Everyday innovators in biotech and synthetic biology

objective of the call is to stimulate more people to have the opportunity to increase their knowledge and ability to work with the fast-growing and ground-breaking technical field of biotechnology and, in particular, synthetic biology. The area will have a major impact on our society going forward, which is why a wide range of actors need to take part in the opportunities that come with it.

Through the call for proposals we want to stimulate the spread of knowledge, which means conveying and explaining in different ways the possibilities, but also the challenges of biotechnology and biological solutions. As well as stimulating experiments with a focus on synthetic biology. This often requires special facilities and equipment, which is why we wish to see facilities made available for actors from different sectors to explore and work together.

The call for proposals wants to achieve that there will be more "everyday innovators" or "makers". By everyday innovators we mean "Individuals who practically explore and experiment in various fields, especially in their spare time The call for proposals is aimed at non-profit organizations and creators within civil society such as makerspaces, interest associations as well as, universities and university colleges, science parks and incubators, companies, science museums and science houses that have a connection to biotechnology and biological solutions in synthetic biology.Funded activities should also contribute to strengthened networks and collaborations and in the long term contribute to national resilience in biotechnology and biological solutions.

It is possible to apply for funding for activities in two different tracks.

In track 1, we turn to actors within civil society such as:

• has the ability and capacity to arrange knowledge-enhancing activities in biotechnology and biological solutions with a focus on synthetic biology for members and/or members and non-members.
• can demonstrate how knowledge-raising activities are interesting and relevant for the target group.
• has a plan for how the increase in knowledge can be taken forward in the continued operations.

In track 2, we address research-related actors and academia such as:

• have the ability and capacity to arrange practical capacity-building activities in an ethical and safe manner.
• has the ability and capacity to, together with civil society, involve and engage in capacity-building activities in biotechnology and biological solutions with a particular focus on synthetic biology.
• has a reasoning regarding how the expanded utilization of knowledge and collaboration with civil society will be taken care of in the future.

Vinnova's task is to contribute to the development of effective innovation system, networks of public and private actors where innovations and new knowledge are developed, disseminated and used. Vinnova shall further contribute to the dissemination of information about research, development and innovation to performers, users and the public, as well as to the cooperation between various actors in the Swedish innovation system.

Vinnova has identified a need to broaden participation in innovation work in emerging and pioneering technology, including in biotechnology and in particular synthetic biology. Many countries around the world are already investing significant resources in the field today, and are expected to continue to do so in the future. This is because of its potential to address global challenges, promote economic growth and innovation and strengthen international cooperation and partnership. Sweden therefore needs to invest much more in the area.

The purpose of the call for proposals is to get more everyday innovators and makers in Sweden by developing civil society's participation in biotechnology and providing conditions for organized work around common needs. The support therefore refers to help for maker organizations to increase the systematics around the creation of new biological solutions and to get the solutions into further use.

By biotechnology and biological solutions we mean:

• the use of living organisms, or parts of them, to develop or produce different types of products, processes or techniques that can be useful in the form of new biological solutions for humans, animals or the environment.

By synthetic biology we mean:

• design and construction of new biological systems, functions or organisms that do not exist in nature or to reprogram existing biological systems to perform specific tasks. Synthetic biology is a subset of biotechnology and biological solutions, a theme within the field.

Today, there is an extensive range of tools to help innovators. Many of the tools are simple and robust enough for anyone to use. For the first time, the tools are also financially available, but they are not spread in a broad sense in our diversified innovation system, which we want to achieve with this offer and then with a special focus on the maker movement and the themes of biotechnology and synthetic biology. Support can be given to activities that create the conditions for exchanges and collaborations between civil society, the public sector including publicly owned companies and academia, which in turn leads to more everyday innovators and makers.

Links for further reading:
Technology Shaping the Future: Synthetic Biology

Podcast episodes; This is how you are affected by future tech trends

Podcast episodes; Are researchers on the trail of eternal life?

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 take part 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 that aspect is also assessed.

Equality aspects can also be relevant to consider and should therefore be integrated into the project's planning and implementation to ensure that the needs, conditions and term of different target groups are taken into account in an inclusive way throughout the innovation process.

