Advanced digitalisation - electrification in 2024

A call for proposals within the Advanced digitalisation programme

In this the call for proposals Vinnova finances project that can start processes for the development of new advanced digitization solutions to promote the electrification of Swedish industry. We finance project that can provide a good basis for continued initiatives, collaborations and project that address the needs of industry and business, both today and in the future.

The call for proposals is part of the Advanced digitalisationprogram, an industry-driven programme to promote Sweden's and Swedish industry's ability to create the digital solutions of the future. The program is an effort from Vinnova in collaboration with industry, and mobilizes actors from different parts of society towards common objective.

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. The program is based on the system-by-system aspect, where combined data flows from several systems enable new and expanded areas of use. Interconnected systems that share data facilitate processes and create new opportunities, but can also pose security risks that must be addressed.

For more information about the Avancerad Digitalisering program, visit the website

Overall lessons learned and results from funded project must be able to be shared openly after the end of the project to contribute to Sweden's common ability to create robust and secure digital solutions.

The call for proposals is aimed at consortia consisting of at least two project parties, of which at least one is a Swedish company. The parties can be from industry, business, academia, research institutes, public activities and authorities. The projects must be driven by the needs of industry and business, and the owners of the needs must be involved in the projects.

Funding: Each individual project can apply for funding of up to SEK 3 million.
Vinnova's funding can amount to a maximum of 50 percent of the project's eligible project costs.
The call's total budget is SEK 30 million.

Project duration:Up to 12 months.

With this the call for proposals Vinnova wants to finance project that develop new advanced digitization solutions for the electrification of industry. This means activities that go from fossil raw materials or fuels to electricity and solutions based on electricity supply, such as hydrogen from electrolysis.

The project that are financed must provide a good basis for continued initiatives, collaborations and project that address the needs of industry and business - today and in the future. Overall lessons learned and results from funded project must be able to be shared openly after the end of the project to contribute to Sweden's common ability to create robust and secure digital solutions.

The industry's green transformation, away from fossil fuels and raw materials, can be implemented with increased electrification, both directly and indirectly. It could be, for example, using hydrogen produced with electricity.

The transition needs new technology development, where digitalisation is an important tool in the interaction between different infrastructures: digital infrastructure, energy and electricity grids and transport. Increased digitalisation is often required to be able to utilize opportunities for energy efficiency to a greater degree and to obtain a more flexible use of electricity that reduces power peaks. When businesses with the possibility of shorter or longer storage of electricity can interact with the electricity grid, stability increases.

The electrification solutions need to be designed cyber-securely. It means both protection against antagonistic attacks and against vulnerabilities that can lead to unwanted consequences. It can be natural threats, system errors and human mistakes that create disruptions and interruptions in the digital functionality. There is a need for both a reduced occurrence of incidents, and reduced consequences from the incidents that do occur.

The electrification of industry needs efforts such as:

• Stimulates increased cooperation at system level between actors in the new energy landscape, including through developed regulations and innovative business models.
• Aims at handling large amounts of data and data sources at system level, and safe and efficient sharing of this data between different actors.
• Stimulates the development of AI and data-driven modeling and optimization.
• Enables the use and learning of digital technologies for data analysis and optimization through tests in real environments.
• Ensures a high level of competence and knowledge in digitalisation within Swedish industry's electricity use, with inspiration from and in collaboration with international actors.
• Addresses challenges around resilience and reliability for the industry's energy supply.
• Increased use of, for example, AI for industrial processes can mean, in some cases, a greatly increased need for electricity, directly or indirectly. This increases the technology's environmental impact and costs. Energy-efficient solutions for AI and other electricity-demanding advanced digitalisation can therefore be an important area for development.
• Energy-efficient solutions for AI and other electricity-demanding advanced digitalisation. As the use of these technologies increases, the need for electricity increases – directly or indirectly. It affects both environmental impact and costs.

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

This is the first the call for proposals within the Electrification sub-programme, and it specifically aims to contribute to the following results:

• Accelerate the electrification of Swedish industry by increasing Sweden's ability to develop and more quickly use next-generation digital solutions.
• Develop cyber-secure solutions that increase interoperability between digital products, services and systems.
• Contribute to the next generation of advanced, powerful and secure digital solutions being taken advantage of and further developed and tested in Sweden.
• That the projects and their experiences should generate more collaborations and research and innovation activities. It can be about investments in research and innovation or follow-up projects within the EU's framework program for research and innovation, other sub-programmes in Advanced digitalisation or initiatives at the Energy Agency.
• Strengthen Sweden's international attractiveness in terms of research and innovation investments.
• Contribute to society's digital transformation towards sustainable development.

The program's starting point is in the system-by-system aspect, where combined data flows between different systems enable new and expanded areas of use. Connected systems that share data facilitate processes and create new opportunities, but can also involve security risks that need to be managed.

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.

One aspect that Vinnova follows up and assesses is whether both women and men share in the grant in an equal way, participate in and have influence over the project.

Another aspect involves analyzing and deciding whether there are gender aspects that are relevant to the project's problem area, solutions and utilization. In this the call for proposals the aspect is not assessed.

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.

The call for proposals is aimed at consortia consisting of at least two project parties. The projects must be driven by the needs of industry and business, and at least one Swedish company must be a party to the consortium. The applicant can be from industry, business, academia, institutes, public activities and authorities. Owners of needs must be involved in the projects.

