Impact innovation: Systems workshop for reformed public sector

With this the offer SustainGov wants to establish and run Systemverkstan. A project that will support funded project within SustainGov and develop, test and further develop methods for system innovation for this context. The aim is to maximize the impact of the funded projects within the program's mission and focus areas. In the portfolio that Systemverkstan will support, 30 project have so far been started, with the plan to start more project annually.

En Systemverkstad will be funded and can receive funding up to 10 million SEK and for 100 percent of the project's total eligible costs. You can apply for up to 7.5 million SEK in this the call for proposals. You apply for the remaining part through a supplement in early 2027.

Projektet Systemverkstan will have a project duration of 3 years, with the project starting on June 16, 2026.

SustainGov is a mission-driven programme within Impact Innovation that is a joint effort of the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova. SustainGov's mission is to achieve a reformed public sector by 2035 that holistically promotes and facilitates health and well-being for all residents regardless of geography and socioeconomic status, and ensures society's sustainability transition within the limits of the planet.

A reformed public sector with a systems approach

To achieve the program's mission, the public sector needs to fundamentally change.

The following changes are considered central to achieving SustainGov's mission:

• from reactive to proactive – shifting focus from dealing with problems as they arise to anticipating and preventing them, enabling more sustainable and efficient use of resources
• from organization-oriented to individualized interaction – creating joint solutions that are based on the needs of individuals, rather than being tied to fixed organizational structures
• from process and indicator-driven to impact-focused – shift focus from being process-driven and only measuring short-term results with simple indicators to assessing long-term effects that really contribute to social development, including by using impact indicators to follow up on actual improvements in the target group's health and well-being
• from seeing the individual as a passive recipient to an active co-creator – recognizing individuals as active co-creators in the development of solutions to achieve more sustainable and relevant results.

Program focus areas

To give SustainGov a clearer direction, a number of focus areas have been developed. The funded projects within the annual open the calls for proposals focus on one or more of the focus areas. Therefore, it is important that competence and expertise for these areas are also available in the System Workshop.

The program's focus areas do not include solutions in areas such as mobility and community development.

Focus area 1: System-wide collaboration in complex care needs

Today, citizens are faced with fragmented systems and a lack of coordination. This creates waste of resources, inequality and deficiencies in quality. We need the public sector to collaborate in new ways, with the individual's health and long-term well-being at the center.

Focus area 2: An inclusive society for all

Many groups in society face significant barriers to fully participating in society. A more inclusive society requires joint efforts from the public sector that address root causes and strengthen individuals' opportunities for participation and co-creation.

Focus area 3: Future-proofing food supply for health and well-being

Sweden faces several challenges in food security: low self-sufficiency and a vulnerable food system and climate change, fragmented governance and complex conflicts of interest. A future-proof food security requires strengthened preparedness, reduced environmental impact and access to nutritious and affordable food for all.

Focus area 4: The social contract of the future – renewed relationship between residents and the public sector

To manage increasing eligibility requirements and complexity, the public sector needs to redefine its role and create stronger ties to citizens, businesses and civil society. A renewed social contract is based on active collaboration, where all actors contribute to common solutions and sustainable development.

More information about SustainGov

For further information about SustainGov, the four focus areas and the efforts the program is implementing to achieve systemic changes in the public sector, see SustainGov's website. There is also a page with brief information about the project that have been granted in previous calls for proposals.

More information about Impact innovation

Impact Innovation is Sweden's major innovation initiative to tackle the challenges of our time and the future. In collaborations between actors in the private, public and non-profit organisations Impact Innovation meets real technical and societal needs with groundbreaking solutions. On the way to a sustainable and competitive Sweden, attractive to live in for everyone. Together we show what is possible, and are ahead internationally.

Impact Innovation works with new methods, approaches and tools to meet societal needs with groundbreaking solutions. More information about mission-oriented working methods and concepts such as systems innovation can be found at Impact Campus.

