to everyone. Therefore, all scientific publishing should be open access.

This the offer is aimed at broader project constellations that have
intention to collaborate to create a system demonstrator for complex societal
challenges that will ultimately help accelerate the transition to a sustainable road transport system.

The projects will be implemented in collaboration with actors throughout the value chain.

• For the preparation projects, at least two actorsare required.
• For the system demonstration projects, a minimum of three actorsare required.

In both the preparatory projects and the system demonstration projects, at least one of the actors must be a need owner (user). The expectation is that the project consortium is larger than the minimum levels above, in order to influence and create a major change in the system.

The project partners must be legal entities.

This the offer is aimed at different groups of actors who intend to carry out preparatory projects or system demonstrator projects in broad collaboration. For example, industry parties who are suppliers of solutions together with need owners or users, research and public actors.

Foreign actors may be relevant and necessary to include as projectparties in the project. If these actors do not have a branch or establishment in Sweden, they cannot receive support from Vinnova in this call for proposals.

This offer within Accelerate funds research and development
activities, in the form of system demonstrators and preparatory projects for system demonstrators whose aim is to help accelerate the transition to fossil-free, safe, equitable and efficient road transport.

Activities for which funding can be applied for

In light of the call's aim, we finance project that aim to test solutions in a real environment in order to achieve system change in the long term. It is possible to apply for funding for preparatory projects or system demonstrations.

Approved activities for a preparatory project within the framework of the call for proposals for which funding can be applied for are, for example:

• System mapping and mapping of challenges and opportunities.
• Project management, coordination, process support and leading expertise to promote systems thinking and innovation.
• Planning of activities in the implementation of an upcoming system-
  Demonstrator how the five system dimensions should be explored in connection with selected solutions.
• Identification and mobilization of new partners for an upcoming system demonstrator, ensuring transparency and inclusion.
• Description of expected effects for evaluation and analysis of
  the potential for a system demonstrator.
• Communication efforts to stakeholders outside the project.

Approved activities for a system demonstrator within the framework of
the call for proposals for which it is possible to apply funding, in addition to building and implementing a system demonstrator in a real environment, are for example:

• Evaluate tests and understand users or customers' and other stakeholders' experience of the solution, as well as continued development of tests.
• Validate identified opportunities to influence structural factors,
  for example, behaviors, laws, rules, standards.
• Investigate demand, business models, pricing, procurement.
• Investigate adaptation needs for physical and digital infrastructure.
• Investment needs for scaling up nationally and internationally.
• Communication efforts to stakeholders outside the project.

What costs can we finance?

Our funding is subject to state aid rules. The rules govern what kind of
costs that we can finance. These are called eligible costs.

In this the call for proposals these types of costs are eligible:

• Personnel costs: Salaries, social security contributions and other personnel costs.
• Equipment, land and buildings: Instruments, equipment and rent for premises other than regular business premises.
• Consulting and licensing costs: Consulting services, knowledge and patents purchased or licensed from a third party. Costs for consulting services from third parties may not exceed 20 percent of a project party's budget.
• Other direct costs: For example, materials, supplies and travel necessary to carry out the project.
• Indirect costs (overhead): Costs that are not incurred as a direct result of but can be related to the project, for example regular premises and cleaning. Indirect costs may constitute a maximum of 30 percent of personnel costs. Universities, university colleges and certain research organizations and government agencies have higher maximum limits depending on the type of activities.

For more detailed information about which costs we can finance, see Instructions for eligible costs

What eligibility requirements apply to costs we finance?

For a cost to be eligible, it must be necessary for:
activities in the project. Project costs must also be properly accounted for and reported separately from the organization's other costs. An organization may not claim someone else's costs as its own.

For more detailed information on which eligibility requirements, limitations and exceptions apply, see Instructions for eligible costs

Our funding is subject to state aid rules. The rules govern both the types of costs and the proportion of costs that we can finance. This is determined for each organization individually. We therefore differentiate between how much funding the project can receive, and how much each participant can receive.

How much funding can the project receive?

Vinnova finances each individual preparatory project with a maximum of 75 percent of
the project's total eligible costs and each individual system-
demonstration projects with a maximum of 50 percent of the project's eligible costs. Each individual project must have at least 25 percent business financing.

How much funding can a participant receive?

How much funding each participant can receive depends mainly on:

• what activities the party will carry out in the project
• party size and activities

In this the call for proposals we provide support for activities of the type Experimental development. A brief description of these support grounds can be found in Vinnova's tables of support levels for state aid according to GBER.

Experimental development can be simply described as combining, shaping and using existing knowledge to develop new or improved products, processes or services. It may include prototyping, demonstration, piloting, testing and validation of new or improved products, processes or services in environments that represent realistic operating conditions.

For a full definition, see funding bases and levels of support

The proportion of the costs we can finance – that is, the maximum level of support – depends on the size of the organization and type of activity.

