Impact Innovation: Transition labs within Water Wise Societies 2025 for Sustainable Water for All

In this call for proposals Water Wise Societies will fund actors from different sectors, industries and organizations who, in collaboration:

• Explores, develops, tests and scales up innovative ideas and solutions that contribute to sustainable water for all.
• Develops into an established transition lab for a geographic or thematic challenge linked to sustainable water for all.

Through the call for proposals six to eight transition labs will be established that together contribute to our mission "Sustainable Water for All 2050", which is broken down into three sub-goals and ten assignments. The assignments, which describe a desired future and the need for transition, will mobilize actors to make the transition together. Applications should be based on and contribute to one or more of Water Wise Societies's ten assignments.

Read more about the goals and assignments here

By working in a lab, we build a common context to create the best possible conditions to contribute to groundbreaking social change. In an established lab, actors collaborate to explore application and develop, test and scale innovative ideas and solutions that together can contribute to transformation. The lab is run and coordinated by need owners in collaboration with other actors.

The transition lab should be built from a systems perspective, implemented in collaboration and be relevant in a Swedish context.

The transition lab will continue to operate and develop over a considerable period of time. Therefore, two calls for proposals are planned for continued funding for the transition labs granted in this call for proposals, but for a maximum of nine years in total.

Water Wise Societies is also planning more funding offers to establish new transformation labs. The ambition is to have 10-20 transformation labs across Sweden by 2035.

This call for proposals is carried out within the framework of the Water Wise Societies program, part of Impact Innovation – an initiative of the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova.

Read more about Impact Innovation
Read more about Water Wise Societies

Impact Innovation is Sweden's major innovation initiative to tackle the challenges of our time and the future. In collaborations between actors in the private, public and non-profit organizations, Impact Innovation meets real technical and societal needs with groundbreaking solutions. On the way to a sustainable and competitive Sweden, attractive to live in for everyone. Together we show what is possible, and are ahead internationally.

The transition affects the whole of society: our cities and countryside, our welfare, our value chains and consumption patterns. Individual efforts are not enough, but comprehensive changes are required at all different levels. Multiple perspectives, experiences and expertise from all corners of society are needed for the transition to happen. It is about breaking down silos and allowing actors who otherwise do not meet to discuss problems and develop solutions. We believe that new collaborations and new ways of working are keys to innovation and sustainable solutions.

Contribute to Water Wise Societies's mission through the transition lab!

Water Wise Societies's mission " Sustainable Water for All 2050" means that water is available in the right quantity and quality, and that it creates good conditions for people, the environment, ecosystems and industries - despite a changing climate.

The program's sub-goals and associated tasks that will collectively contribute to achieving the mission are:

• Resilient supply and management of water in society
  - Secure supply and management of water
  - Ensure good drinking water quality
  - Adapt society to flooding and drought
  - Building and managing society in harmony with water
• Wise water use
  - Sustainable water outlets
  - Reduce water use and leakage
  - Recycle and reuse water and its resources
• Healthy lakes, streams and groundwater
  - Reduce negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems
  - Prevent and reduce the spread of hazardous substances
  - Reduce eutrophication in lakes and streams

For more information about the assignments, see Water Wise Societies website

What is a transition lab?

To succeed with the assignments, exploration of application, development, testing and scaling of innovative ideas and solutions is required, which together lead to transformation when they are widely used. It is required that actors work together and create a common context. It is about adopting a systems perspective, building capacity to navigate the system, identifying obstacles and opportunities, coordinating activities, and collaborating and establishing contexts for experimentation and learning. In this the call for proposals such constellations are called transformation labs. The entire transformation lab, including planned activities, is referred to in the call for proposals as a project.

Fully developed and well-functioning transformation labs are formed over time. They act as demonstrators for new ideas and solutions for transformation. The solutions are disseminated and continuously adapted to contexts for re-creation and improvement both inside and outside the lab. The lab is run and coordinated by need owners in collaboration with several other actors in a spirit of openness and shared learning. Starting from a specific geographical or thematic challenge makes the mission concrete.

Different types of innovative ideas and solutions are required to achieve transformation for complex problems. They can be of a technical, financial or organizational nature. For example, it can be about new technology or products, business models or financing solutions, organizational forms and improved process or practical implementation that together can lead to a change.

