US collaborations in AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity Stage 2

With this the call for proposals support is provided for the establishment and implementation of innovation projects in collaboration between Swedish and American actors with a focus on AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity. The call for proposals is given within the framework of the Advanced digitalisation program .

With this the offer we want to promote partnerships, collaboration and knowledge exchange with actors in the US to strengthen Sweden's technology position by accelerating development in AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.

The effort is divided into two stages, and this offer is the second. Only project that were granted support in the first the call for proposals, Innovative collaborations with the US in AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity - stage 1, can apply for support in this the call for proposals. The call for proposals applies to research, innovation, test or demonstration projects where bilateral cooperation is in focus.

Vinnova's effort on innovative collaborations with the US in AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity is an internationalization accelerator that will create collaborations between actors in Sweden and the US.

With this the offer we want to:

• Strengthen Sweden's technology position to accelerate the development of technologies and services within AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.
• Promote partnerships, collaboration and knowledge exchange with actors in

The call for proposals will help scale up applicants' opportunities to develop concrete research and innovation collaborations between Sweden and the USA.

The American actor must finance its own costs, and must not be participant or beneficiary in proposal. In proposal the project must attach a declaration of intent from each American actor. An authorized representative must certify the organisation's participation and extent of their involvement. Any template may be used.

This call for proposals is the second of two in an initiative to support exchanges between Swedish and American actors. The call for proposals offers continued support for project that were granted funding in the first stage.

In step two, there is a chance to apply for additional funding for research, innovation, test or demonstration projects where bilateral cooperation is in focus. Funds can be applied for for activities carried out in both Sweden and the USA.

Proposal for stage two are only open to project that have been granted support in stage one, the call for proposals Innovative collaborations with the US in AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.

During assessment great importance is placed on the extent to which the innovation project represents a new collaboration. If there is already a collaboration, the applicant project must constitute a significant further development of the collaboration.

It is important to demonstrate that the new project constellation possesses the competence and capabilities required to realize the potential described in proposal.

With this offer Vinnova wants to strengthen Sweden's position on the global technology scene. The call for proposals provides an opportunity to further develop the important trade and investment relationship between Sweden and the US, and strengthen the conditions for long-term sustainable collaborations in research and innovation. Vinnova also wants to give Swedish organisations access to innovation and collaboration opportunities with the US, and to some of the world's most innovative and dynamic ecosystems, including Silicon Valley. By exploiting this potential, Sweden can promote growth, competitiveness and welfare at both national and international levels.

The offer is focused on three technology areas. It concerns industrially applied

• AI
• Digital infrastructure
• Cybersecurity

Programmet Avancerad digitalisation

The call for proposals is part of the Advanced digitalisation program, an effort from Vinnova in collaboration with industry, which mobilizes actors from different parts of society towards common objective.

Advanced digitalisation aims to strengthen Swedish research and make Sweden more attractive for research and innovation investments, and stimulate the development of advanced digital technology. The programme will be implemented with a long-term perspective and contribute to innovative, enabling technologies and the development of core competence areas that meet the needs of industry.

Read more about the program on the Advanced Digitization website

Contribute to a sustainable system transformation

Eftersom Vinnova is tasked with promoting sustainable growth and system transformation, should your project also contribute to increased gender equality and climate change? We are based on the UN's global sustainability goals, defined in the 2030 Agenda. There we focus on two perspectives: gender equality and climate change.

This means that gender equality and climate change should be integrated into both how your project group is composed and in the intended outcome of your project.

Equal funding of innovations

An innovative force in a sustainable world

The offer is aimed at project that were granted funding in the previous call for proposals in the initiative. The project should be a constellation consisting of one or more Swedish actors who have established an international collaboration with actors in the USA. Your proposal should be about the implementation of an innovation project linked to industrial needs within AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.

The American actor must have its own funding for its costs, and must not be participant or beneficiary in proposal. The project must include a letter of intent from each American actor. An authorized representative certifies the organisation's participation and extent of their involvement.

Applicant must have demonstrated the knowledge and strategic ambitions to successfully establish collaboration with one or more American partners in the first stage of the initiative, and as a results, present an innovation project with a selected American actor.

The project must include at least one actor in Sweden and one in the USA. The project coordinator must have an office in Sweden. The American actor that the collaboration includes needs to have its own funding for its costs.

The call for proposals is aimed at universities and university college, companies, public organisations and civil society organizations in Sweden. Coordinator must be a legal entity with a Swedish corporate registration number.

Funding can be applied for for activities that are part of research and innovation projects with a focus that meets aim of the call according to section 2 of this call text.

Examples of activities for which funding can be applied for:

• Investigation of technical and design conditions.
• Development of prototypes or demonstrators. This may also include pilot work, testing and validation.
• Research and development of production methods.
• Planning and conducting studies or tests to verify an innovation.
• Planning and conducting studies or tests to verify an innovation and its potential.

We do not fund routine or recurring changes to existing products, services, manufacturing methods or manufacturing processes. Nor are funds allocated

• educational efforts
• courses
• marketing
• sale
• ongoing operation
• quality assurance
• certification
• investment in equipment and tools
• intellectual property strategies and protection.

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: Gross salary paid, employer contributions and other salary-related 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 external parties. 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 are not directly incurred, 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

What eligibility requirements apply to costs we finance?

