Innovation procurement checks 2022 - Green conversion

Vinnova has the task of promoting sustainable growth by improving the conditions for innovation. Improved conditions for innovation strengthen the capacity to achieve the goals for sustainable development in Agenda 2030. Through our efforts, we contribute to the global commitment to achieve the goals.

Our work to contribute to the goals in Agenda 2030

The financing of checks will strengthen the conditions for the use of innovation procurement. This is to promote the development and dissemination of innovative and sustainable solutions that contribute to a resource-efficient, circular economy and the use of climate-neutral goods and services.

Innovation procurement is a process that begins when a public activities has identified a need or desire that is not covered by the range of goods and services that are on the market or that the business is aware of. This may be a need for new development, or that new solutions exist but are untested, or that solutions exist in another market and need to be adapted.

The process innovation procurement means that public organizations and innovative companies meet to collaborate before or in a procurement on new innovative solutions being developed, tested, adapted, certified, etc. Innovation procurement is not a special methodology or procedure. The process is based on the same basis as other public procurement, but also on the same logic as in other types of innovation projects. It is a combination of traditional public procurement and experimental innovation projects, which requires skills of many kinds. For more information on innovation and procurement, see:

What is innovation in procurement? | Procurement Authority

The financing is aimed at contracting authorities and entities (contracting organizations). You have identified areas where you need new solutions and where you believe or know that the market can contribute. Therefore, you are in an innovation procurement or will produce a decision basis for an upcoming innovation procurement. To do this, you need external expertise, or access to external labs, test beds, test and demo facilities, production facilities and similar infrastructure in connection with an innovation procurement.

The innovation procurement must contribute to at least one of two thematic areas:

• A resource-efficient and circular economy.
• Climate-neutral goods and services.

The purpose of the checks is to make it easier for contracting organizations to make informed and strategic decisions at the right time, by taking advantage of external expertise when their own resources or knowledge are not sufficient.

Checks can be applied for during the period 15 February 2022 - 11 October 2022. Vinnova processes applications every three weeks starting on 8 March 2022. Decisions are made on an ongoing basis and are submitted three to six weeks from the submitted proposal.

The financing is part of Vinnova's effort on innovation and procurement in our strategic area Transformative public sector and civil society and Regeringsuppdrag N2021/01194.

Regeringsuppdrag N2021/01194

The call is aimed at contracting organizations, ie organizations that are subject to procurement legislation.

Procurement legislation covers the Public Procurement Act (LOU), the Procurement Sector Procurement Act (LUF), the Concession Procurement Act (LUK) or the Defense and Security Procurement Act (LUFS).

Activities for which you can apply for funding

You can apply for funding to purchase external expertise needed in connection with an innovation procurement. This can, for example, be external expertise in the subject area, market analysis and market dialogue, process management, innovation management, law and agreements, intangible assets, service design and procurement procedures. It can also be about external cutting-edge expertise in circular economy, climate or environment.

The grant may also cover access to external labs, test beds, test and demo facilities, production facilities and similar infrastructure needed to verify and validate various production and development critical features of the new solutions in an innovation procurement.

It is not possible to apply for funding for internal costs that arise in connection with the project.

The time period when Vinnova's funds are to be used can amount to a maximum of 8 months. From the applicant's perspective, the project may be longer, but in the proposal to Vinnova, the period should not exceed 8 months.

Two types of project

We finance two different types of project:

Track 1: You are considering an innovation procurement and need to produce a decision basis to decide whether you should proceed with such a project. You need to hire external expertise to drive the process or to contribute knowledge that strengthens the decision basis.

Our intention is that the financing will increase the opportunity to produce early decision-making material that can lead to innovation procurement.

Track 2: You are in an ongoing innovation procurement, ie a decided and started project that a new solution will be procured. You have a need to hire external expertise to strengthen the results of your innovation procurement. You may also need external infrastructure for verification and validation.

Our intention is that the financing will contribute to increasing the quality of ongoing procurements of innovation.

Two different thematic areas

We only finance project that concern at least one of the following two thematic areas within green conversion:

A resource-efficient and circular economy
A transition to a resource-efficient and circular economy is necessary to reduce environmental and climate impact, while at the same time benefiting business development and new jobs. A circular economy is based on cycles, instead of the linear "create, use, throw". It is about extending the life of products and using resources smarter, for example through reuse, sharing and recycling. Through new solutions or innovative business models based on circular material flows, resources can be used efficiently in non-toxic circular flows and replace virgin materials.

Climate-neutral goods and services
Sweden has a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. This means that all sectors must contribute to reducing climate emissions, which makes the need for climate-neutral goods and services great. A climate-neutral product or service does not cause a net increase in global greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere throughout its life cycle. This requires new solutions and business models that in the long run create conditions for actors in all sectors to cope with the transition to net zero emissions in 2045.

Eligible costs

The following costs are eligible:

• Costs for external expertise. In the proposal, this cost is included under Vinnova's general cost type "Costs for consultants and licenses etc.".
• Charges for the use of external infrastructure. In the proposal, this cost is included under Vinnova's general cost type "Other direct costs".

You can not apply for any costs other than those mentioned above.

For more information on eligible costs, see:

Instructions for eligible costs

Our funding is through funding and therefore the state aid rules must be taken into account.

The rules on state support apply if the grant recipient is an organization that conducts financial activities. All activities that involve offering goods and services in a market constitute economic activities. This means that even non-profit organizations can be classified as economic activities if they offer goods and services in a market. It is not decisive what legal form the activity has, how it is financed, whether it is public or private, or whether it has a profit motive. The organization itself is ultimately responsible and responsible for the assessment of whether they conduct economic activities or not.

