Innovation procurement checks 2022 - Green conversion

Vinnova is tasked with promoting sustainable growth by improving the conditions for innovation. Improved conditions for innovation strengthen the capacity to reach the goals for sustainable development in Agenda 2030. Through our efforts, we contribute to the global commitment to reach the goals.

Our work to contribute to the goals of Agenda 2030

The financing of checks shall strengthen the conditions for the use of innovation procurement. This is to promote the development and spread of innovative and viable solutions that contribute to a resource-efficient, circular economy and the use of climate-neutral goods and services.

Innovation procurement is a process that takes place when a public activities has identified a need or desire that is not covered by the range of goods and services available on the market or known to the activity. It could be about the need for new development, or that new solutions exist but are untested, or that solutions exist in another market and need to be adapted.

The innovation procurement process means that public organizations and innovative companies meet to collaborate before or in a procurement around new innovative solutions being developed, tested, adapted, certified, etc. Innovation procurement is not a special methodology or procedure. The process is based on the same basis as other public procurement, but also on the same logic as in other types of innovation projects. It is a combination of traditional public procurement and experimental innovation projects, which requires competences of many kinds. For more information on innovation and procurement, see:

What is innovation in procurement? | The procurement authority

The financing is aimed at procuring authorities and units (procuring organisations). You have identified areas where you need new solutions and where you believe or know that the market can contribute. Therefore, you are in an innovation procurement or are to produce decision-making material for an upcoming innovation procurement. To do this, you need external expertise, or access to external labs, test beds, test and demo facilities, production facilities and similar infrastructure in connection with an innovation procurement.

The innovation procurement must contribute to at least one of two thematic areas:

• A resource-efficient and circular economy.
• Climate-neutral goods and services.

The purpose of the checks is to make it easier for procuring organizations to make substantiated and strategic decisions at the right time, by taking advantage of external expertise when their own resources or knowledge are not sufficient.

Checks can be applied for during the period 15 February 2022 – 11 October 2022. Vinnova processes applications every three weeks starting on 8 March 2022. Decisions are made on an ongoing basis and are made three to six weeks after the proposal is received.

The financing is part of Vinnova's effort on innovation and procurement in our strategic area Transformative public sector and civil society and Regeringsuppdrag N2021/01194.

Regeringsuppdrag N2021/01194

The announcement is aimed at procuring organisations, i.e. organizations subject to procurement legislation.

Procurement legislation includes the Public Procurement Act (LOU), the Supply Sector Procurement Act (LUF), the Concession Procurement Act (LUK) or the Defense and Security Procurement Act (LUFS).

funding Activities for which funding can be sought

You can apply for funding to buy in external expertise needed in connection with an innovation procurement. This can, for example, concern external expertise in the subject area, market analysis and market dialogue, process management, innovation management, law and contracts, intangible assets, service design and procurement procedures. It can also involve external excellence in the circular economy, climate or environment.

The grant can also pay for access to external labs, test beds, test and demo facilities, production facilities and similar infrastructure needed to verify and validate various production and development critical features of the new solutions in an innovation procurement.

It is not possible to apply for funding for internal costs arising in connection with the project.

The time period when Vinnova's funds are to be used can be a maximum of 8 months. From the applicant's perspective, the project can be longer, but in a proposal to Vinnova, the period must not exceed 8 months.

Two types of project

We finance two different types of project:

Track 1: You are considering an innovation procurement and need to produce decision-making material to decide whether you should proceed with such a project. You have a need to hire external expertise to drive the process or to contribute knowledge that strengthens the decision-making basis.

Our intention is that the funding should increase the possibility of producing early decision-making materials that can lead to innovation procurement.

Track 2: You are in an ongoing innovation procurement, that is, a decided and started project that a new solution is to be procured. You have a need to hire external expertise to strengthen the results of your innovation procurement. You may also need external infrastructure for verification and validation.

Our intention is that the funding should contribute to increasing the quality of ongoing procurement of innovation.

Two different thematic areas

We only finance project that touch at least one of the following two thematic areas within green transition:

A resource-efficient and circular economy
A transition to a resource-efficient and circular economy is necessary to reduce the environmental and climate impact, while at the same time favoring business development and new jobs. A circular economy is based on cycles, instead of the linear "create, use, throw away". It's about extending the life of products and using resources smarter, for example through reuse, sharing and recycling. Through new solutions or innovative business models based on circular material flows, resources can be used efficiently in non-toxic circular flows and replace virgin materials.

Climate-neutral goods and services
Sweden has a goal of net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by the year 2045. This means that all sectors must contribute to reducing climate emissions, which makes the need for climate-neutral goods and services great. A climate-neutral good or service does not cause any net increase in global emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere throughout its life cycle. This requires new solutions and business models that, in the long term, create the conditions for actors in all sectors to cope with the transition to net zero emissions in 2045.

Eligible costs

The following costs are eligible:

• Costs for external expertise. In the proposal, this cost is placed under Vinnova's general cost category "Costs for consultants and licenses etc".
• Charges for use of external infrastructure. In the proposal, this cost is placed under Vinnova's general cost type "Other direct costs".

You cannot apply for any other costs than those mentioned above.

For more information on eligible costs, see:

Instructions for eligible costs

Our funding takes place through funding and therefore the state aid rules must be taken into account.

