Rules and instruments for cutting-edge technology

A well-functioning control and regulation provides good conditions for the efficient and safe development of new technology. Uncertainties can reduce the desire for long-term investments in research and innovation. Regulations can also risk inhibiting innovation through, for example, bans, rules that are difficult to interpret, conflicting rules or lengthy permit processes. It creates institutional uncertainty which in turn deters investors and others acting in a regulated area.

Another challenge is that regulation risks being too slow to protect society and individuals from negative side effects that innovations can have on, for example, security, health and democracy.

With this the call for proposals Vinnova wants to contribute to creating better conditions for a more proactive development of rules and other control instruments linked to ground-breaking technology.

Book an appointment with Vinnova for questions

The opportunity to ask questions for 30 minutes with Vinnova is available on 22, 23 and 24 January as well as on 19, 20 and 21 February. Appointments are made by sending an email to Amir Hafad amir.hafad@vinnova.se.

A well-functioning control and regulation provides good conditions for an efficient and safe development of new technology. It can reduce uncertainties and increase the desire for long-term investments in research and innovation. With this the call for proposals we want to contribute to a well-functioning regulation and control of pioneering technology areas, for example by exploring together with the regulatory the actors how rules and control instruments can work in the future.

One challenge is that regulations risk inhibiting innovation through, for example, prohibitions, rules that are difficult to interpret, conflicting rules or lengthy permit processes. It creates institutional uncertainty which in turn deters investors and others acting in a regulated area. Another challenge is that regulation risks being too slow to protect society and individuals from negative side effects that innovations can have on, for example, security, health and democracy. Differences in the pace of development between regulation and technological innovation are also described by Growth Analysis.

In this the call for proposals Vinnova has a particular focus on ground-breaking technology. Applicant therefore needs to argue why the chosen technology is ground-breaking. By 'breakthrough technology' we mean technologies that are not only new and innovative, but also have potential to change and improve existing systems, processes or markets in a fundamental way. These technologies must be able to create significant progress and have a long-term impact on society and the economy.

Linked to the selected technology, the project can, for example, examine how regulation can be developed in an expedient manner or what a certain regulation or permit process could look like. The project can also be about finding out how the current regulations work in relation to the chosen technology area.

The initiative also welcomes initiatives with a focus on policy instruments linked to technology's social consequences, such as the impact on employers, employees and the work environment. Through the project, Vinnova also wants to contribute to organizational learning, above all in organizations with control over rules or other means of control. The learning can, for example, be about creating an increased understanding of the organization's role, new working methods or methods for tackling issues of cutting-edge technology.

Examples of pioneering technology areas

Here are some examples of pioneering technology areas identified by Vinnova:

• Space technology
• Synthetic Biology
• Quantum technology
• Immersive technology
• Blockchains

Contribute to a sustainable system transition

Vinnova is tasked with promoting sustainable growth and system change. In order to implement sustainable system change, we have chosen to start from the UN's global sustainability goals, defined in Agenda 2030. There, Vinnova prioritizes two perspectives: gender equality and climate change. All initiatives and project we finance are assessed based on how they contribute to these perspectives.

When we at Vinnova talk about sustainable transition, we start from the concept of sustainable development, defined in the Brundtland Report from 1987 as "a development that satisfies today's needs without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs" (Brundtland Report, Britannica).

We therefore always follow up and assess:

• if women and men participate equally in the project, share in the contribution and have influence and power over the project
• how well the project analyzes and takes a position on whether there are gender or gender aspects that are relevant to the project's problem formulation, solutions and effects
• how well the project contributes to sustainable development in terms of, for example, reduced emissions of greenhouse gases, reduced environmental pollution, increased biological diversity or increased circularity and resource efficiency.

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

Agenda 2030 as a driving force for innovation

Make available scientific publications and results

When results from research and innovation are made freely available, more people can contribute to solving societal challenges. This the call for proposals will contribute to making results available to everyone. Therefore, all scientific publication must be open access.

One or more project parties from, for example, the public sector, academia, civil society or companies can apply. We would like to see an actor who has control over the control instruments that the project focuses on included in the project, but that is not eligibility requirements. Applicant must intend to investigate or experiment with how regulation and permitting processes can be designed to meet developments in some cutting-edge technology area.

In this the call for proposals Vinnova offers an opportunity to investigate and experiment with how regulation and permit processes can be designed to meet developments in selected technology areas.

By having applicant parties work on a concrete issue or challenge, Vinnova also wants to contribute to organizational learning. Above all in organizations with control over rules or other means of control. The learning can, for example, be about creating an increased understanding of the organization's role, and new working methods or methods for tackling issues of cutting-edge technology.

Examples of instruments covered:

• Regulations at EU level
• National laws and regulations
• Regulations of municipalities and regions
• Permit processes
• Industries' own voluntary policies, such as codes of conduct.