The System Workshop will be a function linked to Impactprogrammet SustainGov to contribute to its mission. The function will support funded project from SustainGov's calls for proposals. It will also develop, test and further develop needs-adapted and scientifically based methods for system innovation. The System Workshop will also develop, test and further develop methods for scaling up, disseminating and reusing solutions and results. This is done for and with the project that have been funded within SustainGov and in close collaboration with SustainGov's program office.

To achieve SustainGov's mission, Systemverkstan will provide support and tools to work actively with system innovation, transformation and restructuring during the formal project periods of the funded projects. All of these project have allocated between 20 and 150 hours per year to be able to work together with and in Systemverkstan and to participate in other overall activities with SustainGov's program office. Through close collaboration with the projects and the program office, Systemverkstan will lay a foundation for impact and structural restructuring far beyond the direct deliveries and project periods of the projects.

Below we provide a brief description of two central parts of the methods and working methods that Systemverkstan will work with.

Method and process support for inclusive and co-creative system innovation

An important aim of the System Workshop is to develop and test methods and process support for system innovation, transformation and restructuring. This support needs to be designed with great consideration for the needs of the funded projects and based on active collaboration, learning and exchange of experience. It therefore needs to build close collaboration and learning and create joint power between the projects within SustainGov.

SustainGov's open calls for proposals aim to reach both the depth and breadth of public sector stakeholders. Many of those running project within the programme are new to running and participating in research and innovation projects. This means that many actors being funded will have a great need for support and shared learning to begin and navigate their transformation journey towards a reformed public sector .

Spreading and scaling beyond individual projects

The mission of the System Workshop is to develop methods that make it easier to disseminate, scale up and reuse results from project. Today, many innovative solutions in the public sector get stuck in pilot projects and never reach widespread use. This is often due, we believe, to underestimating the work required for new working methods and solutions to take hold.

SustainGov's objective is a reformed public sector, which requires broad mobilization of municipalities, regions and authorities. The projects within the program bring together different skills and test new solutions, but to achieve SustainGov's mission, dissemination is needed far beyond the individual projects. The system workshop will create support that ensures that the results benefit more people, including smaller municipalities and regions with limited resources.

The System Workshop is responsible for following up, evaluating and creating conditions for long-term management of results. This means developing working methods for dissemination and scaling, and ensuring that solutions can be used and create value even after the project period. In this way, the System Workshop contributes to ensuring that the program's results have a real impact over time.

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

Making scientific publications and results available

This the call for proposals will also help make results available to everyone. Therefore, all scientific publishing should be open access. When results from research and innovation are made freely available, more people can contribute to solving societal challenges.

The project partners need to reflect the different competencies required to implement the System Workshop and achieve its high-level objective.

The project constellation also needs to include one or more parties who can work on long-term management of results and solutions developed within the System Workshop, even beyond the formal project period.

At least three actors must be included in the project constellation. In addition to the parties included in proposal, there will also be the possibility of adding additional actors through the successive funding described in chapter 5.

We believe that competence and experience are needed in, but not exclusively, these areas:

• Facilitation and collaboration across sector and administrative boundaries
• System analysis
• System innovation
• Results framework, follow-up and learning
• Foresight
• Dissemination, scaling and management of innovation and new solutions, preferably within the public sector
• Communication
• Capacity building for transition

The System Workshop will contribute to ensuring that the projects in SustainGov's open annual calls for proposals are given the best possible conditions to contribute to the program's long-term mission of a reformed public sector.

Below are suggestions for activities that could be included in the System Workshop. These will be implemented in collaboration with SustainGov's program office.

Method and process support for inclusive and co-creative system innovation:

• Support funded project in SustainGov for increased innovation capacity
• Arrange physical meetings/conferences for approved project in addition to those organized by SustainGov's program office
• Map existing methods and working methods to strengthen system innovation and transformation towards public actors
• Establish forums and formats for continuous learning and exchange of experiences between project within the System Workshop, together with the program office
• Development of a theory of change for Systemverkstan that links to Sustaingov's theory of change
• Develop support packages for system innovation and transformation
• Conduct tests and further develop the support package
• Iterations of analyses and mapping to meet new needs and capabilities of upcoming project.