The call for proposals is not aimed at technology development for electricity production, battery technology, hydrogen production and charging infrastructure. However, these can constitute important functions and data sources that actors need to contribute to increasing the industry's optimal and efficient production and electricity use, including flexible electricity use. The call for proposals also does not address the electrification of vehicles, unless it is as part of a concrete industrial context, for example autonomous vehicles or machines in a mine or a port.

Companies must be of the type of joint-stock company, trading company or economic association that conducts its own active business activities in the form of economic activities where goods and services are offered on a market. In this context, the category of companies also includes private foundations. In this context, the exception from the company category is incorporated research institutes, university and college holding companies, incubators and the like.

Participant seeking funding must be a Swedish legal person with registered office in Sweden. 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 operating location's activities.

Activities for which funding can be applied for

With this the offer we provide support for the development of technology, processes, methods, standards, regulations and other aspects that are important for the electrification of industry. The projects that are financed must address the needs of industry and business, both today and in the future.

The duration of the projects can be up to 12 months.

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

Our funding is covered by rules on state aid. 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?

Each individual project can apply for funding of up to SEK 3 million. Vinnova's funding can amount to a maximum of 50 percent of the project's total eligible project costs.

How much funding can a participant receive?

How much funding each participating participant can receive mainly depends on:

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

In this the call for proposals we provide support for either:

• Industrial research
  Project with a lower level of technical maturity, TRL 2-4, at the start of the project.
• Experimental development
  Project with higher technical maturity, TRL 5-8, at project start.

Industrial research 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 full definition, see Support bases and support levels for funding

Experimental development can be simply described as combining, shaping and using existing knowledge to produce new or improved products, processes or services. For full definition, see Support bases and support levels for funding

Feasibility studies can be simply described as an evaluation and analysis of:

• strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks in an upcoming research and development project
• what resources are required to implement the project
• how likely it is that the project will succeed.

For full definition, see Support bases and support levels for funding

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 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.

• Funding is not granted to organizations that are insolvent or that
  is undergoing liquidation or company restructuring, or who has unpaid debts or payment notices with the Swedish Enforcement Agency.
• If the organization is a limited company, half or more of the share capital must not be used up.
• We take credit information on all applicant who are not public actors, and funding is not granted to organizations with the lowest credit rating C.
• The consortium consists of at least two project parties, of which at least one is Swedish
  business.
• All project parties must be legal entities.
• Requested funding from Vinnova amounts to a maximum of 50 percent of the project
  total eligible project costs.
• Requested support from the respective participant does not exceed the rules according to
  section 5.
• The project manager must be employed by a participant.
• Planned project time up to approximately 12 months.
• Proposal must be written in Swedish or English.
• Proposal must follow all instructions and contain all appendices according to section 10.

Please note that an organization seeking funding for personnel costs must be registered as an employer with the Tax Agency at the latest when the grant decision is made.

What do we assess?

Proposal must be in line with the call's objective and aim stated in section 2 and will be assessed according to the criteria below. In addition to an individual assessment of each proposal, Vinnova may apply a portfolio perspective to achieve a certain spread of the granted projects, regarding aspects such as areas of application and size of project.

Potential

• How well the project is judged to contribute to the call's aim, described in section 2, by laying the foundation for further research and innovation activities and collaborations.
• How well the project is judged to contribute to developing knowledge and competence that can promote the electrification of industry with the help of new advanced and cyber-secure digital solutions.
• How well the project is judged to contribute to increased gender equality.
• How well the project is judged to contribute positively to the global goals in Agenda 2030, and how well it is judged to minimize the negative effects.

Actors

• It is clear from proposal that participation has been secured by the skills required for the project to be successful.
• This especially applies to project manager and other leading project participants.
• Stakeholders' involvement and the project's anchoring in Swedish industry and business, including an international outlook.
• The project parties' ability to spread, utilize and further develop the knowledge generated in the project.
• To what extent the project group has access to relevant competence in sustainability, especially linked to efficient and flexible electricity use.
• How well composed the project team is in terms of gender distribution. As well as how well power and influence is distributed evenly between the sexes in the project team.

Feasibility

• The realism of the project plan in relation to set objective, methods, activities and budget.
• The participation and relevance of the specified project parties in the project's various work packages and activities.
• How well aspects relating to gender equality and climate have been integrated into the project plan.
• How well dissemination of the project results and newly acquired knowledge is planned.

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 will be assessed based on the criteria stated above by Vinnova's appointed evaluator.
3. The assessment results in a recommendation to funding. 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. 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 and conditions include this:

• That you must sign a special document in which you agree 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:

• 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 within the program Advanced digitalisation. In English, the name is rendered with Sweden's Innovation Agency. Publication means, for example, publication, regardless of medium, and oral presentations.
• Coordinator or other representative of the project must, when invited by the program manager, participate in relevant events within the Advanced digitalisation program and in this way contribute to the spread of knowledge in accordance with the program's aim.

Other instructions:

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

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 too high an amount.

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.

If you submit a proposal on the same day as the call for proposals closes, it may take a few hours before you receive a confirmation. 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?

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 if disclosed, for example information about the business, inventions or research results.

This is how we handle public documents and confidentiality