Our work to contribute to the goals of Agenda 2030

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

In order to develop more innovative solutions, knowledge from research needs to reach more stakeholder groups, including civil society. An increased involvement of and an increased commitment from civil society means an increased utilization of knowledge, more perspectives on needs and opportunities and can provide funding for proactive policy development in emerging technology areas. With this call for proposals Vinnova wants to contribute to more everyday innovators. The call for proposals is therefore aimed at non-profit organizations within civil society such as makerspaces, interest associations and universities and university colleges, science parks and incubators, companies, science museums and science houses.

In track 1, we mainly target non-profit organizations within civil society such as makerspaces and interest associations. In track 2, we mainly target universities and university colleges, science parks and incubators, companies, science museums and science houses.

What is meant by civil society?

By civil society we mean "an arena, separate from the state, the market and the individual household, where people organize themselves and act together in common interests". The area includes networks, non-profit associations, registered religious communities and more.

Sometimes the term "civil society organizations" is used. That means:

• Organizations within the non-profit sector.
• Self-governing cooperative activities with a selfless mission and often with an ideological awareness.
• Limited company with special profit distribution limitation. The profit must be a means to drive activities and not an objective in itself.

Applicant chooses either track 1 or 2, depending on the nature of the applicant and the project's aim. Which activities can be financed depends on the chosen track:

Track 1: Knowledge-enhancing activities

• Examples of activities: exhibitions, conferences, fairs, lectures and other knowledge-raising and networking activities in the field of biotechnology and synthetic biology.
• At least two project parties, with coordinator from non-profit organizations within civil society.

Track 2: Ability-enhancing activities

• Clear thematic orientation and experimental focus.
• Examples of activities: workshops, competitions, hackathons, creative activities.
• At least two project partners with coordinator from academia or the public sector, including publicly owned companies.

Our funding is covered by rules on government support. 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.

The call for proposals has a budget of a total of SEK 3,000,000.

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

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

Track 1: Knowledge raising activities

• Support can be given up to a maximum of SEK 150,000 per project

Track 2: Capacity building activities

• Support can be given up to a maximum of SEK 300,000 per project.
  
  

What costs can we finance?

Our funding may only go to certain types of costs. 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 license 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.
  
  

Which activities can we finance?

Type of activities varies but can be:

• Networks, meetings and other gathering activities for the exchange of experiences and dissemination of knowledge.
• Designing trials and experiments in biotech and synthetic biology.
• Activities that concern the co-creation of experiments and development of solutions.
  
  

This is eligible costs

eligible costs mean the costs you have to carry out your part of the project and which can be fully or partially covered by our funding.

Basic prerequisites for a cost to be eligible for support are that it must:

• borne by applicant company or organization.
• be attributable to the project.
• have arisen during the project period as shown by our decision to be determined in accordance with the company's or organization's usual accounting principles and good accounting practice.
• be in accordance with the company or organization's own internal policies and guidelines.

Accounting for project costs must be distinguishable in the accounting from the company's or organization's other transactions.

Note that non-profit time or volunteer hours should not be included in the budget as they do not represent actual, auditable costs.

For a cost to be eligible for support, 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.

Basis for support per participant

Funding for organizations that carry out economic activities is covered by rules on state support. The grounds for support below clarify what percentage of your eligible costs may be covered by funding.

Support is provided according to:

• Regulation on support of minor importance (EU no. 1407/2013) or
• in accordance with experimental development (EU No. 651/2014) or
• as "Non-state aid".
  
  

Economic and non-economic activities

Organizations within civil society in some cases conduct economic activities in parts of their activities. Then the rules on government supportapply. The European Court of Justice has ruled that all activities that involve offering goods and services on a market constitute economic activities. It is therefore not the company's form, profit motive, owners, compensation or membership fees that are decisive. This means that even non-profit organizations can be classified as economic activities if they offer goods and services on a market.

If the activity has both economic and non-economic activity as above and proposal refers to the non-economic activity part, it is important to be able to demonstrate that the economic activity is separate from the non-economic activity.

Accounting for project costs must be distinguishable in the accounting from the company's or organization's other transactions, and non-profit time or volunteer hours must not be included in the budget because they do not constitute actual, auditable costs.

Example: Hoppa Häst is a non-profit association that lets children and adults ride on weekends for free to promote outdoor life. The association does not have a profit motive but offers a service in a market, i.e. the service provided competes with other organizations that can also offer the same types of services. The association is thus considered to conduct economic activities according to the state aid rules, despite the fact that it is a non-profit association and that there is no profit motive.

