Industrial utilization of neutron and synchrotron light-based techniques - Pilot projects and Development projects 2026

Vinnova is tasked with strengthening the conditions for industrial utilization of advanced research infrastructure. With this the call for proposals we want to finance collaborative projects that increase understanding, ability and capacity to benefit from the innovation potential in large-scale research infrastructure such as MAX IV and ESS.

The project proposal must address industrially relevant needs and contain at least one well-motivated experiment at a neutron and/or synchrotron light facility.
This requires expert competence in both analytical techniques and industrial application. The stakeholder group should therefore consist of at least two participants, of which:

• at least one Swedish company that owns the need/application that the project proposal addresses.
• at least one additional Swedish organisation who represents expert competence regarding current technology based on neutron scattering or synchrotron light.

Representatives from all participants are expected to participate in the conduct of the experiments.

It is important that the project that are granted funding are made visible and can inspire others. In connection with the final report to Vinnova, an easily accessible description according to a template must be attached for free publication and dissemination.

The call for proposals offers two different categories of project.
Vinnova intends to grant approximately the same number of project within each category.

A. Pilot project

• Up to 500,000 SEK in funding
• Maximum project duration of 18 months.
• Companies in need must be small or medium-sized (SMEs).
• The project activities should demonstrate the added value of experiments at large-scale research infrastructure beyond what the company can achieve with analytical technology in a standard laboratory environment.
  
  

B. Development projects

• Up to 1,500,000 SEK in funding
• Companies in need must finance the project with their own funding which corresponds to at least 30 percent of the funding applied for from Vinnova.
• Maximum project duration of 24 months.
• Development projects should also include method-related development activities that broaden the possibilities for industry-relevant experiments with technology based on neutron scattering or synchrotron light and/or allow experiments to be carried out in a more robust and resource-efficient manner.

We want to enable more people to benefit from the innovation potential of neutron and synchrotron-based technologies

Vinnova has been commissioned by the government to increase the business community's utilization of advanced research infrastructure for research and innovation. During the last ten years, we have, among other things, carried out special efforts to promote Swedish companies' understanding of how analysis and experimental tools at research facilities such as MAX IV and ESS can contribute to their research and innovation work.

With this call for proposals, Vinnova wants to continue to fund project that promotes the availability of neutron and synchrotron-based technologies for industrial needs, including by allowing Swedish companies to gain their own experience in:

• how to use advanced analysis methods in large-scale research infrastructure
• how they can collaborate with expertise at other organisations in different parts of that process
• how they themselves can contribute to more and improved experimental opportunities to solve industry-relevant issues at the facilities.

The actual analytical equipment at the facilities is based on basic techniques and methods that are also used in traditional academic or industrial laboratories; tomography, spectroscopy and scattering/diffraction techniques. With these, one can, for example, study how different materials and biological structures are built up and map the chemical state of the materials. What makes the facilities' equipment very powerful "measuring probes" are the flows of strong light/photons (synchrotrons) or neutrons, which interact in different ways with a material.
Later generations of facilities have revolutionized the possibilities for high-resolution material characterization and studies of dynamic processes under relevant loading conditions. Provided that the right peripheral equipment is available, measurement data can be collected with high time resolution while the sample is exposed to a realistic environment, for example in chambers with different climatic and pressure conditions, rigs for physical loading or through miniatures of manufacturing processes. If several different measurement methods can be used simultaneously, unique overall information can be obtained, for example mapping of chemical elements and imaging of a physical material structure at different scales.
Today, the innovation potential is also greatly accelerated by advances in digital tools. Through measurement data from the facilities, complex physics-based, machine learning or hybrid-based calculation models can be validated, which in turn contribute to realistic simulation programs and digital representations. To maximize the innovation potential and ensure relevant and resource-efficient use of the facilities, collaborations between competencies from several different domains and sectors are needed.

