Cooperation with India - company-driven research and innovation projects 2025

This offer aims to support innovative and collaborative research and development projects between Sweden and India, with a focus on the green transition in the steel and cement industries. Vinnova and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of India are responsible for the call for proposals.

The collaborative projects should be innovative and focused on creating opportunities for new technologies, services or processes that can lead to sustainable solutions and commercialization. This offer applies to joint Indian-Swedish collaborative projects with a focus on technological development and innovative solutions for the green transition in the steel and cement industries. The projects may, for example, cover one or more of the following sub-themes:

• AI as an enabler: AI applications to facilitate and drive innovation and efficiency in green transition initiatives. Can be cross-cutting across all sub-themes. Includes advanced software solutions designed to measure, evaluate and manage activities aimed at reducing emissions from the steel and cement industries.
• Optimization of production processes: Innovative solutions that improve the efficiency and sustainability of production processes in the steel and cement industries.
• Alternative Materials: Development of new materials that serve as sustainable alternatives and replacements for traditional steel and cement.
• Social Impact Tools: Tools and methods for assessing the environmental and social impact of the green industrial transition.

The projects will be implemented by joint project consortia from India and Sweden, with a commercial company as project coordinator in each country. The project consortium is encouraged to include research performing organisations such as universities, university college, research institutes or other relevant actors

Vinnova can finance up to 2.5 million SEK per project. The level of support per Swedish project participant varies depending on the type of organization and project activities. The project duration may be a maximum of 24 months.

This is a translation of the English the call text. It is important that you read the English the call for proposals carefully before you start your proposal, so that you and your Indian partners are starting from exactly the same call text.

This offer is part of the Swedish-Indian Innovation Partnership and aims to strengthen research and innovation relations to jointly create prosperity and address global challenges through long-term collaboration. The focus is on technological development and innovative solutions related to the green transition in the steel and cement industries.

By supporting joint Indian-Swedish R&D project, we aim to:

1. Develop new technologies and innovative solutions to improve the efficiency and sustainability of production processes in the steel and cement industries.
2. Promote the use of AI to drive innovation and efficiency in green transition initiatives.
3. Explore sustainable alternatives or replacements to traditional steel and cement to reduce environmental impact.
4. Develop tools to measure the environmental and societal impact of the green industrial transition.

In the longer term, we want to achieve environmental sustainability with this funding by reducing emissions and improving sustainability in the steel and cement industry, economic growth through innovative solutions and improved production processes, social benefit by ensuring that the developed solutions contribute positively to society, and strengthen international cooperation between Sweden and India in research and innovation.

Contribute to a sustainable system transformation

Vinnova's mission is to promote sustainable growth and system transformation. Therefore, the project we finance should also contribute to gender equality and the sustainability goals in Agenda 2030.

Gender-equal innovation – what it means for those seeking funding from us

Agenda 2030 as a driver for innovation

This offer is aimed at Swedish actors who are interested in participating in innovative and collaborative research and development projects between Sweden and India. We welcome applications from various types of organisations, provided they meet the following criteria:

• Project coordinator: The Swedish project coordinator (SPC) must be a company operating and registered in Sweden. The SPC is responsible for submitting the application in Sweden and towards Vinnova. Sole proprietors and limited partnerships are not eligible for support under this programme.
• Project manager: The project manager must be employed by SPC.
• Project partners: Swedish research performing institutions (universities, university colleges and research institutes), testbeds, public organisations and other companies with activities in Sweden are encouraged to participate in the project as project partners in the consortium, provided that they bring relevant expertise to the consortium. All Swedish project partners must be legal entities.

We fund innovative research and development projects aimed at creating opportunities for new technologies, services or processes that can lead to sustainable solutions and commercialization. This offer applies to joint Indian-Swedish collaborative projects with a focus on technological development and innovative solutions for the green transition in the steel and cement industries. The projects may, for example, cover one or more of the following sub-themes:

• AI as an enabler: AI applications to facilitate and drive innovation and efficiency in green transition initiatives. Can be cross-cutting across all sub-themes. Includes advanced software solutions designed to measure, evaluate and manage activities aimed at reducing emissions from the steel and cement industries.
• Optimization of production processes: Innovative solutions that improve the efficiency and sustainability of production processes in the steel and cement industries.
• Alternative Materials: Development of new materials that serve as sustainable alternatives and replacements for traditional steel and cement.
• Tools for social impact: Tools and methods for assessing the environmental and social impact of the green industrial transition.

What costs can we finance?

Our funding is subject to state aid rules, which govern what types of costs we can finance. These are called eligible costs.

In this the call for proposals, the following types of costs are eligible:

• Personnel costs: Salaries, social security contributions and other personnel costs.
• Equipment, land and buildings: Instruments, equipment and rent for premises other than regular business premises.
• Consulting and licensing costs: Costs for consulting services from outside parties may constitute a maximum of 20 percent of a project party's budget. You must justify the need for consulting efforts in proposal. This justification is weighed in our assessment.
• Other direct costs: For example, materials, supplies and travel necessary to carry out the project.

What eligibility requirements apply to costs we finance?

For a cost to be eligible, it must be:

• Necessary for the activities in the project
• Recorded 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 state aid rules also 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.

This is a bilateral call for proposals and funding will be provided in accordance with the national laws, regulations and procedures established by the respective funding organizations in Sweden and India. Vinnova will fund the Swedish side of the jointly recommended projects and the Department of Science & Technology (DST) through Technology Department Board (TDB) the Indian side.