Minor Support

In this the call for proposals Funding to organizations with economic activities can also be granted with the support basis " support of minor importance" (also called de minimis support) according to the EU Commission's regulation no. 1407/20136.16. Funding on this basis can be granted with a maximum of 100 percent aid intensity per party. Actors who seek " Support of minor importance" must attach a certificate with proposal that they meet the requirements for this.

Experimental development

As regards track 2, the activities you seek funding for must be development activities that are included in the definition of experimental development. Read more in section 5 and in article 2, paragraph 86 of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014.

Experimental development may include prototyping, demonstration, piloting, testing and validation of new or improved products, processes or services. This may also include activities aimed at conceptual definition, planning and documentation of new products, processes or services.

Experimental development does not include routine or recurring changes to existing goods, manufacturing methods, manufacturing processes, services or other ongoing operations even though these changes may involve improvements. Funding in this call for proposals cannot go to feasibility studies or research studies either. Furthermore, marketing and sales or ongoing operations are not financed.

Not state aid

Idea-based organisations, academia, research institutes and the public sector that participate in their non-economic activities are not covered by the rules on state aid. Such actors can in this call for proposals seek funding for 100 percent of their eligible costs.

Right of deduction for input VAT or not

VAT is an eligible cost if you as a beneficiary do not have the right to deduct input VAT on the project's activities. In that case, the costs must be reported including VAT.

If you have the right to deduct input VAT on your project activities, however, you may not include VAT as an eligible cost in the project. This means that costs must be reported excluding VAT.

Links for further reading:
Rules for government support for economic activities
Rules for eligible costs in Vinnova's general terms and conditions through our instructions for eligible costs

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.

• All applicant must be a legal entity.
• Funding is not granted to organizations that are insolvent or that are undergoing liquidation or company restructuring, or that have 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.
• An organization seeking funding for personnel costs must be registered as an employer with the Swedish Tax Agency no later than when the grant decision is made
• For track 1: At least 1 participant who is a civil society actor such as an association or non-profit organization.
• For track 2: At least two project parties. The coordinator must be from a university, university college, science park, incubator, science museum or science house. One participant must be from civil society.
• Applicant applying on the basis of support of minor importance must attach a certificate under the "other attachments" tab in e-services.
• Applications within track 2 that involve practical experiments must attach a risk assessment, see separate template. Under the "other attachments" tab in e-services.

What do we assess?

The project must be in line with objective and aim of the call for proposals and will be assessed using the criteria mentioned below.

Vinnova strives for an even distribution with regard to actors, geography and the two tracks.

Potential

• Activities that contribute to increased knowledge and broadened target group involvement in the area (track 1).
• Experiments that contribute to strengthened capability and future innovations in the field (track 2).
• Actions that strengthen national resilience in the area (tracks 1 and 2).
• How well the project is judged to contribute to increased gender equality (tracks 1 and 2).
• 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 (tracks 1 and 2).

Actors

• To what extent project manager and other key personnel have experience, ability and capacity to arrange knowledge-raising and engaging activities in the area (track 1).
• To what extent project manager and other key personnel have the experience, ability and capacity to arrange capacity-building activities in the area (track 2).
• To what extent applicant actors have experience and relevant competence about makers (tracks 1 and 2).
• To what extent the project group has access to relevant competence in sustainability that concerns biotechnology and synthetic biology (tracks 1 and 2).
• How well composed the project team is in terms of gender distribution. As well as how well power and influence are evenly distributed between the sexes in the project team (tracks 1 and 2).

Feasibility

• How realistic, credible and appropriate the project plan, activities and budget are in relation to the objectives (tracks 1 and 2).
• Communicative efforts for increased activity in the field among civil society actors and attract more "everyday innovators" or "makers" in the field (track 1).
• How well proposal describes potential risks in the implementation of practical capacity building activities and experiments (track 2).
• How well equality, equality aspects and relevant sustainability perspectives have been integrated into the project's implementation (tracks 1 and 2).

How do we judge?

Applications are assessed in competition with each other according to the above criteria by external experts and programme manager at Vinnova.

In this call for proposals no interviews are planned, only a written proposal.

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

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