Cybersecurity, AI and resilience

With this the call for proposals we want to strengthen industry's ability to prevent, detect and manage cyber threats and develop secure and reliable AI-based systems. The projects will lead to results that can be further used in industry and thereby strengthen Sweden's competitiveness and digital resilience.

You can apply funding for research and innovation projects in cybersecurity, AI and resilience. The projects must be carried out within one of the two focus areas of the call: AI as an enabler for cybersecurity or reliable and secure industrial AI.

We are targeting consortia with at least two participants, where at least one is a Swedish company. Actors from industry, business, academia, research institutes and the public sector can participate. The projects should be based on the needs of the industry and implemented in collaboration.

The duration of the projects should be 12 to 24 months. Each project can apply for between 1 and 10 million SEK in funding. Vinnova's funding can amount to a maximum of 50 percent of the project's eligible costs.

The call for proposals will strengthen the industry's ability to develop and use secure and reliable digital systems, and to meet increasing cyber threats in line with a growing dependence on digital technology.

What will the call for proposals accomplish and what are the projects expected to achieve?

With the call for proposals we want to stimulate project that contribute to increased security, resilience and reliability in digital systems in industry. They should potential strengthen Sweden's competitiveness and digital resilience.

The projects should be based on clear needs in the industry and contribute to:

• develop solutions that strengthen the ability to prevent, detect and manage cyber threats,
• increase reliability, safety and control in industrial use of AI,
• create results that can be implemented in industry operations,
• strengthen expertise and collaboration between industry and cybersecurity experts,
• contribute to the dissemination and utilization of results even outside the project.
• The projects' results should be able to be used and utilized within Swedish industry.

Call for proposals' focus

The call for proposals has two focus areas, and projects should be relevant to one of these:

• AI as an enabler for cybersecurity, where AI is used to prevent, detect and manage cyber threats.
• Reliable and secure industrial AI, focusing on robust and secure AI solutions in industrial systems.

Detailed information about each specialization can be found in section 11.

How does the call for proposals contribute to sustainable transition?

By strengthening the security and robustness of digital systems, the projects contribute to a more reliable and efficient digitalisation of the industry. This creates the conditions for sustainable growth, where reduced disruptions and increased resource efficiency support transition in line with Agenda 2030. Gender equality and climate transition shall be integrated both in the implementation of the projects and in their results.

Programmet Avancerad digitalisation

The call for proposals is part of the Advanced digitalisationprogram, a 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 program will be implemented with a long-term perspective and contribute to innovative, enabling technologies and the development of core areas of expertise that meet the needs of industry.

Read more about the program on the Advanced Digitization website.

The call for proposals is aimed at consortia with at least two participants companies, at least one of which is a Swedish company. Actors from industry, business, academia, research institutes, public activities or authorities can participate.

To apply, collaboration between at least two legal entities is required.

The project shall:

• based on clear needs of industry or business,
• have active participation from industry players, especially need owner,
• contribute to the transfer of expertise between cybersecurity experts and industry.

Participants applicants funding must be Swedish legal entities. Foreign organisations can participate if they have a branch or establishment in Sweden and the project parties' costs are linked to this activities.

The call for proposals is not aimed at individuals, but requires collaboration. Individuals or individual companies cannot apply.

We fund research and innovation projects that contribute to increased cybersecurity, reliability and resilience in digital systems within industry, in line with one of the call's two focuses.

The projects will develop solutions that strengthen the ability to prevent, detect and manage cyber threats, and contribute to the safe and reliable use of AI in industrial applications. The projects will be based on industry needs and have potential to be implemented and used in industry.

Examples of activities that are eligible for support

• Develop and further develop technical solutions, methods and working methods within cybersecurity and industrial AI.
• Develop and verify solutions that strengthen security, reliability and control in digital systems.
• Conduct studies, tests and analyses to identify risks, vulnerabilities and needs.
• Develop and test solutions in collaboration between industry and cybersecurity experts.
• Contribute to skills development and knowledge transfer between participants.

We do not finance:

Routine or recurring changes to existing products, services or processes, training, courses, marketing, sales or ongoing operations investments in equipment or tools that are not linked to the project's research and innovation activities.

What costs can we finance?