*Actual collaboration means some level of collaboration between small and larger companies, between companies in two different European countries or between research organisations and companies.

*Dissemination of results means widespread dissemination through, for example, conferences or open databases.

For full information on these bonus bases, see funding Bases and Support Levels

We grant funding in accordance with Article 25 of the EU Commission's General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER).

In this the call for proposals we also provide support to organizations that do not conduct
economic activities. This means that they do not offer a service or
product in a market. This usually includes universities and university colleges, research institutes and other organizations. We can finance up to 100 percent of such an organization's costs.

How do you determine whether an organization is engaged in economic activities?

An organization that offers any kind of service or product on a market is considered to be engaged in economic activities and cannot be granted this form of support. It does not matter how the organization is financed, whether it is public or private, or whether it has a profit motive. It also does not matter what legal form the business has, for example whether it is a limited liability company, a trading company, an economic association, a non-profit association or a foundation.

If you are unsure whether an organization in your project is conducting economic activities, contact call manager. However, the organization is responsible for assessing whether it is conducting economic activities.

In order for us to take a position on and assess your proposal it must meet certain formal eligibility requirements. If the requirements are not met, proposal will be rejected immediately.

Eligibility requirements on organizational form of project parties

• All project partners must be legal entities. Natural persons or individual companies cannot participate as project partners.
• The coordinating party must be a Swedish legal entity and conduct activities in Sweden. In this respect, a Swedish legal entity is considered to be a foreign organization that has a branch or establishment in Sweden. The costs in the project must be attributable to activities of the branch or establishment.

Eligibility requirements for the project

• The project manager must be employed by the coordinating party in the project.
• The project may not begin before proposal is submitted.
• For the preparatory projects, at least two parties are required and for the system demonstration projects, at least three parties are required. In both the preparatory projects and the system demonstration projects, at least one of the parties must be a needs owner.
• Costs for external consulting services may not exceed 20 percent of a project party's budget. All consulting services used in the project must be justified.
• Each individual project must have at least 25 percent business financing.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal must be written in Swedish or English.
• A feasibility study needs to be carried out before a preparatory project, so that the main focus and key actors are identified.
• A preparatory project must form the basis for and be attached to a project application for a system demonstrator. The preparatory project does not need to have been carried out within the framework of FFI.
• Proposal must follow the instructions given in section 9.
• Proposal must contain all requested attachments.
• Applications must be submitted no later than 2:00 p.m. on the last day of application via Vinnova's e-services.
• Only those attachments that are mandatory may be attached to proposal. Templates according to section 9 must be used for the attachments. All mandatory attachments must follow the structure found in the respective template.

Once the application period has expired, completion of proposal can only be done on
request from Vinnova.

What do we assess?

The project proposal must be in line with FFI's objectives and the Accelerate sub-program and will be assessed based on the following criteria.

Read more about FFI's Roadmap

System demonstrator criteria

Potential (weighted 35 percent)

• The potential to contribute to sustainable road transport by exploring the chosen societal challenge and its systems perspective on a large scale in a real environment.
• Social and business benefit in relation to existing knowledge and
  solutions, nationally and internationally.
• The benefit of the solution or new knowledge based on relevant system and
  user perspective.
• The project's potential to be scaled up and implemented within a couple of years.

Feasibility (weighted 30 percent)

• To what extent is the project based on a credible project plan and
  budget where activities are linked to project goals as well as desired results and long-term effects.
• To what extent is the system demonstrator prepared for scale-up with
  consideration for the preparatory project?
• To what extent does the project plan and implementation demonstrate all five system perspectives:
  - Behavior, culture and values.
  - Business models, procurement and collaboration.
  - Policy, standardization and regulations.
  - Infrastructure, physical and digital, but not road infrastructure such as road surfaces, bridges, etc.
  - Technology, products, services and processes.
• Approaches that support and facilitate stakeholder engagement: organizing and involving project stakeholders and relevant actors including need owners such as users, customers and requirement setters.

Gender equality (weighted 10 percent)

• Assessment of equality aspects such as sex or gender perspectives that may be important to take into account in connection with the project's problems.
  area, solutions and effects.
• How well the project team is composed with regard to gender distribution, including the distribution of power and influence between women and men.
• Assessment of how well gender equality aspects have been integrated into the project plan.

Actors (weighted 25 percent)

• Assessment of how well relevant actors and organizations are involved in the project, to the right extent and at the right time to realize the project's potential.
• The project team and project manager's commitment, competence and ability to implement the project.
• To what extent do the need owners: end users, customers or requirement setters participate in a relevant way for the project. For example, as drivers,
  participant, through reference group or otherwise.

Criteria for system demonstrator preparation projects

Potential (weighted 45 percent)

• The potential for a later system demonstration project to contribute to sustainable road transport by exploring the chosen societal challenge and its systems perspective.
• The project's level of innovation in relation to existing solutions and larger investments in the area.