How much funding can the project receive?

Vinnova will provide funding to Swedish participants with up to 2.5 million Swedish kronor per project as funding. The level of support varies depending on the type of organization and project.

Indian project participants are funded up to 50% of the project costs, with a ceiling of ₹150 lakh per project, by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) through Technology Development Board (TDB).

How much funding can a participant receive?

Funding is only given to Swedish legal entities or organisations with activities in Sweden. The organisation's size and type of activity determines how large a proportion of the costs we can finance.

The maximum level of support is up to:

• 50% of eligible costs for companies, except for
  • large companies conducting experimental development, which can receive 40%
  • start-ups, which can get 70%
• 100% of eligible costs for research organisations
• 80% of eligible costs for public sector and other non-economic organisations

The approved project activities must be covered by the rules for industrial research, experimental development or support to start-ups according to the rules for state aid (General Block Exemption Regulation, GBER). Read more at Regulation - 651/2014 - EN - General Block Exemption Regulation - EUR-Lex

In this the call for proposals we provide support for industrial research and 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 developmentcan be simply described as combining, shaping and using existing knowledge to develop new or improved products, processes or services.

For a full definition, see funding bases and levels

In order for us to take a position on and assess your proposal it must meet certain formal eligibility requirements. If the requirements are not met, proposal will be rejected immediately.

Vinnova will only assess proposal that meet the following formal eligibility requirements:

• Project partners seeking funding from Vinnova must be legal entities and organisations registered in Sweden.
• The Swedish Project Coordinator (SPC) must be a registered company in Sweden.
• The Swedish project manager must be employed by the Swedish project coordinator.
• Proposal must meet the requirements of this call for proposals and contain all mandatory attachments requested.
• Proposal must be submitted to Vinnova no later than 14 November 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Once the application period has expired, additions can only be made at the request of Vinnova.

• The projects should be innovative and market-driven, with potential to lead to new technologies, solutions or services that can be commercialized.
• The projects will be implemented by joint project consortia from India and Sweden, with a commercial company as project coordinator in each country.

• The project should be able to demonstrate the added value of the international collaboration between the selected partners from the two countries (e.g. increased knowledge base, business opportunities, access to R&D infrastructure, new areas of application, etc.).

• funding of the participants in the project must be balanced in efforts and active participation both between the countries and between the parties. The effort must be of crucial importance for the implementation of the project.

Please see the attachment for the joint call text from Vinnova and DST for more information. Application Guidelines for India-Sweden Collaborative Industrial R&D Programme 2025.pdf

In this call for proposals assessment takes place according to the criteria described in the international the call text.

The projects will be evaluated based on their scientific, technological, commercial and financial merits. The assessment criteria are as follows:

Potential

• How well the project is assessed to have potential for broad application and expected benefits from commercialization
• How well the project's intended product, service or process is assessed to have potential to contribute to the climate transition, with a focus on one or more of the global goals for sustainable development
• How well the project is assessed to contribute to increased gender equality.

Actors

• The project manager and the team's (key people) competence, ability and commitment to run or be part of an international project.
• The capability of the research and development actor(s) in the proposed project
• The company's organizational and commercial capabilities, including its internal assets.
• The entrepreneur's qualifications and experience
• The benefits of international cooperation, i.e. between the Indian and Swedish sides of the project.
• How well the project team (key people) is composed in terms of gender distribution. As well as how well power and influence are distributed between women and men in the project team. Any imbalance needs to be commented on and gender equality goals for the project described.

Feasibility

• How well the project demonstrates scientific quality and technological competence.
• How well the proposed intervention is judged to be sufficient to achieve the project's objective
• How reasonable the proposed costs and financing plan are in relation to the project's scope and objective
• How clearly and measurable the project's objective, milestones and milestones are defined

How do we assess?

The assessment process is carried out according to the following steps:

1. A formality check is carried out where only applications that meet formal eligibility requirements are taken forward for assessment.
2. National assessments are carried out in both countries. The evaluations are based on jointly set assessment criteria and are carried out by experts relevant to the research and development area for each proposal. The assessment takes place in competition between submitted applications.
3. After the national assessments have been completed, Vinnova and the Indian Department of Science and Technology (DST) make the final selection of project to be funded. This selection is based on the recommendations from the Swedish and Indian assessment groups, respectively. funding decisions are based on the ranking list and the available budget of the funders.

We also assess 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 personnel 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 unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• Limited liability companies must not have used up half or more of their share capital.

Once we have assessed all applications, we will send you a decision either granting or rejecting your proposal. In the decision, we state how much funding each party in the project will be granted. Our decision cannot be appealed.

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 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:

At the latest at the time of the first progress report to Vinnova, the Swedish project coordinator must be able to verify that a project agreement has been signed by all Swedish and Indian project partners. See vinnovas-general-terms-and-conditions-for-grants---2025-multi-participant.pdf

Vinnova will ask the Swedish project coordinator for approved project to submit the form " Participant's approval" for all Swedish project partners. In this call for proposals, Swedish project partners will be asked to submit the signed form as soon as possible after the decision has been announced.

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 do not follow our term, you may be required to repay the amount. This also applies if you have been granted funding incorrectly or for an amount that is too high.

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 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 has closed, you cannot change anything in proposal. You can only make additions if Vinnova asks for it.

Who can read your proposal?

Your proposal will be read by Vinnova employees and the external 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 confidential information that we believe could cause financial harm to the individual if disclosed. This could include information about business and operational conditions, inventions or research results.

How we handle public documents and confidentiality