This the call for proposals supports the implementation of experiments at all available facilities for neutron scattering and synchrotron light, including outside Sweden.
How a facility for neutron scattering or synchrotron light can be used depends on technical characteristics, such as possible energy levels and the nature and quality of the individual unique instruments. The equipment is highly competitive and users need to have good knowledge of where both unique and corresponding experiments can be performed.
The facilities are being developed continuously and through the funding we also want to contribute to making issues in more industry-relevant fields visible at the facilities and to more actors contributing to developing the opportunities.

Som Sveriges Innovation Authority Vinnova is tasked with promoting sustainable growth by improving the conditions for innovation. Through our efforts, we strengthen the capacity to achieve the sustainable development goals in Agenda 2030, see
An innovative force in a sustainable world

Your project should integrate gender equality both in how your project team is composed and how you implement the project. This means that you need to take into account the gender distribution within the project team and assess whether aspects of sex and gender are relevant to the design of the project, see
Equalized funding by innovations

Results from research and innovation that is made freely available provides increased opportunities for more people to contribute to solutions to societal challenges. The funding should therefore also be able to contribute to more results being made freely available to everyone and scientific publishing to be done with open access.

The call for proposals is aimed at companies, universities, research institutes, and other legal entities.

To ensure that a challenge is met in the right way, expertise in, and understanding of, both the current application and different analysis methods and experimental conditions are required. The stakeholder group in funded project shall therefore consist of at least two participants of which:

• At least one participant that is a Swedish company that has the need or owns the application that the project proposal addresses. Please note that need-owning companies in the pilot project category must be small or medium-sized (SMEs).
• At least one additional Swedish participant who ensures expert competence regarding neutron and/or synchrotron light-based technology.

Participant who apply funding must be a Swedish legal entity. Foreign organisation who have a branch or establishment in Sweden are also considered Swedish. The costs in the project must then be attributable to the branch or establishment's activities. Foreign actors who do not have a branch or establishment in Sweden can be project participants without funding from Vinnova.

Participation to primarily coordinate and administer project management is not permitted.

Key individuals must be named in the CV attachment and be employed when the project starts.

If supplementary resources are provided outside the project budget, for example through synergies with project which is financed in other ways and does not have the possibility to report project costs to Vinnova on time, this must be confirmed by a declaration of intent from the current resource owner.

All project applications should address the implementation of at least one well-justified experiment at a neutron or synchrotron light facility, in or outside Sweden. To justify the need for the capacity at a large-scale research infrastructure, applicant should describe already identified limitations with analysis techniques that are available in a standard laboratory environment. Proposal should also describe and justify which relevant beamline(s) are planned to be used for the purpose. Sufficient resources are expected to be allocated to process and be able to draw conclusions from measurement/experimental data.

Please note that characterization using analytical techniques in standard laboratories and modeling are only approved as project activities if it can be clearly justified as necessary for experimental design, sample selection, or result interpretation.
The project challenges should not concern the sample preparation stage itself. The sample matrix should be limited to verification/development of the method and not expanded to compare different materials/sample types per se. If the project challenge concerns quality assurance of components, the preparation of the test objects should take place outside the project framework.

All project applications that include development efforts to better conduct industry-relevant experiments or utilize measurement results from industry-relevant samples must also describe how this type of results will be made available outside the project group.

In order to be able to carry out experiments and development activities at a research infrastructure for synchrotron light or neutron scattering, the project needs to be granted access. This is called beamtime or experimental time and is mainly allocated through the respective facility's open calls for proposals. In this case, the experiments are carried out free of charge, but the proposals are highly evaluated based on scientific excellence and are required to be results published. Paid use is often also permitted, where pricing is based on the facility's actual operating costs. In this case, the research infrastructure allows confidentiality, but in this context Vinnova's funding conditions that information can be made available.
Granted project may use all types of experimental time/beam time and collaborations offered at the facilities, provided that the project partners are allowed to attend at least one experimental event themselves.

Beam time does not need to be formally granted or time-limited by a research infrastructure when proposal is submitted to Vinnova. However, the applicant must justify both technical and temporal feasibility.
Applicant who budgets for paid beam timeshould be able to refer to a completed dialogue with the intended research infrastructure confirming that the desired use through payment is feasible. Different rules may apply to paid beam time at different facilities and experimental stations, including planned price increases, handling of VAT, or if the facility has eligibility requirements on what type of organisation can be invoiced. Applicant who seeks free beam time should explain how it is believed that the project will be able to obtain sufficient time during the project period

To meet the call's aim requirements, representatives from companies with a need are expected to participate in the implementation of experiments at the research infrastructure. Companies participating in the call for proposals should therefore not have internal travel restrictions.

