Accelera FFI preparatory project - autumn 2026

Strategic vehicle research and innovation (FFI) is a collaboration between the state and the automotive industry to jointly finance research, innovation and development activities with a focus on making Sweden a leader in the global transition to sustainable road transport.

This the call for proposals finances project within FFI's Accelerate sub-programme, which deals with larger system demonstrations. Innovative system solutions with high societal benefit are to be demonstrated on a large scale in a real environment in broad collaborations. The call for proposals is aimed at those who want to apply funding for a preparatory project for a system demonstrator. For full-scale system demonstrators, see instead:

This call for proposals takes place within FFI's Accelerate sub-program. With this call for proposals we want to create collaborations that make it possible to develop system demonstrators that can lead to major changes and that can accelerate the pace of the transition to sustainable road transport.

Read more about FFI Accelerera

FFI Accelerera particularly welcomes applications concerning preparatory projects for sustainable road transport in the following areas:

• Autonomous transportation systems.
• Electrified transport systems.
• Integration between energy and transport systems including energy efficiency.
• Use of hydrogen in the transportation system.
• Complete solutions for fossil-free construction sites, ports, mines, etc.
• Circular flows for example batteries.

Applications in other areas are welcome to apply.

What is a system demonstrator?

System demonstrations are a way to start from the knowledge of what is required to change a system and put it into practice. To change at the system level, multiple solutions are often needed that interact and affect different parts of the system, rather than a single solution being implemented.

The demonstrator should not be limited to technical innovation, including services and processes, but also needs to work with culture and behaviors around the new solutions. Digital and physical infrastructure may need to be developed. Business models may need to be developed or adapted. Regulations and standards may also need to be adapted as technology and services develop, and this requires both dialogue and cooperation with those concerned actors.

A system demonstrator should contain all five system perspectives:

• Behavior, culture and values.
• Business models.
• Regulations and standardization (“policy”).
• Infrastructure, physical and digital.
• Technology, products, services and processes.

Read more about the five systems perspectives in FFI's Roadmap

What characterizes a system demonstrator?

• It is clear which system is to be changed and there is a common goal for all parties in the project as well as a clear understanding of obstacles and opportunities.
• Actors from all parts of the system that is subject to change participate, show commitment and can jointly influence the system. It is clear who the key actors are and their role in system change. Activity and commitment from several relevant need owner is required. need owner refers to users, demanders and customers.
• Strategic and coordinated solutions that clearly contribute to the common vision and are selected and designed to examine multiple perspectives (technology, infrastructure, behavior, culture and values, business opportunities, policy, regulations, standards) of the system simultaneously. It is not enough to demonstrate technology solutions. The solutions must be mature to be implemented and encompass the entire system.
• The activities carried out form a coherent whole that is large enough to represent the system, and the tests performed are evaluated and developed iteratively.
• Demonstration and testing takes place in a real environment together with need owner.
• A system demonstrator should be scalable. The system solutions being tested are carefully designed to be able to branch, spread and scale up, which includes approaches to achieve significant scale-up of funding.

More information about system demonstrators

Results targets for the preparation project

Project that is granted shall achieve all performance objectives during the project period:

• The intended system demonstrator should have a major potential impact on the system and contribute to accelerating the transition to sustainable road transport.
• A well-founded and clear plan for how the solutions will be tested in a real environment and implemented as a system demonstrator. The plan should include system analysis, risk and obstacle management, goals and strategic analysis/”state of the art”.
• Selected solutions should have a high level of technical maturity and can be implemented within a few years.
• Strengthened collaboration between actors in the consortium's composition and discussions with potential future collaboration partners, including need owner.

FFI's direction

The program has a roadmap that sets the direction towards 2030. FFI's mission is to drive road transport research and innovations for a sustainable society. The long-term vision is for Sweden to lead the global transition to sustainable road transport.

For a more detailed description of the content of the program, see FFI's roadmap

This the call for proposals is aimed at project constellations that are collaboratively preparing for a system demonstrator for complex societal challenges that will ultimately contribute to accelerating the transition to sustainable road transport.

The call for proposals is aimed at actor constellations that have carried out previous feasibility study/r, whose final report should be attached proposal, which have identified the preparatory project's societal challenge, main focus and key actors.

