Drone swarm challenge 2025

We are targeting actors who may soon begin to apply new technologies, where the use means that tasks can be performed with lower risk, that supervision of, for example, facilities and environments provides better control, and that places and situations can be observed where transparency is currently lacking.

We are looking for solutions enabled by drones with capabilities that can ultimately contribute to a safer society. Capabilities include:

• Fully or partially autonomous flight.
• Flying in a swarm with shared responsibility for different subtasks.
• Collective problem solving between multiple drones.
• Increased supervision in areas where security solutions are needed.

The challenge is to use two or more drones to monitor an area, identify and track predefined priority objects moving on the ground. One drone should monitor the area from any height and identify new and existing objects, while another drone at low altitude should follow the highest priority object and continuously indicate its exact position. New, higher priority objects may appear during the test, and the drones should cooperate to identify and track the most relevant object. The aim is to achieve the highest degree of autonomy possible.

Objective with the challenge

• Fully or partially autonomous systems that plan and execute complex tasks.
• Drones with the ability to fly in swarms and share tasks among themselves.

All project will participate in a joint activity to practically demonstrate their solutions in a real environment. Vinnova will later provide details about the location and time of this activity.

The initiative is part of Vinnova's work with strategic technology areas within clusters of excellence. It contributes to new capabilities and radical (disruptive) innovation.

Strategically important areas in technology and innovation for Sweden

Two priority technology areas are specifically covered by this challenge:

• Artificial intelligence and autonomous systems for societal transformation
• Advanced digital technology for productivity and safety

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

The call for proposals is aimed at those who can demonstrate new solutions in the near future. You can be a company, university, university college, research institute or public sector, but you must be based or have a branch or establishment in Sweden.

Only one organization can apply for funds and be participant.

You can apply for funding to develop, test and evaluate solutions.

Examples of activities eligible for support:

• Investigate technical and structural conditions.
• Develop prototypes or demonstration versions of products and services. This may include pilot work, testing, and validation.
• Plan and conduct tests to validate a solution that meets the challenge.

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:

• Personnel 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 the budget.
• Other direct costs: For example, materials, supplies and travel necessary for implementation.
• 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.
• recorded correctly and separately from the company's other costs.
• have arisen within the project period according to standard depreciation rules.

An organization 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.

You can apply for up to 750,000 SEK per proposal.

We can fund up to 100 percent of your organization's costs in this the call for proposals.

Further information about the grounds for support and the rules that govern Vinnova's funding of companies can be found at funding rules, State aid to economic activities (companies).

Support for companies younger than five years old

In this the call for proposals we provide support to start-ups (Article 22 GBER). We can finance up to 100 percent of the company's project costs. A start-up is a company that:

• has fewer than 50 employees
• is not listed on the stock exchange
• not yet distributed profit
• was registered, started its activities or became liable to pay taxes less than five years ago
• has not taken over another company's activities, acquired or formed through a merger.

See more information about support criteria and support levels:

Support grounds and support levels 2025

Support for companies the elderly than five years

In this the call for proposals we also provide support to companies the elderly than five years through de minimis support. An organisation can receive a maximum of EUR 300,000 over a three-year period under the de minimis support basis, regardless of the financier and project. This type of support is also called de minimis support.

This means that if the same organization 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.

Therefore, applicant must attach a certificate of previously received support of minor importance when submitting proposal. The form for this certificate can be found under the heading "templates" on the call page.

Support to organizations that do not engage in economic activities

In this the call for proposals we also 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 the costs of such an organisation.

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.

Eligibility requirements on applicant

• Applicant must be a Swedish legal entity and conduct activities in Sweden. Individuals or sole proprietorships cannot participate.
• Applicant must be registered for F-tax, VAT and employer contributions. Your registration must be completely complete before you submit your proposal to this call for proposals.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal must be written in Swedish or English.
• Proposal must follow the instructions given in section 8.
• Proposal must contain all requested attachments.
• Certificate of Minor support: Companies that are the elderly than 5 years must attach the form "Certificate of Minor support " together with proposal.

Applications that meet our eligibility requirements will proceed to assessment. In the assessment, we look at how much potential your idea has, how realistic it is and who will implement the solution.

What do we assess?

When assessing applications, we look at three main criteria:

• Potential: We analyze what effects and what value we can expect.
• Actors: We assess the participants' competence and ability to achieve desired results and effects.
• Feasibility: We assess how realistic and credible the project plan is, both for implementing the solution and for achieving desired results.

Eftersom Vinnova is tasked with contributing to increased gender equality and climate change, and we always follow up and assess these perspectives.

Potential

• How much potential the proposal has to contribute to disruptive innovation capabilities in the drone field.
• To what extent can the proposal contribute to a future where drones can collectively solve a task and contribute to a safer society?

Actors

• The degree to which applicant has the necessary capacity, competence, knowledge, experience and ability to carry out the challenge. This also includes relevant networks and access to necessary experts.
• How well the financial contribution, participation, power and influence are distributed in an equal manner in the team.

Feasibility

• How well the project plan and budget are assessed to be able to achieve the challenge's objective and realize a solution in the near future.
• To what extent does the proposal build on previous relevant activities and results.
• A credible risk analysis and action plan for these risks.

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.

We will also conduct a short interview before making a decision.

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, this applies:

• Organizations seeking funding for personnel costs must be registered as employers with the Swedish Tax Agency.
• Organizations must not be insolvent, undergoing liquidation or corporate restructuring, nor must they have any significant unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• Organizations 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 though you meet all eligibility requirements and criteria.

In the decision, we state how much of the costs we will cover for each organization.

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 our general terms and conditions for funding.

The terms and conditions include the following:

• 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.
• How the results will be used.

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 will participate in a joint activity to practically demonstrate its solutions in a real environment. Vinnova will specify the location and time for this activity.

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 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.

This is how we handle public documents and confidentiality.