The rules on government support apply if the beneficiary is an organization that carries out economic activities. All activities that involve offering goods and services on a market constitute economic activities. This means that even non-profit organizations can be classified as economic activities if they offer goods and services on a market. It is not decisive what legal form the business takes, how it is financed, whether it is public or private, or whether it has a profit motive. The organization itself answers and is ultimately responsible for the assessment of whether they conduct economic activities or not.

The absolute most common thing is that public organizations do not conduct economic activities, but you need to make an assessment of your activities as above to be sure.

Funding to parties that do not conduct economic activities is granted in accordance with regulation (2009:1101) with instructions for the Agency for innovation system. In these cases, the contribution does not constitute state aid. Read more here

There are examples of public organizations that act in a market in competition with private businesses, for example public real estate companies. In this call for proposals, organizations that carry out economic activities will be granted funding with the support of § 2 p. 2 regulation (2015:208) on state support for research and development and innovation, that is, as support of minor importance ( de minimis- support) according to Regulation (EU) No. 1407/2013.

Before you can be granted de minimis, you must submit a certificate of support of minor importance.

Form can be downloaded from Vinnova's website

This is done in connection with proposal. Maximum permitted support of minor importance is 200,000 euros per recipient during the last three tax years.

The size of the grant is up to SEK 200,000 per skill or access to infrastructure.

If you apply for support according to track 1, the grant amounts to a maximum of SEK 200,000.

If you apply for support according to track 2, the grant amounts to a maximum of SEK 400,000 for the hiring of at least two or more different types of skills, alternatively two or more different fees for access to external infrastructure. If only an external competence/infrastructure is used, the grant amounts to a maximum of SEK 200,000.

Aid intensity is 100%. This means that the applicant should not report own funding in proposal, but only the amount of the check requested.

Total budget for the call is SEK 5 million and decisions are made continuously.

We will only assess applications that meet the following formal eligibility requirements:

• Applicant constitutes a procuring public authority or department (procuring organisation). Procuring organization refers to all organizations subject to procurement legislation.
• Proposal must be written in Swedish and/or English.
• The appendix "Project description" must be written according to the template provided by Vinnova on the call's website. The template should be used without editing fonts or margins. No custom formats on the attachment are accepted.
• Proposal received via Vinnova's portal no later than January 10, 2023 at 2 p.m.

Tips for writing a correct proposal without formality errors:

• Look at our checklist before submitting proposal [link]
• Attend one of our digital Q&A sessions. For opportunities, see the heading "Digital Q&A sessions" further down the page.

We do not allow additions to applications. If a formality error occurs, it is fine to submit a new proposal until the call for proposals closes.

What do we assess?

Potential

• If the project is considered to be a preparation for, or an ongoing, innovation procurement.
• To what degree the challenge is relevant for several actors (in and outside the public sector), that the demand for new innovative solutions is great and that developing companies have the conditions to spread and scale solutions.
• The project's potential to contribute positively to a resource-efficient and circular economy or alternative use of climate-neutral goods and services.
• To what extent the innovation procurement should be designed taking into account an equality perspective and how the result should benefit both women and men.

Actors

• To what extent the external competence to be procured is relevant to the possible or ongoing innovation procurement.
• To what extent the project manager has the competence and ability to carry out the project.
• The extent to which the project has committed representation from: a) the business area that will use the solution, b) internal procurement expertise and c) internal innovation or development staff.

Feasibility

• To what extent the budget and schedule are realistic and appropriate in relation to the scope and type of external expertise and/or specialist advice to be employed.

How do we judge?

Your proposal will be assessed against the criteria above. The applications that are judged to meet the criteria well enough are granted funds within our budget framework. Vinnova's overall portfolio perspective may influence the final selection of project. Priority is given to applications that have the potential to take advantage of the possibilities of digitization.

The evaluators consist of a group of specially appointed experts from Vinnova and a programme manager from Vinnova.

The decision process looks like this:

• Only applications which, after review, meet the formal requirements set out in Section 5 will be assessed.
• The assessments are made using the criteria set out in section 6.
• Based on the assessors' recommendation, Vinnova makes decisions about which project will be granted funding.
• Vinnova's overall portfolio perspective may influence the final selection.
• Decisions are sent to those who have applied for funding and Vinnova publishes information about granted projects at project.

Important dates

• Applications can be submitted every day from February 15, 2022.
• Reading times: March 8, March 29, April 19, May 10, May 31, June 21, August 30, September 20, October 11, November 1, November 22 and December 13.
• Last application date: January 10, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.
• Final decision: January 31, 2023.
• Project start: no earlier than fifteen weekdays after the next reading and no later than January 31, 2023.
• Project end: no later than September 30, 2023.

About our decisions

How much each party in the project is granted in funding appears in the decision. Funding for economic activities will be granted with the support of the Commission's regulation no. 1407/2013 on support of minor importance (de minimis support).

Our decision to grant or reject a proposal cannot be appealed.

Term for granted funding

For granted funding, our general terms and conditions for funding apply. The terms contain, among other things, rules on conditions for payment, follow-up, reporting and utilization of results.

Our rules and term for funding

The following special conditionsalso apply to everyone who is granted funding in this call:

• The project must be represented by a representative for the project at an experience day or similar activity organized by the Procurement Authority and Vinnova.
• At least one representative of the project must attend a two-hour introductory seminar.

Supplementary special conditions can be decided for individual projects project.

If you do not comply with 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.