Participating parties need to be actively engaged. Examples of actors that participate are business as industrial partners, need owner, research and public actors. A recommendation is also to consider bringing in design expertise. Design expertise refers to, for example, strategic design, service design or expertise in systems analysis, complex systems or systems theory.

The preparation project requires at least three parties, of which at least one need owner. need owner refers to users, requesters and customers.

Foreign actors may be relevant and necessary to include as participants in the project. In order for these actors to be able to receive support from Vinnova, they need to have a branch or operating location in Sweden. In that case, the actor's project costs must arise in the branch or operating location.

This call for proposals funds research and development activities aimed at preparing a system demonstrator.

Activities that can be searched funding for

The types of project activities that are approved within the framework of this call for proposals shall be covered by the feasibility study basis, see chapter 5. Approved activities are, for example:

• Mapping the system within which the intended solution or solutions operate and mapping challenges and opportunities.
• Project management, coordination, process support and leading expertise to promote systems thinking and innovation.
• Planning of activities in the implementation of an upcoming system demonstrator where tests take place in a real environment.
• Explore how the five systems perspectives relate to selected solutions.
• Identification and mobilization of new partners for an upcoming system demonstrator.
• Analyses of various kinds to, for example, evaluate the novelty value and societal benefit of the intended system demonstrator.
• Simpler tests aimed at evaluating and validating technology, methods, processes and business models for an upcoming system demonstrator project.
• Communication and dissemination of results to stakeholders outside the project.

What costs can we finance?

Our funding is subject to rules about state aid. 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:

• Salary costs: Gross salary paid, employer contributions and other salary costs.
• Equipment, land and buildings: Costs for instruments, equipment and rent for premises other than regular business premises.
• Consulting and licensing costs: Costs for consulting services, knowledge and patents purchased or licensed from an external party. These costs may not exceed 20 percent of an organization's budget.
• Other direct costs: Costs for, for example, materials, supplies and travel that are necessary to carry out the project.
• Indirect costs (overhead): Costs that are linked to the project but do not arise directly, such as premises and cleaning. Indirect costs may not exceed 30 percent of salary costs. Universities, university colleges, research organizations and government agencies may have higher permitted levels, depending on activities.

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

Which eligibility requirements apply to costs we finance?

In order for your costs to be eligible for support, the following applies, among other things:

• They must be factual, reasonable and necessary for the activities in the project.
• They must be booked correctly and under a separate project code in the accounting. You may not cover project costs with other public funding or own funds intended for other project.
• You may not claim someone else's expenses as your own.

For more detailed information on which eligibility requirements, limitations and exceptions apply, see our general terms and conditions.

The rules about state aid govern how large a proportion of the costs we can finance. This is determined individually for each organisation. We therefore differentiate between how large a funding project can get, and how much a participant organisation can get.

How big funding can the project get?

Vinnova finances each individual project a maximum funding of SEK 900,000. The maximum aid intensity of the project's eligible costs is 75 percent. For each individual project, co-financing from publicly or privately owned companies must amount to at least 25 percent of the project's total budget, of which at least 10 percentage points must come from private industry.

How much funding can a participant organisation get?

How much funding a participant organisation can receive depends mainly on:

• the organisation's size and activities
• which activities the organisation will carry out in the project.

Descriptions in the following sections about what support we can provide are simplified. For complete information, see Support bases and support levels for funding.

Support to companies for research and development

In this the call for proposals we give support to feasibility studies.

Feasibility study can be simply described as a evaluation that analyzes the following:

• Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks in an upcoming research and development project.
• What resources are required to carry out the project.
• How likely it is that the project will succeed.

How much of the costs can we finance?

The organisation's The size and type of activity determines how large a proportion of the costs we can finance. This is called the maximum support level.

Maximum aid intensity for feasibility study:

• Small business 70%
• Medium-sized company 60%
• Large company 50%

For help in determining whether a company is small or medium-sized, see How the EU defines small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

To verify the company's status as an SME, a model declaration must be submitted according to the template found here, Model declaration SME.

Support to universities, university colleges and other public organisations

We also give support to organisations that do not engage in economic activities. This means that the organisation do not offer a service or product on a market. This usually includes universities and university colleges, research institutes and other public organisations.