The projects can focus on different phases of the policy development process:

• Clarify current regulations and policy instruments: Attempts or build-up of efforts aimed at clarifying, giving a coordinated picture of, or interpreting current regulations to support development in the chosen technology area.
• Anticipate the need for regulatory means: Efforts to anticipate the need for regulation in one or more cutting-edge technology areas.
• Adaptation and design of policy instruments: Feasibility studies or other work on how rules, other policy instruments or permit processes can and should be adapted or designed so that society can safely and with a high rate of innovation use the selected technology area.
• Tests of new controls: Tests or experiments, for example, using prototypes of new or adapted controls (for example, laws, regulations, general advice, taxes, certification or industry standards).

Today, concepts such as regulatory sandboxes and policy labs are used to an increasing extent, and often with different meanings. There are no eligibility requirements in the call for proposals for the project to use any particular method. But applicant needs to explain how the implementation will take place, and then we would like to see that new methods or working methods are also tested for the organizations to create organizational learning.

Read more about the EU's work on regulatory sandboxes

Read more about trials in the regulatory area.

What costs can we finance?

Our funding is covered by rules on state aid. The rules govern what kinds 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 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. However, universities and university colleges may make allowances for indirect costs according to the full cost principle they apply.

If a project party's costs for external consultants exceed 20 percent of the budget, a justification for the consulting effort must be given in proposal. The person or company that will perform consulting services must, if possible, be stated in proposal, see the assessment criteria in section 7.

For more detailed information on which costs we can finance, see Instructions for eligible costs

What eligibility requirements apply to costs we finance?

For a cost to be eligible, 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 Instructions for eligible costs

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

Project can apply for support of a maximum of SEK 1,000,000 for a maximum of 12 months. Preliminary budget for the call for proposals is SEK 10 million. The level of support can under certain conditions amount to 100 percent, but it is an advantage if co-financing is available.

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

Research and development

In this the call for proposals we provide support for experimental development or feasibility studies.

What is experimental development or feasibility studies?

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

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

Not state aid

In this the call for proposals we also provide support to organizations that do not conduct economic activities. This means that they do not offer a service or product in a market. This includes public organisations, universities, university colleges and usually research institutes and in some cases civil society organisations.

We can finance up to 100 percent of such an organization's costs.

Minor Support

In this the call for proposals we can also provide de minimis support, also called 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 funder and project. This means that if the same organization has received support of less importance in other project from other funders in the past, it affects how big the support can be in this the call for proposals.

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

Certificate of de minimis support

We grant funding in accordance with the EU Commission's regulation (2023/2831) on support of minor importance.

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 is rejected immediately.

• All project parties must be legal entities. We do not grant funding to individual companies.
• We only grant funding to actors who have a branch or place of business in Sweden.
• Proposal must be written in Swedish or English.
• Proposal must follow the instructions given in section 9.

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.

Potential

• The potential of the technology area chosen by the project - the degree to which it is a cutting-edge technology.
• The project's potential to contribute to the development of rules and other policy instruments that open up innovation and contribute to safe development within one or more pioneering technology areas.
• The project's potential to create concrete learning in the organization or organizations that manage (own or have control over) the regulatory framework or other instruments that the project aims to manage.
• How well the project is judged to contribute to increased gender equality.
• How well the project is judged to contribute positively to sustainable development through, for example, reduced emissions of greenhouse gases, reduced environmental pollution, increased biological diversity or increased circularity and resource efficiency.

Actors

• The actor's competence and experience in relation to the described project.
• The actor's ability and conditions to implement the described project.
• How well composed the project team is in terms of gender distribution. As well as how well power and influence is distributed between women and men in the project team.
• To what extent does the project group have access to relevant competence in sustainability.
• How well the need for consulting services is justified if a project party's budget consists of more than 20 percent consulting costs.

Feasibility

• How well the project has been designed to reach its objective based on the implementation and timetable.
• How well the budget is considered to be justified and realistic.
• The project's ability to carry out communication efforts and disseminate project results and experiences.
• How well gender equality has been integrated into the project plan.
• How well climate aspects have been integrated into the project plan.

How do we judge?

The project applications will be assessed in competition according to the criteria potential, actors and feasibility. Vinnova will also strive to grant a broad portfolio of project with different focuses and ground-breaking technologies.

The assessment is made by a group of evaluator appointed by Vinnova, as well as programme manager from Vinnova.

We also assess financial status

Before we decide on funding, we also make an overall assessment of the organizational and financial status of those who receive funding. We use information we receive from credit reports, currently from Dun & Bradstreet.

In order for us to grant funding the following applies:

• Organizations seeking funding for personnel costs must be registered as employers with the Swedish Tax Agency.
• Organizations must not be insolvent, undergo liquidation or corporate restructuring. They must also not have unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Agency.
• Joint stock companies must not have used up half or more of their share capital.

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 approve your participation and undertake to carry 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 several 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 please start this before the project starts.
• Results from research and innovation that are made freely available increase the opportunity for more people to contribute to solutions to societal challenges. The call for proposals should contribute to making more results freely available to everyone and scientific publication should take place with open access.

See our general terms and conditions and get help understanding and fulfilling them

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 the call for proposals closes, proposal will be registered. Then we send an e-mail confirmation to the person responsible for the user account, the project manager and the company signatory. 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 participating 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