Our funding is subject to rules about 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:

• Salary costs: Salary costs, including employer contributions and other salary-related 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 licensed from a third party. Costs for consulting services may not exceed 20 percent of a project party's budget. In case of special needs, we can accept a higher percentage, provided that this is justified in proposal.
• Other direct costs: For example, materials, supplies and travel necessary to carry out the project.
• Indirect costs (overhead): Costs that are not incurred as a direct result of but can be related to the project, for example regular premises. Indirect costs may constitute a maximum of 20 percent of salary costs. Universities, university colleges and certain research organizations and government agencies may have higher levels.

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:

• 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 expense 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 control how much of the costs we can finance. This is determined individually for each organisation. We therefore differentiate between how big the funding project can get and how much each participant can get.

How big funding can the project get?

Vinnova's funding can amount to between 1 and 10 million SEK per project and can amount to a maximum of 50 percent of the project's total eligible costs. The preliminary total budget of the call is 30 million SEK.

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 levels for funding.

Support to company for research

In this the call for proposals we give support to industrial research.

Industrial research can be simply described as seeking new knowledge through planned research or critical analysis. This is to develop or significantly improve products, processes or services.

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 industrial research:

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

Situations when we finance a higher proportion

If the project falls under any of these bonus bases, we can finance a higher proportion of the costs:

• Actual collaboration: Some level of collaboration 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.

Maximum aid intensity for industrial research with bonus basis:

• Small business 80%
• Medium-sized company 75%
• Large company 65%

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 such an organization's costs. 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 is for profit. 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 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 requirementsrequirements. If the requirements are not met, we will reject your proposal immediately.

Eligibility requirements on participants

All participants organisations must be legal entities. Natural persons or individual companies cannot participate. Foreign legal entities can also participate. However, foreign actors that receive funding from Vinnova 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 two participants must participate in the project. This includes the coordinating party. Different parts of a organisation are the same legal entity and count as one participant, for example two departments at a university. Different companies within the same group also count as one participant.

Eligibility requirements on the project

• The project may apply for a maximum of 10 million SEK.
• The project must start no earlier than 2027-03-24 and no later than 2027-04-15.
• The project must not have started before you submit your proposal.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal should be written in Swedish or English.
• Proposal should follow the instructions under the heading "How to apply".
• Proposal should contain all requested attachments.

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 and who will implement the project.

We also look at how well your project integrates gender equality, both in how your project group is composed and how you implement the project. By integrating sex and gender perspectives, more inclusive and relevant solutions are developed. This strengthens both the innovation capacity and the project's results.

Gender equality as a tool for innovative social development

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 the desired results.

In the combined assessment of the project, potential is weighted with 40% and Actors and Feasibility are weighted with 30% each.

Potential (40%)

• The project's potential aims to develop solutions, knowledge and expertise that promote advanced digitalisation and renew Swedish industry, in accordance with the direction of the call for proposals chosen by the project.
• How innovative the project proposal is in relation to existing solutions and ongoing major initiatives in the area.
• How likely it is that the project proposal will lead to new knowledge and new skills that can be used to scale up, implement or use new solutions that can impact Swedish industry.
• 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 (30%)

• The project partners' competence, credibility and ability to implement the project.
• The consortium's anchoring in Swedish industry within the chosen focus, including the extent to which relevant industry actors and need owner are actively engaged in the project.
• The ability of the project partners to collaborate, disseminate, utilize, commercialize and further develop the results and knowledge generated in the project, both within their own the organisations and outside the consortium.
• How well the financial contribution, participation, power and influence are distributed in an equal manner in the project team.
• How well the need for consulting services and licenses is justified. This only applies if a project party's consulting and license costs exceed 20 percent of the project party's total budgeted costs.

Feasibility (30%)

• How realistic the project plan is in relation to the set objective, methods, activities and budget.
• The participation and relevance of the specified project partners in the project's various work packages and activities.
• How well the project plan shows how the project's solutions will be developed, tested, verified or validated.
• How well the project plan shows how the results are anchored, disseminated and utilized by important actors in the field.
• How good the conditions are for the project's results to be taken forward and used after the end of the project.
• How well risks are described and managed in the project's implementation.
• 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.

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.

We may also call for interviews before making a decision.