Gently dismantling barriers, such as habits and behaviors or financial incentives, may also be needed for change to occur. Active work on gently dismantling and involving those affected by the change process can reduce resistance and create a more inclusive change.

Read more about the transition lab in the appendix. You can find it further down the page under the heading "Templates and attachments".

Important aspects for a successful transformation lab

Systems perspective

Clear problems with a clear solution are not the focus of the call for proposals. Transition labs are about complex challenges that can be difficult to grasp, that are changeable over time, incompletely described, visibly self-contradictory or locked into today's structures and patterns and that are in line with Water Wise Societies's mission, goals and assignments. Having a systems perspective is therefore important, that is, looking at the whole and not just the parts and the drainpipes but their interconnections. The systems perspective is a prerequisite for societal impact.

At Water Wise Societies, we base our work on a model that consists of five dimensions that generally need to be explored to meet the type of challenges described above.

The five dimensions are:

• Technology, products and processes
• Transition infrastructure
• Money and value
• Policy and governance
• Acceptance and behavioral changes

From previous efforts, we know that collaborative projects that have a clear systems perspective early on have an easier time scaling up solutions developed at a later stage and thus contribute to system transformation. The interaction between activities in the different dimensions is also crucial to preventing lock-in effects.

Strategic analysis and foresight

To be able to make the courageous decisions required for system transformation, we need tools that can help us understand today's conditions and what lies ahead - we need to become better at understanding the world around us and the future. With the help of strategic analysis and foresight, the projects in this call for proposals can make better strategic decisions and be prepared for different possible events and how to handle them.

Active participation and policy development

In order to influence the whole of a system, actors who have different perspectives and who work in different sectors, industries and parts of value chains need to be involved. The actors need to participate actively with both authority and responsibility. Not only are solution creators needed, but also need owners and users must be involved early on. This is to ensure that the right solutions are developed, but also to create sustainable financing models over time and management structures for both the solutions and the transformation lab.

In addition, active work may be required to remove any obstacles to implementing the solutions through policy development, for example to adapt laws and regulations. It may be good to involve, for example, system administrators and decision-makers in the transition lab.

Internationalisation as a starting point

In order to contribute to Water Wise Societies's mission, the transition lab needs to have an international perspective. Solutions or contexts may exist internationally, or your future new solutions may create international interest or competitiveness and attract international actors. It is important to have an international perspective and active international monitoring of the world.

Sustainable system transformation

Impact Innovation will contribute to global competitiveness through transformation for sustainable development. Through our efforts, we contribute to the global commitment to achieving the goals of Agenda 2030.

To achieve sustainable system transformation, it is important that project manage conflicting goals and minimize the risk of unintended negative impacts when designing new solutions. This is included in the assessment of applications in this the call for proposals.

We also follow up and assess:

• whether women and men participate in the project on an equal footing, receive contributions 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.

Agenda 2030 as a driver for innovation

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

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.

Actors

The call for proposals is aimed at both new and existing groupings of actors in the “source to shore” system.

In addition to the water sector, the system includes areas affected by water, such as rural areas, agriculture, forestry, food, communities, industry, etc., as well as fields of knowledge such as economics, law and behavioral science. Relevant actors include municipalities, water and sanitation organizations, business and industry, regional actors, authorities, organizations and institutes within research and innovation system, civil society and others.

There are several ways for organizations to participate in a transformation lab. One way is to be participant and part of the project team. You can also participate as a subcontractor or reference group member, for example.

We have identified that the following types of actors can be crucial for successful implementation:

• Needy people - those who need new solutions to societal challenges.
• Users and recipients - those who are affected by the solutions, such as customers and users. They are important demand setters who should be involved in the project for, for example, needs identification.
• Enablers – for example, authorities and organizations that set rules and standards.
• Solution owners - those who develop, test and commercialize solutions.
• Intermediaries - actors who can perform development, testing and demonstration of solutions, such as universities, university colleges, consultants and institutes.
• Foreign actors - To ensure an international perspective, foreign actors may need to participate in the project. They are welcome to participate as project partners on the following term:
  
  - A foreign actor cannot be coordinator.
  
  - In order for foreign actors to be granted funding, they must have a Swedish business registration number and that the costs of participating in the project are incurred in a Swedish branch or establishment.

It is important to identify the right people within an organization and how they should be involved in a project. In addition to the key people required to carry out development and coordination activities, key decision-makers or people responsible for production and operations may also need to be involved.