The most common is that public organizations do not conduct financial activities, but you need to make an assessment of your activities as above to be safe.

Funding for parties who do not conduct financial activities is granted in accordance with ordinance (2009: 1101) with instructions for the Swedish Agency for innovation system. In these cases, the grant does not constitute State aid. Read more here

There are examples of public organizations operating in a market in competition with private companies, such as public real estate companies. In this call for proposals, organizations that conduct economic activities will be granted funding with the support of § 2 p. 2 ordinance (2015: 208) on state support for research and development and innovation, ie as support of minor importance ( de minimissupport) according to

Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013

Before you can be granted de minimis, you must submit a certificate of minor support.

Form can be downloaded from Vinnova's website

This is done in connection with proposal. The maximum allowable support of minor importance is 200,000 euros per recipient during the last three tax years.

The size of the grant is up to SEK 200,000 per competence or access to infrastructure.

If you apply for support according to track 1, the grant amounts to a maximum of SEK 200,000.

If you apply for support according to track 2, the grant amounts to a maximum of SEK 400,000 for hiring at least two or more different types of competence, alternatively two or more different fees for access to external infrastructure. If only an external competence / infrastructure is used, the grant amounts to a maximum of SEK 200,000.

Aid intensity is 100%. This means that the applicant must not report their own funding in proposal, but only the check amount applied for.

The total budget for the call is SEK 5 million and decisions are made on an ongoing basis.

We will only assess applications that meet the following formal eligibility requirements:

• Applicant constitutes a contracting public authority or department (contracting organization). Contracting organization refers to all organizations that are subject to procurement legislation.
• Proposal must be written in Swedish and / or English.
• The appendix “Project description” must be written according to the template provided by Vinnova on the call's website. The template should be used without editing fonts or margins. No custom formats on the attachment are accepted.
• Proposal has been received via Vinnova's portal no later than 8 November 2022 at 14.00.

Tips for writing a correct proposal without formal errors:

• Look at our checklist before submitting proposal [link]
• Attend one of our digital question and answer sessions. For occasions, see the heading "Digital Question Time" further down the page.

We do not allow additions to applications. If formal errors occur, it is possible to submit a new proposal until the call closes.

What do we assess?

Potential

• If the project is considered as a preparation for, or an ongoing, innovation procurement.
• To what extent is the challenge relevant for several actors (in and outside the public sector), that the demand for new innovative solutions is great and that developing companies have the conditions to disseminate and scale solutions.
• The project's potential to make a positive contribution to a resource-efficient and circular economy or the use of climate-neutral goods and services.
• The extent to which innovation procurement is to be designed taking into account a gender perspective and how the results are to benefit both women and men.

Actors

• To what extent the external competence to be procured is relevant for the possible or ongoing innovation procurement.
• To what extent does the project manager have the competence and ability to carry out the project.
• To what extent the project has a committed representation from: a) the area of activity that will use the solution, b) internal expertise in procurement and c) internal innovation or development staff.

Feasibility

• To what extent is the budget and schedule realistic and appropriate in relation to the scope and type of external expertise and / or specialist advice to be engaged.

How do we rate?

Your proposal will be assessed against the criteria above. The applications that are judged to meet the criteria well enough are granted funding within our budget. Vinnova's overall portfolio perspective may affect the final selection of project. Priority is given to applications that have the potential to take advantage of the possibilities of digitalisation.

The evaluators consist of a group of specially appointed experts from Vinnova and a programme manager from Vinnova.

The decision process looks like this:

• Only applications that, after review, meet the formal requirements set out in Section 5 will be assessed.
• The assessments are made using the criteria set out in section 6.
• Based on the assessors' recommendation, Vinnova decides which project will be granted funding.
• Vinnova's overall portfolio perspective may affect the final selection.
• Decisions are sent to those who have applied for funding and Vinnova publishes information about approved projects on project.

Important Dates

• Applications can be submitted every day from 15 February 2022.
• Reading opportunities: 8 March, 29 March, 19 April, 10 May, 31 May, 21 June, 30 August and 20 September.
• Last application date: October 11, 2022, at 14:00.
• Last decision: 8 November 2022.
• Project start: no earlier than fifteen weekdays after the next reading opportunity and no later than 8 November 2022.
• Project end: no later than 8 July 2023.

About our decisions

How much each party in the project is granted in funding is stated in the decision. Funding for economic activities will be granted with the support of Commission Regulation No 1407/2013 on de minimis aid (de minimis support support ).

Our decision to grant or reject a proposal is not subject to appeal.

Term for granted funding

For funding, our general terms and conditions for funding apply. The terms and conditions include rules on the conditions for payment, follow-up, reporting and utilization of results.

Our rules and term for funding

The following special conditionsalso apply to everyone who is granted funding in this call:

• The project must be represented by a representative of the project at an experience day or similar activity organized by the Procurement Authority and Vinnova.
• At least one representative of the project must attend a two-hour introductory seminar.

Supplementary special conditions can be decided for individual projects project.

If you do not follow our term, you may be liable for a refund. This also applies if you have been granted funding incorrectly or with an excessive amount.

Project Administration

It should be easy to administer a project in "Checks for innovation procurement 2022 - green conversion". If we decide to finance your project, the following applies:

• You submit a start report confirming that the project is ready to start. The report is submitted electronically according to a predefined template and must contain a project summary and a bank or plus giro for payments. Your signatory must also sign a document.
• When the start report has been received and approved, funds are paid out.
• During the project, you participate in an introductory seminar and an experience day where you get the opportunity to network with and get inspiration from other projects project.
• When the project is completed, you submit a final report: a short summary that gives an overall picture of how you carried out the project and what the result was. Here you also leave a short cost report.