Spreading and scaling beyond individual projects:

• Support funded project in SustainGov in scaling and dissemination
• Map and analyze the projects' planned results and solutions
• Systems analysis to understand recipient capacity within the public sector for the solutions developed by the projects and needs linked to dissemination
• Map existing methods and working methods for the dissemination, scaling and reuse of new solutions within the public sector
• Further develop and test methods and working methods for the dissemination, scaling and reuse of new solutions within the public sector
• Explore a format for long-term management, dissemination and utilization of the solutions and results developed within the program
• Test implementation for both scale-up and reuse
• Facilitate learning and knowledge exchange between project and the opportunity for others to share the results.

The project that the System Workshop will initially support are divided both thematically and based on maturity. Thematically, they are divided based on the program's four focus areas and in terms of maturity into feasibility studies, implementation projects and change alliances. The System Workshop's support and activities need to be adapted based on these conditions. The support and activities will also need to be developed during the course of the project as the calls for proposals for new project are further developed over time and new project are added to the project portfolio.

Collaboration with program offices and project and steering group

The project will be implemented in close collaboration with SustainGov's program office and the project granted in SustainGov's open calls for proposals. All of these project allocate 20–150 hours per year, depending on maturity, for participation in joint activities that Systemverkstan is involved in shaping, together with the program office.

The System Workshop shall contribute working methods and methods to the joint work in the workshop and shall also be responsible for implementing and following up on these activities, including creating a results framework for this and reporting to the SustainGov program office. The results framework shall be developed in collaboration with the SustainGov program office. The System Workshop shall maintain continuous dialogue and collaboration with the SustainGov program office throughout the project, to ensure coordination and alignment with the program as a whole. The System Workshop will not take over any tasks or activities that are part of the program office's activities.

If an organisation that is granted support in Systemverkstan is also part of the SustainGov program office, activities and costs must be clearly separate from what is included in the program office's activities. This should be clearly stated in proposal.

Till Systemverkstan, a steering group of approximately 5-7 people will be created, with at least two people from SustainGov's program office representing them.

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:

• Salary costs: gross salary paid and 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 an external party. Costs of this type may constitute a maximum of 20 percent of a project party's budget. We can accept a higher proportion than 20 percent in case of special needs. You must then justify the need for this in proposal. This justification is taken into account in our assessment.
• 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 and cleaning. Indirect costs may constitute a maximum of 30 percent of personnel costs. Universities, university colleges and certain research organizations and government agencies have higher maximum limits depending on the type of 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 a cost to be eligible, it must be:

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

An organisation may also not claim someone else's costs as its own.

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

The call for proposals is based on successive funding

Since research and innovation projects contain uncertainty and often need to change over time, we want to create the conditions for a more agile working method and funding in this call for proposals. Therefore, we will apply gradual funding in this call for proposals. The aim is to give the project time to mobilize more actors and skills during the initial project period, based on dialogue with the program office and after having captured the needs of the projects from the open annual the call for proposals.

At the time of application, up to SEK 7.5 million of the project's total funding, which is a maximum of SEK 10 million, is sought. The remaining amount will be sought through a supplement in early 2027.

The total contribution to the project cannot exceed SEK 10 million during the project period.

Subsequent effort

The system workshop will continue to operate and develop over a considerable period of time, even after the project ends in 2029. Vinnova is therefore planning a subsequent effort in the form of a targeted or open call for proposals or an extension of the project to which this call for proposals applies.

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?

The grant can amount to a maximum of SEK 10 million in total, of which 7.5 million SEK at the time of application. The grant can amount to 100 percent of the project's total eligible costs. The remaining part, up to a total of SEK 10 million, will be applied for through a completion of the project in early 2027.

The project being financed shall have a project duration of 3 years with a project start date of June 16, 2026.

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.

In this the call for proposals we provide support to both organisations that conduct economic activities, with the support form Support of minor importance to companies, as well as to organisations that do not conduct economic activities.

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.

Support for non-economic activities

In this the call for proposals we 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.

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

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 for project parties

• All project partners must be legal entities. Natural persons or individual companies cannot participate.
• The coordinating party must be a Swedish legal entity and conduct activities in Sweden.
• At least three project parties must participate in the project. This includes the coordinating party.

