Advanced and innovative digitalization 2024 - one-year projects

In this the call for proposals we are targeting consortia that can contribute to the development of components and system solutions for the next generation of digital industrial solutions. Your project must contribute to the development of new products and services in Sweden, and be relevant within one or more of the call's focus areas. Granted project are expected to promote advanced digitalisation that renews Swedish industry. The project duration is a maximum of 12 months.

With this call for proposals we want to finance fundamental and enabling technology and capabilities for the digital solutions of the future. The overarching theme is digitalisation and integration of sustainable value chains for interconnected systems and between business areas. The call for proposals has previously been offered for multi-year project, and this time focuses on one-year project that can more quickly acquire new knowledge and new skills to develop products, processes or services in a time when digitization is accelerating.

The call for proposals is part of the Advanced digitalisationprogram, an industry-driven programme that will promote Sweden's and Swedish industry's ability to create the digital solutions of the future.

The program mobilizes actors from different parts of society towards common objective, linked to the digital structural transformation, the competitiveness of business and societal challenges. The program wants to strengthen Swedish research and will make Sweden more attractive for research and innovation investments, and stimulate the development of advanced digital technology. The program must be implemented with a long-term perspective and contribute to innovative, enabling technologies and the development of core competence areas that meet the industry's needs.

Project that we grant in this call for proposals will promote advanced digitalisation that renews Swedish industry within one of the focus areas below. Your project results are expected to be scalable and have good potential to be spread in order to have a competence-enhancing effect in Swedish industry.

Each project can receive up to SEK 2 million in funding, and the project duration must be a maximum of 12 months. We therefore do not target very time- and capital-intensive project where our funding would have little significance.

We welcome project applications with sharp, ground-breaking proposals for new digitization solutions. Your proposal can also describe work that can later lead to project applications for larger project in other calls for proposals. Project that significantly improve existing products, processes or services are also welcome.

Your project must be relevant to one or some of the call's technical focus areas. In your proposal you must indicate which one or which ones.

The call's technical focus areas

• End-to-End AI in development, production and services. It includes all steps from initial data collection, training and model development, to dissemination, continuous updating and maintenance.
• Secure digital platforms for efficient development, production and support where data is exchanged as a service through open communication interfaces.
• Data-driven development and secure exchange of data between processes and actors.
• Model- and simulation-driven development and optimization, including the use of digital twins.
• Development and optimization of autonomous systems, including architecture for reliability, collaboration and interaction.
• Edge computing, joint and cloud technology as well as 5G networks and software-defined networks for industrial applications.

Focus on climate and gender equality in all our investments

Vinnova is tasked with promoting sustainable growth and community development. Genom Agenda 2030, the countries of the world have agreed on a global agreement and understanding of what characterizes sustainable development. Through our efforts, we contribute to the global commitment to reach the goals.

In Inom Agenda 2030, Vinnova has specifically identified climate and gender equality as two central sustainability perspectives to which our funded investments should contribute positively. Project financed by Vinnova are therefore expected to take special account of the climate and gender equality aspects.

In this call for proposals the focus is on how the industry's digital transition, based on the focus areas mentioned above, affects development positively in aim of reaching the sustainability goals in Agenda 2030 as well as risks of negative impact. For example, how the digital transition positively contributes to a climate-neutral society but also entails risks through, for example, increased energy consumption or how technology can contribute to increased inequality. The projects are expected to reflect on their impact on development and in this call for proposals this is the basis for assessment. See section 7, What we assess.

One aspect that Vinnova follows up on and assesses is whether both women and men equally share in the contribution, participate in and have influence over the project. This aspect is assessed under the actor criterion, see section 7.

Another aspect involves analyzing and deciding whether there are gender or gender aspects that are relevant to the project's problem area, solutions and utilization. This question is mandatory for all applicant to answer. In this call for proposals it is the basis for assessment, see section 7 under the potential criterion.

Our work to contribute to the goals of Agenda 2030

Equal innovation - what it means for you who seek funding from us

Free access to scientific publications and results

Results from research and innovation that are made freely available increase the opportunity for more people to contribute to solutions to societal challenges. This the call for proposals should contribute to making more results freely available to everyone. Therefore, all scientific publication must be open access.

