Impact innovation: personal mobility for skills exchange and collaboration for net-zero industry, autumn 2026

The call for proposals offers funding for a person to have the opportunity to work in a new workplace, in a different organisation than their current one. During the stay, the person must

• strengthen the exchange of expertise between the organisations
• lay the foundation for long-term collaboration
• identify and describe the current state of key issues for collaboration
• map possible improvements based on the current situation given in Manufacturing Outlook 2026 to achieve Net Zero Industrys's mission in manufacturing companies

The call for proposals will contribute to strengthened collaboration and exchange of expertise, both at organizational and individual levels, through personal mobility. Collaboration and exchange of expertise will accelerate the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the manufacturing industry. A clearer description of the challenges that need to be solved can be found in Manufacturing Outlook 2026.

Exchanges can take place between universities, university colleges, research institutes and other research organisations as well as private or public organisations such as associations and discrete manufacturing companies. The mobility of persons can be spread over a period of 6-12 months. The support applies to people who have a doctorate or have at least two years of experience in research and/or advanced development work.

Which companies are covered?

Manufacturing industry refers to companies that perform discrete manufacturing, where products with their own and often traceable identity are produced. This also includes product design, related services, product-as-a-service and manufacturing-related circular activities. Companies that represent the process, food or pharmaceutical industries are not relevant for this call for proposals.

Coordination

Net Zero Industrys Program Office strives to connect the funded projects at the system level with other project to increase the capacity for system transformation. This is done by supporting the projects that receive funding and helping them to further develop and document the overall results in a common format.

The call for proposals is implemented by the Net Zero Industry program within Impact Innovation - an initiative of the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova.

The call for proposals is part of Net Zero Industrys's mission strategic efforts for competence and is planned to be repeated several times during the duration of the program.

Through knowledge exchange at both organizational and individual levels, we want to create the conditions for a competitive and resilient discrete manufacturing industry with net zero greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden. The personal mobility granted funding is expected to meet the following performance targets:

• Identified and described the current status of the key issues that are central to the exchange.
• Mapped possible improvements to achieve Net Zero Industrys's mission in manufacturing companies and related the improvements to how they affect the current situation described in Manufacturing Outlook.
• Developed new cutting-edge expertise both at the individual and organizational level regarding a competitive and resilient Swedish manufacturing industry with net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
• Created new contact areas and conditions for long-term collaboration.
• Enabled new forms of work, collaborations and skills to be developed among participants organisations.
• Increased insight into future skills or recruitment needs, including, for example, leadership, business models and organisation.
• A clear idea of how insights, strategies and collaborations will be taken forward after the end of project among participating parties.
• A short public popular science summary of what has come out of the project.

Impact Innovation – Sweden's major innovation initiative

This call for proposals is carried out within the framework of the Net Zero Industry, program, part of Impact Innovation – an initiative of the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova.

Impact Innovation is Sweden's major innovation initiative to tackle the challenges of our time and the future. In collaborations between actors in 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 will contribute to sustainable transformation for global competitiveness and societal benefit in line with the UN's global sustainability goals, defined in Agenda 2030.

About Impact Innovation

The call for proposals is aimed at organisations who work for a competitive and resilient manufacturing industry with net zero greenhouse gas emissions and who want to strengthen their skills at both organizational and individual levels. The support applies to people who have a doctorate or have at least two years of experience in research or advanced development work. The call for proposals is aimed at universities, university colleges and research institutes, other public organisations, associations and manufacturing companies. Personal mobility must take place between a research actor and another type of public organisation, association or manufacturing company.

Project shall consist of two participants of which one is coordinator. The call for proposals refers to both national and international mobility. In the case of international exchange, the coordinating party shall be a Swedish legal entity. In this respect, a foreign organisation that has a branch or establishment in Sweden is considered a Swedish legal entity, provided that the costs in the project arise in the branch or establishment.

The grant can be used for salary, travel, subsistence and other direct and indirect costs incurred in connection with the project. Both the home organisation and the recipient the organisation may apply funding for their costs.

What costs can Vinnova finance?

Vinnova's funding is covered by rules about state aid. The rules govern what types of costs can be financed. These are called eligible costs.

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

• Salary costs: Gross salary paid, employer contributions and other salary costs.
• Equipment, land and buildings: Costs for instruments, equipment and rent for premises other than regular business premises.

• Consulting and licensing costs: Costs for consulting services, knowledge and patents purchased or licensed from an external party. These costs may not exceed 20 percent of an organization's budget.

• Other direct costs: Costs for, for example, materials, supplies and travel that are necessary to carry out the project.