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 should be employed by a participant, preferably 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.
• 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 you submit your first progress report. 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 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:

The project shall, upon invitation from the program manager, participate in relevant events within the Advanced digitalisation program and thus contribute to the dissemination of knowledge within Swedish industry in accordance with the program's aim.

When providing information about the project and when publishing project results, it must be stated that the work was carried out with support from Vinnova (in English, the name is given as Sweden's Innovation Agency) within the Advanced program digitalisation. Publication refers to, for example, publication, regardless of medium, and oral presentations.

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.

To apply funding you fill out a proposal in our e-service. In proposal you answer questions about the project, participation organisations and budget.

Please also attach these attachments to proposal:

Project description: May comprise a maximum of 10 portrait A4 pages with single-column 11-point text. The project description must follow the template found further down on this website.

Project summary: Attached in a separate appendix. May comprise a maximum of 1 portrait A4 page. The project summary should be able to be shared with the program's external program council and should therefore not contain confidential or other sensitive information. The appendix is not part of the assessment process. The project summary should follow the template found further down on this website.

CV attachment: CVs for the project manager and all key personnel. The attachment is expected to include at least one CV per participant. Varje CV may be a maximum of 1 A4 page with 12 point text. The CV attachment should follow the template found further down on this website.

This is how you fill in proposal in our e-service

How to apply and report

How long does proposaltake?

Keep in mind that it takes time to make a proposal. Filling out templates can take several days, as it is based on analyses you will do.

In our e-service you can start filling in information and then continue at a later time. You can also distribute permissions to others who you want to contribute in proposal. When proposal is finished, mark it complete.

You can unlock proposal at any time and make changes, right up to the last application date. If you unlock proposal, you must then mark it ready again for it to be registered when the call for proposals closes.

Project funded under the call for proposals will address the cybersecurity and trustworthy AI challenges that arise from the increasing digitalisation in industry. As digital systems become more complex and integrated, both the dependence on these systems and the vulnerability to disruptions, attacks and errors increase.

Cybersecurity and digital resilience are crucial for industry's competitiveness and ability to adapt. The development of AI simultaneously offers new opportunities to address security challenges, but also places increased eligibility requirements demands on reliability, security and control in digital systems.

The call for proposals has two focuses: AI as an enabler for cybersecurity and reliable and secure industrial AI.

AI as an enabler for cybersecurity

Underlying needs

Industry has a growing need for solutions that can strengthen cybersecurity in complex digital systems. The number of cyber threats is increasing and systems are constantly changing, making it difficult to maintain a high level of security. At the same time, there is a great shortage of cybersecurity skills.

There is therefore a need for solutions that can automate and streamline security work, and reduce dependence on manual efforts in critical processes.

What the projects should contribute to

Project within this focus will use AI to prevent, detect and manage cyber threats. They will develop solutions that strengthen cybersecurity and the management of complex data flows.

This could, for example, be about:

• automated monitoring and analysis of threats and risks,
• improved detection of vulnerabilities and incidents

• solutions for faster response and recovery in the event of disruptions.

The focus is on solutions that can contribute to more automated and robust security processes.

Expected effects

In the short term, the projects will contribute to increased security and better management of risks and disruptions in digital systems.

In the longer term, the projects will contribute to strengthening Sweden's ability to develop and use advanced cybersecurity solutions. They will also increase collaboration and skills transfer between industry and cybersecurity actors.

Reliable and secure industrial AI

Underlying needs

The increased use of AI in industry creates a need to ensure that systems are reliable, secure and controllable. This is especially true in complex digital environments where systems interact and where errors or deficiencies can have major consequences.

In order to increase the use of AI, methods and solutions are required that ensure traceability, robustness, trust and protection against attacks and system errors.

What the projects should contribute to

Project within this focus will develop robust and secure solutions for industrial AI. They will contribute to increasing reliability, security and control in AI-based systems.

This could, for example, be about:

• methods to ensure quality, traceability and secure handling of data,
• solutions to verify and validate AI systems
• management of complex system environments where multiple components interact.

The projects will help reduce vulnerabilities and increase trust in AI-based solutions in industry.

Expected effects

In the short term, the projects will contribute to increased use of safe and reliable AI solutions in industry.

In the longer term, the projects will contribute to increased digital resilience, strengthened competitiveness and a more robust and innovative ecosystem for digital solutions.