Feasibility (weighted 25 percent)

• The project's positioning in relation to the state of knowledge nationally and internationally
  nationally.
• The appropriateness of the project plan in terms of a reasonable project time and budget for the work to be carried out.
• How well does the intended demonstration project highlight issues related to
  to the systems perspective:
  - Behavior and culture.
  - Business models.
  - Regulations and standardization (“policy”).
  - Infrastructure, physical and digital, but not road infrastructure such as road surfaces, bridges, etc.
  - Technology, products, services and processes.

Gender equality (weighted 10 percent)

• Assessment of equality aspects such as sex or gender perspectives can be important to consider in connection with the project's problem area, solutions and effects.
• The composition of the team with regard to gender distribution, as well as the distribution of power and influence between men and women.
• Assessment of how well gender equality aspects have been integrated into the project plan.

Actors (weighted 20 percent)

• Assessment of how well relevant actors and organizations are involved in the project, to the right extent and at the right time to realize the project's potential.
• The project team and project manager's commitment, competence and ability to implement the project.

How is the assessment done?

Applications that meet the formal requirements will be evaluated against the assessment criteria by specially appointed external independent evaluator, who are appointed by Vinnova. Proposal are assessed in competition with other submitted applications.

Read more about FFI's call process

We also assess financial status

Before deciding on funding we also conduct a comprehensive assessment of the organizational and financial status of those receiving funding. We use information we obtain from credit reports, currently from Dun & Bradstreet.

In order for us to grant funding, this applies:

• Organizations seeking funding for personnel costs must be registered as employers with the Swedish Tax Agency.
• Organizations must not be insolvent, undergoing liquidation or corporate restructuring. They must also not have unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• Limited liability companies must not have used up half or more of their share capital.
• If requested, SMEs must be able to demonstrate that they have the financial means to implement the project according to their budget in proposal. They cannot use public funding or their own funds intended for other project to cover project costs in this call for proposals.

Once we have assessed all applications, we will send you a decision either granting or rejecting your proposal. In the decision, we state how much funding each party in the project will be granted. Our decision cannot be appealed.

What happens if you are granted funding?

If we grant your proposal, you must follow our general terms and conditions for funding.

The terms and conditions include the following:

• That you will sign a special document in which you agree to carry out the project.
• That you report your costs and results to us regularly during the project.
• That you, if you are multiple parties, must agree on what applies to the project in a project agreement (mandatory for system demonstrator projects but optional for preparatory projects).
• How the results will be used, and how any scientific publication will take place.

See our general terms and conditions and get help understanding and fulfilling them

For Vinnova's decisions within the Fordonsstrategisk Forskning and Innovation, FFI program, "Vinnova's general terms and conditions for funding - 2025" apply, and special conditionsstated below. Additional special conditions may occur in individual project and are then stated in the decision. Instructions in program descriptions must also be taken into account.

1. Reporting and follow-up
   Reporting and follow-up must be carried out in accordance with decisions, templates and special instructions can be found under Templates and guidance on FFI's website.
   
   - The project must be represented at the seminars or program conferences that Vinnova and FFI will organize and convene specifically during the project period. Costs for participation in such a seminar or program conference are eligible for support. Upon request, the project coordinator must provide Vinnova and FFI with image and text material for project catalogs, annual reports, and the like.
2. Project agreement
   In the event that the project concerns a preparatory project, the condition regarding a project agreement in § 1.4 of the general terms and conditions is deleted.
   
   - Vinnova does not have templates for project agreements, but to help, Vinnova provides a general guide on our website. Previously developed templates by the business partners within FFI may also be interesting to take inspiration from. On the Vehicle Component Group website you will find more information and contact persons for any questions regarding agreements.
3. Statement that the project was funded by the FFI program
   The following replaces § 7.3 of the General Terms and Conditions:
   - When providing information about the project and at each publication of project-
   results it should be stated that the work was carried out with support from the program
   Fordonsstrategisk Forskning and Innovation, FFI.
4. Publication on the Knowledge Exchange
   The coordinator must provide information on the project summary, project manager and actor constellation for publication on https://kunskapsformedlingen.se. Instructions and templates will be announced in close connection with the decision.

Could you have to pay back funding?

If you do not follow our term, you may be required to repay the amount. This also applies if you have been granted funding incorrectly or for an amount that is too high.

When the call for proposals closes, your proposal will be registered as. We will then send an email confirmation to the person responsible for the user account, the project manager and the signatory. If you have not received a confirmation within 24 hours of the call for proposals closing, please contact us.

Once the call for proposals is closed, you cannot change anything in proposal. Then you can only
supplement if we ask for it.

Who can read your proposal?

Your proposal will be read by Vinnova employees and the external evaluator participating in this the call for proposals. Everyone works under a duty of confidentiality.

Applications submitted to us become public documents. This means that we must disclose them if requested. However, we will keep confidential information that we believe could cause financial harm if disclosed,
for example, information about the business, inventions or research results.

How we handle public documents and confidentiality