We are aimed at those of you who want to develop components and system solutions useful for new industrial digital solutions, and contribute to the development of products and services in Sweden. The project team must consist of at least two participants, which may include companies, universities, university college, research institutes and other relevant actors.

The projects must be driven by industry needs, and at least one company must be part of the consortium. All participating parties can be companies.

You can apply for funding for activities that are part of research and innovation projects with a focus that meets the call's aim according to section 2 of this call text.

Examples of activities we can support:

• Investigation of technical and design conditions.
• Development of early prototypes or demonstration versions of products or services. This may also include pilot work, testing and validation.
• Research and development of production methods.
• Planning and conducting studies or tests to verify an innovation.
• Investigation of market conditions such as identifying customers, customer needs, possible collaboration partners and competitors.

We do not finance routine or recurring changes to existing products, services, manufacturing methods and manufacturing processes. Funds are also not allocated to training efforts, courses, marketing, sales, ongoing operations, quality assurance, certification, investment in equipment and tools, and intellectual property rights strategies and protection.

Our funding is covered by rules on government support. The rules govern both what kind of costs and what proportion of the costs we can finance. This is determined for each organization individually. We therefore distinguish between how much funding the project can receive, and how much each participating participant can receive.

How much funding can the project receive?

You can apply for up to SEK 2 million in funding per project. The grant may correspond to a maximum of 50 percent of the project's total eligible costs. The call's preliminary budget is SEK 20 million.

How much funding can a participant receive?

What percentage of the costs we can finance - that is, the maximum level of support - depends on the size of the organization and the type of activity.

In this the call for proposals we provide support for activities within industrial research. It can be simply described as seeking new knowledge through planned research or critical analysis in order to develop or significantly improve products, processes or services.

For industrial research the following support levels apply to organizations of different sizes:

• Small companies are companies with 1-49 employees and a turnover of a maximum of EUR 10 million. They can have a maximum of 70 percent of their costs covered by funding.
• Medium-sized companies are companies with 50-249 employees and a maximum turnover of EUR 50 million. Their funding can amount to a maximum of 60 percent of the costs.
• Large companies have more than 250 employees and a turnover of more than EUR 50 million. For them, a maximum of 50 percent in fundingapplies.

If the project involves actual collaboration or dissemination of results, or meets other bonus criteria, the grant can amount to 80 percent for small companies, 75 percent for medium-sized companies, and 65 percent for large companies.

By actual cooperation is meant a certain level of cooperation between small and large companies, between companies in two different European countries or between research organizations and companies. Dissemination of results means extensive dissemination through, for example, conferences or open databases.

For complete definitions of bonus bases and more, read Support bases and support levels for funding.

Not state aid

In this the call for proposals we also provide support to organizations that do not carry out economic activities. This generally includes universities and university colleges, research institutes and other organizations that do not offer a service or product on a market.

We can finance up to 100 percent of such organizations' costs.

How do you determine whether an organization carries out economic activities?

An organization that offers any kind of service or product on a market is considered to be conducting 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 takes, that is, whether it is a limited company, a trading company, an economic association, a non-profit association or a foundation.

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

What costs can we finance?

Our funding may only go to certain types of costs. 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 license costs: Consulting services, knowledge and patents purchased or used under license from an external actor.
• Other direct costs: For example materials, stock items and travel necessary to carry out the project.
• Indirect costs (overhead): Costs that are not incurred as an immediate consequence 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.

For more detailed information on which costs we can finance, see our instruction on eligible costs.

Which eligibility requirements apply to costs we finance?

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

For more detailed information on which eligibility requirements, limitations and exceptions apply, see our instruction on eligible costs.

In order for us to take a position on and assess your proposal it must meet certain basic requirements, so-called formal eligibility requirements. If these eligibility requirements are not met, our evaluator will not handle your proposal.

