Chips JU: Testing and validation of new semiconductor technology in pilot lines

Through the European partnership programme Chips JU, five European test and prototype infrastructures, known as pilot lines, in semiconductor technology have been established. These are open for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to use, for example, for the development of semiconductor processing technologies, new semiconductor circuits, proof-of-concepts and prototypes.

The pilot lines will open for use gradually starting in 2025. Through this call for proposals, Swedish small and medium-sized companies can apply for support from Vinnova to use a Chips JU pilot line. Each project can apply for support up to SEK 3.5 million, and the project may run until October 2027.

The call for proposals will support SMEs that want to improve their competitiveness in semiconductor technology and create new intellectual property rights.

The aim is to enable the use of available European research and innovation infrastructure in semiconductor technology to Swedish SMEs for the development, testing and validation of their innovations. As for example design of materials, components, systems on chips (SoC) or manufacturing process.

It is possible to search for support for the use of the following Chips JU pilot lines:

• NanoIC NanoIC pilot line
• FAMES FAMES Pilot Line
• APECS- Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems APECS/li>li>WBG – Wide Band Gap Pilot line
• PIXEurope - Advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits PIXEurope

Contribute to a sustainable system transition

Because Vinnova is tasked with promoting sustainable growth and system transition, your project will also contribute to increased gender equality and climate transition. We are based on the UN's global sustainability goals, defined in Agenda 2030. We focus on two perspectives: gender equality and climate transition.

Compared funding of innovations

An innovative force in a sustainable world

We turn to small and medium-sized companies working in design, development of production processes and products, production, research and innovation in semiconductor technology.

The company must have received approval from the current Chips JU pilot line to have access to its services and processes and have documented decisions and schedule to attach proposal to Vinnova.

Chips JU pilot lines have individual assessment processes to grant organisations access to the pilot line's services and processes. They decide which actors can access the pilot line and which project can be implemented with their available services and processes.

For information about the pilot line application process, eligibility requirements at organisations and project see available information on the pilot line's respective website.

The Swedish Chips Competence Centre (SCCC) offers support and guidance for Swedish actors who want to apply for access to services and processes offered by the pilot lines within Chips JU pilot lines. For more information visit the SCCC website SCCC .

Through the call for proposals, an SME can receive funds to use a pilot line within Chips JU. For example, the grant could be used to:

• Develop technologies for the processing of semiconductors in the pilot line.
• Develop new semiconductor components in the pilot line.
• Develop proof-of-concept and prototypes of semiconductor components, material structures and production processes.

What costs can we finance?

Vinnova's funding is subject to state aid rules. The rules govern the types of costs that we can finance. These are called eligible costs.

In this the call for proposals, only costs for innovation advisory and support services are eligible.

Innovation advisory services: Advice, support or training related to the introduction or use of innovative technologies and solutions (including digital technologies and solutions).

Innovation support services: Laboratories, testing, experimentation and other related services. Related services include those provided by research institutes and organisations for the dissemination of knowledge, research infrastructures and testing and experimentation infrastructures, and with aim developing more efficient products, processes or services, including the implementation of innovative technologies and solutions (including digital technologies and solutions).

Innovation advisory and support services refer in this call for proposals to the costs of access to the pilot line and the pilot line services to a applicant SME. Innovation advice and innovation support services by actors other than the pilot line are not eligible in this call for proposals.

In order for the cost to be eligible, activity and scope must be shown in the project description, including estimated cost indicated in budget in the cost category "Consultancy costs, licenses".

In this the call for proposals, these types of costs are not eligible:

• Wage costs
• Equipment and land
• Other direct costs, including travel
• Indirect costs (overhead)

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

Instruction to eligible costs

What eligibility requirements applies to costs we finance?

• necessary for the activities in the project.
• booked correctly and separately from the organisation's other costs.

A organisation may also not include someone else's costs as its own.

For more detailed information on which eligibility requirements, limitations and exceptions apply, see Instruction to eligible costs

For us to judge your proposal, it must meet some formal eligibility requirements. If the requirements are not met, we will reject proposal directly.

Eligibility requirements on participants

• The party to the project, beneficiary, must have legal personality. Natural persons or sole proprietorships cannot participate.
• The company must be an SME, a Swedish legal entity and operate activities in Sweden.
• The company must be classified as a small enterprise – see The EU definition small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Activities in the project must be carried out in the Swedish operation and project costs must be attributable to the activities of the establishment.
• The latest registered annual report must show net sales or equity equivalent to half of the searchable amount at Vinnova.

Eligibility requirements on the project

• The project must not be started before proposal is submitted.
• The project leader must be employed in an operational capacity. role of the company.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal should be written in Swedish or English.
• Proposal should follow the instructions given in section 9.
• Proposal should contain all requested appendices.
• Proposal should contain a certificate from the current Chips JU pilot line that the company (SMF) has received approved access to the pilot line services with specified time period for the implementation of the services and access.
• Proposal should have CV for the project leader as appendix.

The applications that meet the requirements of this call for proposals go ahead and then the company's organizational and financial status is assessed by Vinnova.

Current pilot line has before proposal to Vinnova assessed and decided that the company gets access to the pilot line's services and processes.

How do we assess?

When we have received the applications, we review them. We sort out all applications that are incomplete or that do not meet our eligibility requirements.

Before deciding on funding, we make an overall assessment of the organizational and financial status of the organisation that receives funding. We use information that we receive from credit reports, currently from Dun & Bradstreet.

How does an organization's financial status affect?

For us to grant funding, this applies:

• Organisations must not be insolvent, or undergo liquidation or corporate reorganisation. Nor may they have unpaid debts of significance to the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• Organisations may not cover project costs in this the call for proposals with public funding or own funds intended for other project.
• Shareholders may not have used up half or more of their share capital.
• If we request, small and medium-sized enterprises must be able to show that they have financial cover to carry out the project according to their budget in proposal.
• The company must have at least two registered annual reports with the Swedish Companies Registration Office.

When we have assessed all applications, we will send you a decision in which we either approve or reject your proposal. Since the applications are assessed in competition, you may be rejected even though you meet all eligibility requirements and criteria.  

In the decision, we indicate how much 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 if you are granted funding?

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

• That you should sign a special document in which you agree to your participation and undertake to carry out the project.
• That you should report how it goes, your costs and achieved results to us regularly during the project period.

See our general terms and conditions and get help to understand and comply with them

Special conditions

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

• Copior on invoices from the pilot line to the beneficiary should be sent to Vinnova, according to the announced reporting dates.
li>Copior on all invoices from the pilot line should be sent to Vinnova at the latest at the time of final report

We can also decide to add additional ones for individuals special conditions. If so, they are set out in the decision.

Can you have to repay funding?

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

In this call for proposals, daily reading of received applications takes place.  We will then send an e-mail confirmation to the person responsible for the user account as well as to the project manager and the company signatory.  There is a last day when the call for proposals closes and then it is no longer possible to submit proposal.

After submitting proposal, you can not change anything in it. Then you can only supplement proposal if we ask for it.

Who can read you proposal?

Your proposal will be read by employees at Vinnova. Everyone works under a duty of confidentiality.

Applications submitted to us become public documents. This means that we have to disclose them if they are requested. However, we treat certain types of information as confidential if it is likely to cause economic damage to the individual if they are disclosed. This applies to information about business and operational conditions, inventions or research results.

How we handle public documents and confidentiality