Project group

Those of you who apply together do so as project partners, where one of you acts as coordinator. The project coordinator must be a needs owner and the project manager must be employed by the coordinating organization.

Shared project management is permitted, where the project manager shares responsibility for the project with a deputy project manager, who does not have to come from the same organization or represent a need owner.

The project parties that are part of the project should be actively involved and share risks and results. It is important that project parties and key individuals participate with active commitment.

At the time of application, the project group must contain at least three project parties, of which at least one is a needs owner.

What activities do we want to finance?

Examples of activities that can be financed:

• Coordinate and run the project
• Bringing innovative ideas and solutions closer to implementation
  
  - Explore the application and development of innovative ideas and solutions
  
  - Testing, demonstration and scaling up of innovative ideas and solutions. Both those originating from the transition lab and external ones. For example, results from other research or innovation projects, or solutions that have been used internationally and need to be tested in Swedish conditions. Or solutions from another sector that may need to be adapted.
  
  - Gentle dismantling of previous solutions that counteract the desired change
• Develop an established transformation lab for a geographic or thematic challenge
  
  - Formation of a transition team
  
  - Coordination and planning of upcoming transformation work (for example, emerging solution portfolios) that are beyond the reach of individual organizations
  
  - Mobilization of new actors and resources for the transition journey ahead

The exact activities required may vary depending on the assignment being addressed and the type of project involving innovative ideas and solutions. You can read more about the transition lab in the appendix.

Transition labs funded in this call for proposals will participate in and contribute to Water Wise Societies's so-called transition arena. It is an arena for exchange of experiences and co-creation run by the Water Wise Societies program office for the program's members. The arena consists of both physical and digital meetings and workshops. Participation is ongoing.

What costs can we finance?

Our funding is subject to state aid rules. The rules govern what types of costs 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 an immediate consequence of but can be related to the project, such as 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.

Costs incurred for participating in the Water Wise Societies transition arena may be included in the eligible costs.

What eligibility requirements apply to costs we finance?

For a cost to be eligible, it must be:

• necessary for the activities in the project
• recorded correctly and separately from the organization's other costs.

An organization may also 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

The state aid rules also govern how much of the costs we can finance. This is determined individually for each organization. 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?

The total budget for the call for proposals is approximately SEK 80,000,000 over three years and Water Wise Societies wants to finance approximately 6 – 8 project.

The contribution to each transition lab can amount to a maximum of SEK 13,500,000 per year for a maximum of three years, and to a maximum of 75 percent of the transition lab's total eligible costs.

The grant is intended to mainly (at least 60 percent) cover costs for activities that bring innovative ideas or solutions closer to implementation, see the list in section 4. At least 30 percent of the costs are intended to relate to the formation of an established transformation lab.

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 to both organizations that engage in economic activities and organizations that do not engage in economic activities.

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

An organization that offers some kind of service or product on a market is considered to be engaged in economic activities. 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.

Support to organizations that do not engage in economic activities

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

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

Support to organizations with economic activities ( state aid)

In this the call for proposals organizations that conduct economic activities can receive support for industrial research and experimental development.

Industrial research can be simply described as seeking new knowledge through planned research or critical analysis to develop or significantly improve products, processes or services.

Experimental development can be simply described as combining, shaping and using existing knowledge to develop new or improved products, processes or services.

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

The size of the organization and type of activity determines how large a proportion of the costs we can finance, i.e. the maximum level of support.

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

De minimis support ( support of minor importance)

In this the call for proposals we can also provide de minimis support, also known as support of minor importance. We can finance up to 100 percent of a project party's costs.

An organization can receive a maximum of 300,000 euros over a three-year period in this form of support, regardless of the funder and project. This means that if the same organization has received support of lesser importance in other project from other funders in the past, it will affect how large the support can be in this the call for proposals.

Submit a certificate of de minimis support when you submit proposal. This is required for us to be able to grant this support.

Certificates of de minimis support can be found on this page

We grant funding in accordance with the EU Commission Regulation (2023/2831) on de minimis support.

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 partners

• 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.

Eligibility requirements for project

• The project manager must be employed by the coordinating party in the project.
• The project may not begin before proposal is submitted.
• Costs for consulting services from outside parties may constitute a maximum of 20 percent of a project party's budget.
• The project group must contain at least three project parties.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal must be written in Swedish or English.
• Proposal must follow the instructions given in section 9.
• Proposal must contain all requested attachments.