• The consortium consists of at least two project parties, of which at least one is a Swedish company. In this respect, a foreign organization that has a branch or place of business in Sweden is equated with a Swedish legal person and a Swedish company. The costs in the project must be attributable to the branch's or establishment's activities.
• All project parties must be legal entities.
• Proposal must be written in Swedish or English.
• The project duration may not exceed 12 months.
• The project must not have started before proposal is submitted.
• Proposal must follow all instructions and contain all appendices according to section 9.

What do we assess?

Potential

• The project's potential to develop new knowledge and new skills that can promote advanced digitalisation that renews Swedish industry.
• The project's potential scalability and spread to provide a competence-enhancing effect in Swedish industry in addition to the participating parties.
• The project's potential to contribute to the industry's digital transition and sustainable development to reach the sustainability goals in Agenda 2030, based on its focus area and identified challenges
• How well the project is judged to contribute to increased gender equality based on its focus area and identified challenges. This question must be answered in the application form.

Actors

• The competence, credibility and ability of the project parties to implement the project.
• The consortium's anchoring in Swedish industry.
• The project partners' ability to spread, utilize, commercialize and further develop the knowledge generated in the project, both within their own organizations and outside the consortium.
• How well composed the project team is in terms of gender distribution. As well as how well power and influence are distributed evenly between women and men in the project team.

Feasibility

• The realism of the project plan in relation to set objective, methods, activities and budget.
• How well aspects relating to gender equality and sustainability have been integrated into the project plan.
• The participation and relevance of the specified project parties in the project's various work packages and activities.
• How well the project structure contributes to the utilization and dissemination of the results.
• How well risks are described and managed in the implementation of the project.

How do we judge?

The applications will be assessed in competition and the assessment is based on the electronic proposal submitted via Vinnova's e-services.

Schematically, the decision process looks like this:

1. Proposal are submitted via Vinnova's e-services.
2. The applications that meet the formal requirements are assessed by Vinnova's appointed evaluator based on the assessment criteria in section. The assessment results in a recommendation to funding.
3. Vinnova makes decisions about which project are to be financed and decisions are communicated to applicant. Vinnova strives to achieve a certain spread of the challenge area and size of the granted projects and reserves the right to apply a portfolio approach to granted project.

When we have assessed all applications, we will send a decision in which we either grant or reject your proposal. The decision is sent by e-mail to the project's coordinator. In the decision, we state how much funding each party in the project is granted. Our decision cannot be appealed.

What if you are granted funding?

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

The terms include this:

• That each participant must sign a special document, participant's approval, in which you undertake to carry out the project.
• That you must report your costs and results to us regularly during the project.
• That you, if you are several parties, must agree on what applies to the project in a project agreement.
• 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

You also need to follow the special conditions that apply to this the call for proposals:

1. Upon invitation from the program manager, the project must participate in relevant events within the Advanced digitalisation program and thus contribute to the spread of knowledge within Swedish industry in accordance with the program's aim.
2. With information about the project and with every publication of project results, it must be stated that the work was carried out with support from Vinnova (in English, the name is rendered with Sweden's Innovation Agency) within the program Advanced digitalisation. Publication means, for example, publication, regardless of medium, and oral presentations.

Other instructions:

• In the event that the project team is not equal, i.e. not within 40/60 in terms of women and men, the following instruction applies: In connection with the first status report, a plan must be attached that describes how a better gender distribution can be achieved during the project period, for example during recruitment or the like.

Supplementary special conditions and instructions can be decided for individual project.

We can also decide to add supplementary special conditions for individual project. In that case, they appear in the decision.

Can you have to pay back funding?

If you do not follow our term you may be liable for a refund. This also applies if you have been granted funding incorrectly or with an amount that is too high.

When your proposal has been registered, we send a confirmation to the person responsible for the user account as well as to the project manager and the signatory. This may take a few hours after the call for proposals closes. If you have not received a confirmation within 24 hours after the call for proposals closes, please contact us.

When 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 employees at Vinnova and the external evaluator working in this the call for proposals. Everyone works under confidentiality.

Applications submitted to us become public documents. This means that we must disclose them if they are requested. However, we keep confidential information that we believe could mean financial damage to the individual if disclosed. This may, for example, be information about business and operating conditions, inventions or research results.

This is how we handle public documents and confidentiality