For your costs to be eligible for support, the following applies:

• 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 your own funds intended for other project.
• You may not claim someone else's expenses as your own.

For more detailed information on eligibility requirements, limitations and exclusions that apply, please see our general terms and conditions.

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

In this call for proposals project in stage 2 can apply for up to 1 million SEK for a maximum 12-month project.

How much funding can a participant receive?

How much funding each participant can receive depends mainly on:

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

Descriptions in the following sections about what support we can provide are simplified. For full details, see funding Criteria and Levels.

Support for companies conducting research and development

In this the call for proposals we provide support for industrial research or 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.

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

Situations where we finance a higher proportion

If the project is covered by any of these bonus bases, we can finance a higher proportion of the costs.

• Actual cooperation: Some level of cooperation between small and larger companies, between companies in two different European countries or between research organisations and companies
• Dissemination of results: Extensive dissemination through, for example, conferences or open databases.
• Other bonus basis

Minor Support for businesses

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 organisation 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 organisation 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.

Certificate of de minimis support

Support for non-economic activities

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

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

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

An organisation that offers any kind of service or product on a market is considered to be conducting economic activities and cannot be granted this form of support. It does not matter how 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.

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

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

Eligibility requirements on participants

• All project parties must be legal entities.
• The coordinating party must be a Swedish legal entity and conduct activities in Sweden.
• The project must include at least one actor in Sweden and one in the USA.
• Natural persons or sole proprietorships cannot participate. Foreign legal entities can participate if they have a branch or establishment in Sweden and the costs arise at the branch or establishment.
• The Swedish and American the organisation do not belong to the same group or owner.
• The project must have been granted in the call for proposals Innovative collaborations with the US in AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity - stage 1 and have submitted a final report for stage 1.
• The project must include a letter of intent from each American actor in its proposal. An authorized representative certifies the organisation's involvement and the extent of their involvement. Any template may be used.

Eligibility requirements for the project

• The project may apply for a maximum of 1 million SEK.
• The project must start no earlier than June 22, 2026 or no later than July 1, 2026 and be completed no later than July 1, 2027.
• The project may not begin before you have submitted your proposal.
• Costs for consulting services and licenses may constitute a maximum of 20 percent of an organization's budget.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal must be written in Swedish or English.
• The final report for stage 1 must be submitted and will form the basis as part of the assessment.
• Proposal should follow the instructions under the heading “ How to apply”.
• Proposal must contain all requested attachments.

Applications that meet our eligibility requirements will proceed to assessment. In the assessment, we look at how much potential your idea has, how realistic it is and who will implement the project.

What do we assess?

When assessing applications, we look at three 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 desired results.

Eftersom Vinnova is tasked with contributing to increased gender equality and climate change, and we always follow up and assess these perspectives.

Potential

• How much potential the project proposal have to achieve the call's objective and aim.
• The innovative height and potential impact of the solution
• How well the project contributes to knowledge development and innovation in AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.
• How well the project generates value and innovation collaboration for both the Swedish company and actors in the US.
• How the project contributes to long-term sustainable innovation collaborations with actors in the USA.
• How well perspectives on sex, gender and climate change have been integrated into the project proposal, and what significance these have for the project's results.

Actors

• How well the composition, participation, competence and ability of the actor constellation contribute to project objectives and implementation.
• To what extent does the project proposal and the constellation of actors build on previous activities and results.
• To what extent is the project idea developed together with and anchored in the designated American partner?
• The project constellation's expertise and ability to contribute to strengthening Swedish competitiveness in AI, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.
• The project constellation's competence and ability to contribute to strengthened innovation collaboration between Sweden and American actors.
• The ability of the project partners to utilize and/or commercialize the project results.
• How well the financial contribution, participation, power and influence are distributed in an equal manner in the project team.

Feasibility

• How well the project plan and budget are assessed to be able to realize a solution in accordance with the project proposal.
• To what extent are the project activities appropriate for implementing the project with actor(s) in the USA?
• How good the conditions are for the project's results to be taken forward and used after the end of the project.
• How credible the project plan's risk analysis and action plan for these risks are.
• How well the project plan shows how the results will be anchored and disseminated to important actors in the area.
• How well the gender distribution in the project team and perspectives on sex and gender 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.

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

How does it affect an organization's financial status?

Before we decide on funding we also conduct a comprehensive assessment of the organizational and financial status of those receiving funding.

We use information we receive from credit reports, currently from Dun & Bradstreet. We may also ask small and medium-sized businesses to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to carry out the project.

In our assessment we check this:

• That organisations that are granted funding for payroll costs are registered as employers 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.
• That organisations is not insolvent, or undergoing liquidation or corporate restructuring. You must also not have any significant unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• That the project manager is employed by the coordinating party in the project.
• That the limited liability company has not used up half or more of its share capital.

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 much of the costs we will 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 your 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 should report how things are going, your costs and achieved results to us during the project period.
• If you are multiple parties, you must have a written project agreement that regulates your mutual rights and obligations in the project. All parties must sign the agreement before the project starts. Since it can take time to develop and negotiate an agreement, we recommend that you start this as soon as possible.
• How the results will be used [if relevant] 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:

• In addition to the general terms and conditions, the following applies: The project parties may not purchase services or goods from the American the actors with whom they collaborate within the project.

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 have received more money than you are entitled to or if you do not follow our term, you may be required to repay.

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.

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 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 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.

How we handle public documents and confidentiality