What do we assess?

Your proposal will be assessed based on the criteria potential, actors and feasibility. The assessment will also examine the application's description of how it will contribute to Water Wise Societies's mission, see section 2.

The assessment criteria for this call for proposals are:

Potential

• To what extent the transition lab is based on and has potential to contribute to one or more of Water Wise Societies's missions.
• To what extent the innovative ideas and solutions to be explored, developed, tested or scaled have potential to contribute to one or more of Water Wise Societies's missions.
• How well the project positions itself against already existing solutions and initiatives.
• To what extent does the project have potential to challenge existing structures, such as norms, working methods, behaviors, business models and regulations.
• The credibility of the international perspective presented in proposal based on the project's objective.
• To what extent are ideas and solutions defined taking into account a gender equality perspective and can thus contribute to increased gender equality.

Actors

• Whether the project is led by a needs owner, and to what extent the project team includes the organizations that need to be involved in developing a successful transformation lab.
• To what extent do the project partners have the credibility and ability to mobilize an effective and well-established cross-border stakeholder group?
• The extent to which the project manager and other key individuals have the skills and ability to implement the project, including the mandate to carry out the planned activities.
• How well the team (key people) is composed in terms of gender distribution, and how well power and influence are distributed between women and men.

Feasibility

• To what extent is the project based on a credible project plan and budget where the activities are linked to project objectives as well as desired results and long-term effects.
• Commitment and degree of cooperation between project parties and involvement of relevant actors.
• To what extent does the project plan contain activities aimed at achieving movement within multiple system dimensions.
• The extent to which management of potential goal conflicts is integrated into the project plan.
• How well described and appropriate the project's plan for dissemination and utilization of results is.
• How well aspects related to gender equality are integrated into the project plan.

How do we assess?

All applications that meet the formal requirements are assessed in competition with each other. The applications that best meet the assessment criteria are granted funding.

The evaluators consist of a group of Vinnova appointed experts and programme manager from Formas, the Swedish Energy Agency and Vinnova. The evaluators have experience in business, public activities, academia and civil society, as well as knowledge linked to a wide range of areas and industries.

Since applications can concern different types of project, consideration will be given to the different conditions that apply to each project. This includes classifying basis for support based on the project's planned activities.

Schematically, the decision-making process looks as follows:

• Only applications that, after review, meet the formal requirements set out in Section 6 will be assessed.
• The assessments are made using the criteria set out in Section 7.
• Interviews may be held on October 16, 17 and 20 (invitation one week in advance).
• Based on the assessors' recommendations, Vinnova makes decisions about which project should be granted funding and which should be rejected.
• In a competitive situation, an overall portfolio perspective regarding thematic and geographical spread and actor composition will be taken into account.
• Decisions are sent to those who have applied funding.

Information about granted project is published on www.vinnova.se and Water Wise Societies's website.

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, nor must they 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 approve your participation and commit to carrying out the project.
• That you report how things are going, your costs and achieved results to us regularly during the project period.
• If you are multiple parties, you must agree on your mutual rights and obligations in the project in an agreement. It can take time to get a project agreement in place, so it is a good idea to get this in place before the project starts.
• How the results will be used and how 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:

• The project must be represented by at least one participant at the Water Wise Societies transition arena and other activities organized within the program, approximately on two to four (of which a maximum of two physical) occasions per year. The costs for such participation are eligible for support.
• The project shall maintain a continuous dialogue with the Water Wise Societies program office or another actor designated by the program office throughout the duration of the project.
• When providing information about the project and when publishing project results, it must be stated that the work was carried out within the Impact Innovation program Water Wise Societies – an initiative of the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova.
• In connection with the final reporting of the project to Vinnova, a summary of the project results must be sent to Water Wise Societies program office according to the template available at www.impactinnovation.se. The summary must be freely distributed and published on the Energy Agency, Formas, Vinnova and Impact Innovations and the program office's website. The summary must not contain confidential or otherwise sensitive information.
• We may also decide to add supplementary special conditions for individual project. In such cases, they will be stated in 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, as well as 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. You can only make additions if we ask you to.

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 keep confidential information that we believe could cause financial harm to the individual if disclosed. This could include information about business and operational conditions, inventions or research results.

How we handle public documents and confidentiality