It is important that the project that are granted funding are made visible and can inspire others. In connection with the final report to Vinnova, a one-page description according to a template for free publication and dissemination is attached. Examples from previously funded pilot projects are uploaded as PDF documents on the respective project's website, see Previously completed pilot and development projects

The call for proposals offers two different categories of project, Pilot Projects and Development Projects. Please note that Pilot Projects are limited to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), see the User Guide on the definition of SME

A. Pilot project

• Companies in need must be small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Up to 500,000 SEK can be applied for in funding.
• Maximum project duration of 18 months.
• The project activities should demonstrate the added value of experiments at large-scale research infrastructure beyond what the company can achieve with analytical technology in a standard laboratory environment.
  
  

B. Development projects

• Up to 1,500,000 can be searched in funding.
• Companies in need must finance the project with their own funding which corresponds to at least 30 percent of the funding applied for from Vinnova
• Maximum project duration of 24 months.
• Development projects should also include method-related development activities that broaden the possibilities for industry-relevant experiments with technology based on neutron scattering or synchrotron light and/or allow experiments to be carried out in a more robust and resource-efficient manner.
  
  

What costs can we finance?

Our funding is subject to rules about state aid that govern the types of costs that we can finance. These are called eligible costs and are described in Instructions to eligible costs 2026.

• Salary costs: Gross salary paid as well as 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 used under license from an external actor. Costs of this kind may constitute a maximum of 20 percent of a project party's budget. In this the call for proposals a higher proportion is allowed if it concerns beam time costs or licenses for necessary software. Any cost for beam time should be budgeted as Consulting and licensing costs. However, special rules apply to project which concerns paid beam time at MAX IV if Lund University participates as participant, see section 8.2.
• Other direct costs: For example, materials, supplies and travel necessary to carry out the project.
• Indirect costs (overhead):Costs that are not incurred as an immediate consequence 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 some research organizations have higher maximum limits depending on the type of activities.

What eligibility requirements apply to costs we finance?

For a cost to be eligible, it must be:

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

A organisation may not claim someone else's expenses as their own.

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

We differentiate between how big the funding project can get and how much each participant can get.

How big can the funding project get?

It is possible to apply for funding for two categories of project

• A. Pilot projects can apply for up to 500,000 SEK in funding from Vinnova.
  In this category, Vinnova's funding may amount to 100 percent of the project's total eligible cost. However, restrictions may apply to individuals participants who apply support, see below.
• B. Development projects can apply for up to 1,500,000 SEK in funding.
  Companies in need must finance the project with their own funding which corresponds to at least 30 percent of the funding applied for from Vinnova

How big can a funding get?

How large funding each participation participant can get depends mainly on:

• party size and activities
• which activities the party will carry out in the project.

Descriptions in the following sections about what support we can provide in this the call for proposals are simplified. For complete information, see Support bases and support levels for funding

Support to companies that engage in research and development

In this the call for proposals we give support to industrial research. Industrial research can be simply described as seeking new knowledge through planned research or critical analysis. This is to develop or significantly improve products, processes or services.

The organisation's size and type of activity determine how large a proportion of the costs we can finance, i.e. the maximum level of support, see Support grounds and support levels for funding

If the project is covered by any of the following bonus bases, we can finance a higher proportion of the organisation's costs:

• Actual cooperation: Some level of cooperation between small and larger companies, between companies in two different European countries or between research organisations and companies
• Dissemination of results: Widespread dissemination through, for example, conferences or open databases
• Other bonus basis

The table below shows the maximum aid level for the Industrial aid basis research

In this the call for proposals we can also provide de minimis-support, also called support of minor importance. We can then finance up to 100 percent of an organization's costs. A 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 minor importance in other project from other funders in the past, it affects 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 de minimis support,
Certificate of de minimis-support

Support to organisations engaged in non-economic activities

In this the call for proposals we also give support to organisations that do notconduct economic activities. This means that the organisation do not offer a service or product on a market. This usually includes universities and university colleges, research organizations and other organisations.

