Chips JU Calls 2024-European collaborative projects in electronic components and systems (ECS)

Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) is an institutionalized partnership program under Horisont Europa, which is funded by the European Commission, funding national authorities in participating countries, and participating organizations.

Inom Chips JU finances Vinnova collaborative projects with actors along the entire value chain from semiconductor circuits and electronic components to systems of systems (SoS), with both software and hardware focus to contribute to sustainable digital transformation. Application areas can be mobility, energy, industrial digitalisation, digital infrastructure and communication as well as digitalisation in agriculture and forestry, health and society.

What is the offer about?

Chips JU has various calls for proposals in Calls 2024, RIA (Research and Innovation Action) and IA (Innovation Action) of a bottom-up nature in line with the current Strategiska Research Agendan for ECS (Electronic Components and Systems).

There are also IA and RIA calls for proposals with specific focus areas (Focus topics) and dedicated budget.

Chips JU Calls 2024 also includes a call for proposals (Chips-2024-3-RIA) in a single phase (FPP) on bilateral collaboration with South Korea in heterogeneous integration and neuromorphic computing for future semiconductor devices and systems. The call for proposals is funded solely by the European Commission through the Chips JU program. No national co-financing is required in this call for proposals.

For participation in international collaborative projects focusing on electronic components and systems.

Swedish companies that meet Vinnova's eligibility requirements as well as universities, university colleges and research institutes. Vinnova requires participation from Swedish companies corresponding to at least 60 percent of the Swedish project budget.

The Swedish consortium can apply for a maximum of €2,000,000 in support from Vinnova for a project. The EU Commission supports the projects with a corresponding amount. Vinnova's budget for Call 2024 is €6,600,000.

The distribution of Vinnova's budget per call for proposals in Call 2024 is as follows:

• Chips 2024-1-IA Topic 1 Global IA: €3,000,000
• Chips 2024-2-RIA Topic 1 Global RIA: €3,000,000
• Chips 2024-2-RIA Topic 2 Focus topic on Sustainable and greener manufacturing: €600,000

Call Chips-2024-3-RIA for bilateral cooperation with South Korea is funded solely by the European Commission through the Chips JU program.

This is how it goes

The application process takes place in several steps as described below. The content of the project proposals is evaluated by international experts and in parallel, Vinnova evaluates the participating Swedish organizations against Vinnova's national rules.

1. Project sketch - Projekt Outline (PO)
   First, the entire international consortium submits a project outline, a so-called Project Outline (PO), to Chips JU.
2. Results of PO phase
   The project outlines that are deemed to have the greatest potential and highest quality are given the opportunity to submit a full proposal, a so-called Chips JU (FPP). In connection with Chips JU sending out information about which project proposals will have the opportunity to submit a full proposal, feedback is also given on how proposal can be improved.
3. Full proposal – Full Project Proposal (FPP)
   The international consortium submits a complete proposal to Chips JU. Proposal is assessed by international experts. Together with the complete proposal, all Swedish parties must also submit a joint so-called National Part with a description of the Swedish consortium's funding for the project, objectives and how it can contribute to sustainable growth in Sweden. The template for National Part can be found under the heading " Term and template for proposal" on this website.
4. National review
   In connection with the international evaluation of the complete proposal, Vinnova also conducts a review of the Swedish consortium with regard to the national rules. If this is not met, individual project participants or all Swedish participants may be denied funding from Vinnova.
5. Decision
   The projects are then ranked based on the technical evaluation and the priorities of the participating countries. Based on this ranking, decisions are then made within Chips JU, where Vinnova is part of Public Authorities Board, about which project will receive funding.
6. National project description for national decision
   The Swedish consortium that is part of a project application that is selected for funding within Chips JU must submit to Vinnova a joint proposal with a national project description according to separate instructions.

How to apply

Information about the application process can be found on the Chips JU website for Calls 2024

For participating companies, the following applies when submitting proposal to Chips JU:

• The company must be a limited liability company registered in Sweden.
• Companies must have a place of business in Sweden.
• Activities in the project must be carried out in the Swedish operation and project costs must be attributable to the operation's activities.
• Companies must be registered for employer contributions.
• Companies must have at least two registered annual reports with the Swedish Companies Registration Office.
• The most recent registered annual report must have net sales or equity equivalent to half of the amount eligible for application with Chips JU and Vinnova.
• Companies must have at least one million kronor in net turnover according to their most recent annual report. Net turnover does not include public funding from, for example, Vinnova or the EU.
• Companies must have at least three full-time employees.

For Chips JU, costs in the budget and reporting to Vinnova must be harmonized with funding rules for Horisont Europa. This means that Vinnova and Chips JU expect the same level of cost budget and level of reporting for each Swedish project participant. This means, among other things, that it is Horisont Europa's rules that apply for calculating indirect costs (overhead) in the national budget and when reporting to Vinnova.

Observera Vinnovas national rules and special conditions for participation in Chips JU, otherwise Vinnova's general terms and conditions for fundingapply. See links below.

Maximum funding from Vinnova for a project is equivalent to €2,000,000. The EU Commission funds at a corresponding level.

Maximum funding from Vinnova to an individual large company, university/ university college and research institute is equivalent to €730,000.

Maximum funding from Vinnova to small and medium-sized enterprises is equivalent to €450,000.

The following grant levels apply to the grant from Vinnova:

• Project coordinator: Universities, university colleges and research institutes: 65 percent
• Project Coordinator: Large Companies
  RIA - Research and Innovation Action 40 percent
  IA - Innovation Action and Focus topics 35 percent
• Universities, university colleges and research institutes 50 percent
• Small and medium-sized enterprises
  RIA - Research and Innovation Action 35 percent
  IA - Innovation Action and Focus topics 30 percent
• Large companies
  RIA - Research and Innovation Action 25 percent
  IA - Innovation Action and Focus topics 20 percent

Information about grant levels for funding from the EU Commission can be found in Chips JU Work Programme 2023-2027 and on Chips JU's website for Calls 2024, see the links below.

ECS Collaboration Tool is a web-based platform within electronic components and systems for networking, creating new project ideas, searching for project partners (matchmaking) and searching for new project ideas. The platform is an important support during the building of a project consortium and opens up new opportunities for collaboration. The link to ECS Collaboration Tool is below