This support is not covered by state aid rules. We can therefore finance up to 100 percent of the costs of such an organization. The support is often called “not state aid.”

How is it determined whether a organisation is engaged in economic activities?

A organisation that offers any form of service or product in a market is considered to be engaged in economic activities and cannot be granted this form of support.

It does not matter how the the organisation 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.

Whether a organisation engages in economic activities is determined by their regular activities, not by the activities in the project.

Some organisations conduct both economic and non-economic activitiesactivities, such as research institutes. In that case, it is important that you know in which of these activities you are applying.

If you are unsure whether a organisation in your project conducts economic activities, contact call manager. However, The organisation is responsible for assessing whether it conducts economic activities.

In order for us to assess your proposal it must meet certain formal eligibility requirementsrequirements. If the requirements are not met, we will reject your proposal immediately.

Eligibility requirements on participants

• All participants organisations must be legal entities. Individuals or sole proprietorships cannot participate. Foreign legal entities can also participate. However, foreign actors that receive funding from us must have a branch or establishment in Sweden, and the costs must be incurred by the branch or establishment.
• The coordinating party must be a Swedish legal entity and conduct activities in Sweden.
• At least three participants must participate in the project. This includes the coordinating party. Different parts of a organisation are the same legal entity and are counted as one participant, for example two departments at a university.
• At least one participant should be need owner.

Eligibility requirements on the project

• Maximum aid intensity is 75 percent.
• Co-financing from publicly or privately owned companies must amount to at least 25 percent of the project's total budget, of which at least 10 percentage points must come from private industry.
• A feasibility study should have been implemented, not necessarily within the FFI program.
• The project must start no later than November 16, 2026.
• The project manager must be employed by the coordinating party in the project.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal should be written in Swedish or English.
• A final report from the completed feasibility study must be attached proposal. The feasibility study does not need to have been carried out within the framework of FFI.
• Proposal should follow the instructions under the heading "How to apply" (see section 9).
• Proposal should contain all requested attachments. Please note that no attachments other than those specifically stated may be attached proposal.
• Proposal must be submitted no later than 2:00 p.m. on the last day of application via Vinnova's e-services. Once the application period has expired, completion of proposal can only be done at the request of Vinnova.

Applications that meet our eligibility requirements criteria will be forwarded to assessment. In the assessment, we look at how big potential your idea is, how realistic it is, who will implement the project, and how the idea contributes to increased gender equality.

What do we assess?

When assessing applications, we look at four main criteria:

• Potential: We analyze what effects and what value we can expect from the project.
• Actors: We assess the participants' competence and ability to implement the project and achieve the desired results and effects.
• Feasibility: We assess how realistic and credible the project plan is, both for implementing the project and for achieving the desired results.
• Gender equality: We assess how well your project integrates gender equality based on the following aspects; the composition of the project team, how well gender equality aspects have been integrated into the project plan and in relation to the project's results and solutions. For more information: Gender equality as a tool for innovative social development

Potential (weighted 40 percent)

• Potential to result in a system demonstration project based on a chosen societal challenge and clear project goals that contribute to sustainable road transport.
• How well does the intended demonstration project highlight issues related to the systems perspective:
  - Behavior and Culture
  - Business Models
  - Regulations and standardization (“policy”).
  - Infrastructure, physical and digital, but not road infrastructure such as road pavement and bridge.
  - Technology, products, services and processes.

• Social and business benefit, and how innovative the project proposal is in relation to existing knowledge and solutions.
• The project proposal's potential aims to scale up and implement the solution within a few years in a national and international context. The solution should have a high level of technical maturity.
• To what extent does the project proposal build on previous activities and results, and is based on completed feasibility study.
• How well does proposal address one or more of the designated areas;
  - Autonomous transportation systems
  - Electrified transportation systems
  - Integration between energy and transport systems including energy efficiency
  - Use of hydrogen in the transportation system
  - Complete solutions for fossil-free construction sites, ports, mines, etc.
  - Circular flows for example batteries.

Implementation (weighted 25 percent)

• To what extent is the project based on a credible project plan and budget where activities are linked to project objectives.
• The extent to which working methods that support and facilitate stakeholder engagement and the involvement of relevant actors including need owner have been integrated into the implementation.
• The credibility of the project plan's risk analysis and action plan.