We can finance up to 100 percent of such an organization's costs.

How is it determined whether a organisation is engaged in economic activities?

A 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 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 a organisation in your project conducts economic activities, contact call manager. The organisation is, however, responsible for assessing whether it conducts economic activities.

In order for us to assess your proposal it must meet certain formal eligibility requirementsrequirements. If the requirements are not met, we will reject your proposal immediately.

Eligibility requirements on the project and participants

• All participants are legal entities. Individuals or individual companies cannot participate.
• The coordinating project party is a Swedish legal entity and operates activities in Sweden.
• Those participants who apply for funding from Vinnova are either Swedish legal entities, or foreign organisations that have a branch or operating location in Sweden and where the costs in the project are attributable to the branch or operating location's activities.
• The project consortium consists of at least two participants of which at least one is a Swedish company that owns the need/application that the project proposal addresses.
  and at least one additional Swedish organisation who participates with expert competence in analysis techniques based on neutron scattering or synchrotron light.
• The project can start no earlier than October 1 and no later than November 13, 2026.
• The project duration is a maximum of 18 months for a pilot project or a maximum of 24 months for a development project.
• For Development Projects, the following also applies: Companies with a need finance the project with their own funding equivalent to at least 30 percent of the funding applied for from Vinnova.
• For Pilot Projects also applies: Participating companies are small or medium-sized (SMEs), see: User guide on the definition of SME
  
  

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal is written in Swedish or English. Please note that proposal will be assessed by international non-Swedish speakers evaluator. Our recommendation is therefore that proposal is written in English. If proposal is written in Swedish, it will be translated without your participation.
• Proposal follows the instructions given in section 9, contains all appendices requested there and is written on the templates provided.
• Proposal does not contain any attachments other than those permitted in Section 9.
  
  

What do we assess?

Applications that meet the formal requirements will be forwarded to assessment.

What is assessed is the degree to which the project proposals meet the three main criteria Potential, Feasibilityand Actors. The points below indicate what contributes positively to the assessment.

Potential

• The project activities are well in line with the description in sections 2 to 4 of the call text and the use of experiments based on neutron scattering or synchrotron light within the application has potential to contribute to economically, environmentally and socially sustainable societal development.
• Relevant and necessary preliminary work is described and it is clearly evident what added value experiments with neutron scattering or synchrotron light are expected to bring beyond what can be achieved in ordinary laboratories.
• The corporate commitment makes it credible that the implementation of the project can lead to a long-term commitment to experiments based on neutron scattering or synchrotron light.
• For all Development Projects: The project proposal describes and justifies development steps or novelty value for method-related development efforts and addresses relevant aspects of interoperability and accessibility after the end of the project.
• For Pilot Projects: If theproject proposal includes method-related development efforts, justify how this type of results will also be made available outside the project group.
  
  

Actors

• The project's stakeholder group is appropriately composed in terms of roles, skills and time commitment.
• The project partners actively collaborate within all work packages, including the implementation of experiments at large-scale research infrastructure.
• The project team (key people) is well composed in terms of gender balance, including commitment and influence. The project's ambition and plan for addressing any imbalances are explained credibly and in a way specific to the project proposal.
  
  

Feasibility

• The project proposal's activities and timetable are reasonable given the available resources.
• The project proposal justifies how desired experiments are technically and temporally possible to carry out at one or more relevant experimental stations.
• The project plan contains a realistic risk analysis (both internal and external risks) and a credible plan for how these risks will be managed.

How do we assess?

The assessment is based on the electronic proposal submitted via Vinnova's e-service (see section 9). Applications that meet the formal requirements according to section 6 are assessed in relation to the above assessment criteria by external evaluator. The evaluators are experts in the field and appointed by Vinnova. They work under confidentiality and professional secrecy. The external assessors' overall assessment results in a recommendation to Vinnova.