Eligibility requirements for the project

• At the time of application, a maximum of SEK 7,500,000 is applied for.
• The project must start on June 16, 2026.
• The project manager must be employed by the coordinating party in the project.
• The project may not begin before proposal is submitted.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal must be written in Swedish or English.
• Proposal must follow the instructions given in section 10.
• Proposal must contain all requested attachments.

When assessing applications, we look at four main criteria:

• Relevance: We assess how relevant the project proposal is to SustainGov's mission and focus areas.
• 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.

Relevance

• How relevant the project proposal is to SustainGov's mission and focus areas.

Potential

• How much potential the project proposal have to achieve the call's objective and aim.
• How much potential does the project proposal have to be a key function for system innovation in SustainGov and maximize impact and structural impact for the program's other project.
• How well the state of the art is described for needs-adapted and scientifically based methods for system innovation as well as methods for scaling up, disseminating and reusing solutions and results.
• How well gender perspectives have been integrated into the project proposal, and what significance these have for the project's results.

Actors

• To what extent do the project partners represent a range of actors with the resources and capacity to implement planned activities and achieve expected effects.
• The extent to which the project manager and other key individuals have the skills and shared ability to carry out the planned work.
• 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 is justified. This only applies if a project party's budget contains more than 20 percent consulting costs.

Feasibility

• The realism, credibility and appropriateness of the project plan and budget.
• To what extent is the project based on clear descriptions of what the project will lead to and how it plans to develop and actively work based on measurable, concrete and well-defined objective, as well as how the project will be evaluated.
• To what extent will the project be implemented in active collaboration with the SustainGov program office.
• How well the state of the art is described for needs-adapted and scientifically based methods for system innovation as well as methods for scaling up, disseminating and reusing solutions and results.
• How good the conditions are for the project's results to be taken forward and used after the end of the project.

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.

Interviews may be held on May 11, 12 or 13 (invitation one week before).

Decisions are sent to those who have applied funding and information about approved project is then published on Vinnova's website and SustainGov's website.

How does it affect an organization's financial status?

Before deciding on funding we also conduct a comprehensive assessment of the organizational and financial status of those receiving funding. We use information we obtain from credit reports, currently from Dun & Bradstreet.

In order for us to grant funding the following applies:

• Organisations seeking funding for payroll costs must be registered as employers with the Swedish Tax Agency.
• 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.
• Organisations may not cover project costs in this the call for proposals with public funding or own funds intended for other project.
• Limited liability companies must not have used up half or more of their share capital.
• If requested, SMEs must be able to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to carry out the project according to their budget in proposal.

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 if you meet all eligibility requirements and criteria. In this call for proposals only one project will be awarded funding.

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 Vinnova's general terms and conditions for funding. The terms and conditions 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 achieved results to us regularly during the project period.
• If you are multiple parties, you must agree on your mutual rights and obligations in the project in an agreement. It can take time to get a project agreement in place, so it is a good idea to get this in place before the project starts.
• How the results will be used 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:

• The project must be represented by at least one participant at the conferences organized within the Impact program SustainGov, approximately one to two times per year. The costs for such participation are eligible for support.
• Till Systemverkstan, there will be a steering group of approximately 5-7 people, with at least two representatives from the SustainGov program office participating. The steering group will be appointed in dialogue with the program office. The names of participants in the steering group and which organisations and project they represent will be submitted in connection with the project's first progress report.
• The project must have a close and continuous dialogue with the program office throughout the duration of the project.
• In connection with the final reporting of the project, a summary of the project results shall be sent to the SustainGov program office according to a template that will be available on Impact Innovation. This summary shall be freely available for distribution and publication on the program office's website and on the websites of the Swedish Energy Agency, Forma, Vinnova and Impact Innovations. The summary may not contain confidential or otherwise sensitive information.
• When providing information about the project and when publishing results, it must be stated that the work was carried out within Impact Innovation-programmet SustainGov – an initiative funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova.

We may also decide to add supplementary special conditions. 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 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