Actors (weighted 25 percent)

• How well relevant actors and need owner are involved in the project, to the right extent and at the right time to realize the project's potential and implementation.
• The commitment, competence, resources and ability of the project manager and key personnel to lead and implement the project.
• Degree of collaboration between the project's parties.

Gender equality (weighted 10 percent)

• How well equality aspects such as sex or gender perspectives that may be important to take into account in connection with the project's problem area, solutions and effects are taken into account.
• The composition of the team with regard to gender distribution, as well as the distribution of power and influence between men and women.
• How well gender equality aspects have been integrated into the project plan.

How do we assess?

Once we receive the applications, we review them. We screen out any applications that are incomplete or do not meet our eligibility requirements.

The applications that are correct and complete are distributed among different evaluator and assessed in competition with each other. The evaluators are appointed by us based on their expertise in the field. Each proposal is assessed by at least three evaluator.

Once the evaluators has reviewed the applications, we have an assessment meeting where the evaluators recommends which applications should be granted.

Vinnova reserves the right to apply a portfolio perspective when selecting applications that are granted.

How does it affect an organization's financial status?

Before we decide on funding we also make a comprehensive 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 our assessment we check this:

• Organisations who are granted funding for salary costs must be registered as an employer with the Swedish Tax Agency. If such registration does not exist when we make a decision, you must be able to show that a notification has been made. We do not approve retroactive registration.
• Organisations must not be insolvent, or undergoing liquidation or corporate restructuring. They must also not have any significant unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• The project manager must be employed by the coordinating party.
• Limited liability companies must not have used up half or more of their share capital.

We can also ask small and medium-sized companies to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to carry out the project.

Once we have assessed all applications, we will send you a decision either granting or rejecting your proposal. Since applications are assessed competitively, you may be rejected even though you meet all eligibility requirements and criteria.

In the decision, we state how large a proportion of the costs we cover for each organisation.

You cannot appeal our decision, but you are welcome to apply to us again at another time.

What happens if you are granted funding?

If we grant you proposal you must follow our general terms and conditions for funding. The terms include, among other things:

• 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 achievements to us during the project period.
• How the results will be used and that scientific publication will be open access so that the results are made freely available to everyone.

See our general terms and conditions

You also need to follow the special conditions that apply to this the call for proposals:

• Reporting and follow-up shall be carried out in accordance with decisions, templates and special instructions available on FFI's website, ffisweden.se (under the templates and guidance tab).
• The project shall be represented at the seminars or program conferences that Vinnova and FFI will organize and convene specifically during the project period. Costs for participation in such a seminar/program conference are eligible for support. Upon request, the project coordinator shall provide Vinnova and FFI with image and text material for project catalogs, annual reports, and the like.
• If the project concerns preliminary studies or preparatory projects, the requirement for a project agreement in § 1.4 of the General Terms and Conditions is deleted.
• Indication that the project was financed by the FFI program
• The following replaces § 7.3 of the General Terms and Conditions: In information about the project and in each publication of project results, it must be stated that the work was carried out with support from the Fordonsstrategisk Forskning and Innovation program, FFI.

We may also decide to add additional special conditions for individual project. In that case, they will be stated in the decision.

Could you have to pay back funding?

If you have received more money than you are entitled to or if you do not follow our term, you may be liable for repayment.

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 to 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.

When the call for proposals is closed, you cannot change anything in proposal. Then you can only supplement if we ask you to.

Who can read you proposal?

Your proposal will be read by employees at Vinnova and those evaluator who participate in this the call for proposals. Everyone works under a duty of confidentiality.

The assessment and decision-making process

1. Call for proposals closes
2. Formalities review
3. Applications open for evaluator
4. Assessments submitted
5. Assessment meeting
6. Preparation and formalities review
7. Authority decision

Who participates in the process?

• Programme manager/programme manager responsible for the entire process
• Administrator at Vinnova
• Specially Appointed Independent evaluator
• Decision maker at Vinnova

Applications submitted to us become public documents. This means that we must disclose them if requested. However, we keep certain types of information confidential if disclosure could be expected to cause financial harm to the individual. This applies to information about business and operational conditions, inventions or research results.

General documents and confidentiality