Vinnova's decision on funding is based on the external assessors' recommendation and that Vinnova can apply a portfolio perspective. Here, Vinnova intends to grant approximately equal numbers of project within the two categories Pilot Project and Development Project.

How does it affect an organization's financial status?

Before deciding on funding we also make a comprehensive assessment of the organizational and financial status of those who receive funding.

We use information we receive from credit reports, currently from Dun & Bradstreet. We may also ask small and medium-sized businesses to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to carry out the project.

In our assessment we check this:

• That organisations who are granted funding for salary costs are registered as employers with the Swedish Tax Agency. If such registration does not exist when we make a decision, you must be able to show that a notification has been made. We do not approve retroactive registration.
• That organisations is not insolvent, or undergoing liquidation or corporate restructuring. You must also not have any significant unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• That the limited liability company has not used up half or more of its share capital.

When the selection process is complete, Vinnova makes a decision to either grant or reject your proposal. Vinnova notifies the coordinating project party of the decision. Vinnova's decision cannot be appealed.
If your proposal is granted, we will state in the decision how much of the costs we will cover for each organisation.

What if you are granted funding?

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

• That each participant should 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.
• 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 below special conditions which applies to this the call for proposals:

• In connection with the final report to Vinnova, an easily accessible one-page description of aim, development steps, sample handling, experimental station/method and project results must be attached for free publication and dissemination. A representative from the company must be stated as the contact person. A special template is distributedby Vinnova.
  (Examples from previously completed pilot projects are uploaded as PDF documents on the respective project's website)

The following two special conditions apply onlyfor project where Lund University is participant and the project intends to utilize MAX IV through paid beam time:

• Om Lunds University is participant, a participant other than Lund University may bear the costs for beam time at MAX IV as follows: "With deviation from §2 second paragraph in general terms and conditions, participant may purchase beam time from Lund University/MAX IV according to the tariffs applied by MAX IV. The cost is included and reported under consulting costs."
• IfLund University is participant and budgets for paid beam time at MAX IV itself, the following applies: "As an eligible cost for Lund University regarding beam time at MAX IV, the cost is accepted according to the cost model that MAX IV normally applies internally. The cost should be included and reported under other direct costs."

Vinnova may also decide to add supplementary special conditions for individual project. In that case, they are 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.

To apply funding you fill out a proposal in our e-service. In proposal you answer questions about the project, participation participants and budget.

To proposal you also attach the following three mandatory attachments:

• Project descriptiondesigned according to the mandatory template downloaded from the call's website. The project description may comprise a maximum of six portrait A4 pages. References to information on websites, in articles or the like will not be considered when assessment.
• An attachment with CVs for key individuals according to a template downloaded from the call's website.
• A letter of intent from the company with the need according to the template downloaded from the call's website. This is signed by a person who is authorized to sign agreements on research and innovation projects on behalf of the company.

Proposal and the appendices should be written in twelve (12) point normal black text.
The text should be written in Swedish or English. Please note that proposal will be assessed by international evaluator who are not Swedish speakers. Our recommendation is therefore that proposal is written in English. If proposal is written in Swedish, it will be translated without your participation.

If a participant is applying for funding in accordance with the regulation on support of minor importance (de Minimis), the certificate for this must be attached as another appendix.

If a organisation who is not a participant or consultant wishes to support the project, this is expected to be evidenced by an attached letter from the the organisation.

No additional material may be attached.

How long does proposaltake?

Keep in mind that it takes time to make a proposal. Filling out templates can take several days, as it is based on the analyses you will do.

In our e-service you can start filling in the information and then continue at a later time. You can also distribute permissions to others who you want to contribute in proposal. When proposal is finished, mark it complete.

You can unlock proposal at any time and make changes, right up to the last application date. If you unlock proposal, you must then mark it ready again for it to be registered when the call for proposals closes.

April 30, 2026

Writing about eligibility requirements on co-financing for development projects has been changed in three places:

• Heading 1 The call for proposals in brief,
• Section 4 What do we finance?
• Heading 5 How big funding can we give,