Indirect costs (overhead): Costs that are linked to the project but do not arise directly, such as premises and cleaning. Indirect costs may not exceed 30 percent of salary costs. Universities, university colleges, research organizations and government agencies may have higher permitted levels, depending on activities.

For more detailed information about which costs Vinnova can finance, see Instructions for eligible costs

Which eligibility requirements apply to costs financed by Vinnova?

In order for your costs to be eligible for support, the following applies:

• They must be factual, reasonable and necessary for the activities in the project.
• They must be booked correctly and under a separate project code in the accounting. You may not cover project costs with other public funding or own funds intended for other project.
• You may not claim someone else's expenses as your own.

For more detailed information on which eligibility requirements, limitations and exceptions apply, see our general terms and conditions.

The rules on state aid govern how large a proportion of the costs Vinnova can finance. This is determined individually for each organisation. Vinnova therefore differentiates between how large a funding project can receive, and how much each participant organisation can receive.

How big funding can the project get?

It is possible to apply for funding with up to 500,000 SEK per project with a project duration of 6-12 months.

How much funding can a participant organisation get?

How much funding a participant organisation can receive depends mainly on:

• the organisation's size and activities
• which activities the organisation will carry out in the project.

Descriptions in the following sections about which support can be given are simplified. For complete information, see Support grounds and levels for funding.

Support of minor importance to businesses

In this the call for proposals Vinnova can provide de minimis-support, also called support of minor importance. Vinnova can 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 lesser importance in other project from other funders before, 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 Vinnova to be able to grant this support.

Certificate of de minimis-support

Innovation support for small and medium-sized enterprises

In this the call for proposals we provide innovation support to small and medium-sized enterprises.

By innovation support we mean support the secondment of highly qualified personnel from a research organization. The person who is seconded must work with research, development and innovation in a newly established function. The person may not replace other personnel. We can finance up to 50 percent of these costs.

Certificate of innovation support for SMEs Article 28

Which companies are considered small or medium-sized?

To assess the size of a company, we apply the EU definition of small and medium-sized enterprises. The definition is based on the number of employees, annual turnover and balance sheet total.

If the company is part of a group, data for the entire group must be included. If the company owns or is owned by other companies to the extent of 25–50 percent, this data must be taken into account.

For help in determining whether a company is an SME, see How the EU defines small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Support to universities, university colleges and other public organisations

In this the call for proposals Vinnova also provides support to organisations that do not engage in 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 institutes and other public organisations.

This support is not covered by the state aid rules. Vinnova can therefore finance up to 100 percent of such an organization's costs. The support is often called "not state aid."

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

A organisation that offers any form of service or product in a market is considered to be engaged in 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.

Whether a organisation engages in economic activities is determined by their regular activities, not by the activities in the project.

Some organisations conduct both economic and non-economic activitiesactivities, such as research institutes. In that case, it is important that you know in which of these activities you are applying.

If you are unsure whether a organisation in your project is conducting economic activities, contact call manager. However, The organisation is responsible for assessing whether it is conducting economic activities.

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

Eligibility requirements on participants

• All participants organisations must be legal entities. Individuals or sole proprietorships cannot participate.
• The coordinating party must be a Swedish legal entity and operate activities in Sweden.
• Two participants will participate in the project. This includes the coordinating party. Different parts of a organisation are the same legal entity and are counted as one participant, for example two departments at a university.
• One participant should be a university, university college, research institute or another type of research organization. The other project partner should be another type of private or public organisation such as an association or discrete manufacturing company.

Eligibility requirements on the project

• The project may apply for a maximum of SEK 500,000.
• The project must start no later than November 9, 2026 and be completed no later than November 8, 2027.
• The project must not have started before you submit your proposal.
• Costs for consulting services and licenses may not exceed 20 percent of an organization's budget.
• That the stay only applies to a named person who is either a doctoral student, a doctorate-certified teacher or researcher at a university college, university or institute or a person who works in a private or public activities or association with at least 2 years of documented experience in research, qualified development or innovation work in the manufacturing industry.
• That the recipient organization and home organization have designated and named persons responsible for the exchange.
• That the individual whose stay includes does not have any significant interest in the recipient organization, such as full or part ownership or board positions.
• The project manager must be employed by the coordinating party in the project.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal should be written in Swedish or English.
• Proposal should follow the instructions under the heading "How to apply".
• Proposal should contain all requested attachments.

Applications that meet the requirements will be forwarded to assessment. They will assess how big potential your idea is, how realistic it is and who will implement the project.

Vinnova also looks at how well your project integrates gender equality, both in how your project group is composed and how you implement the project. By integrating sex and gender perspectives, more inclusive and relevant solutions are developed. This strengthens both the innovation capacity and the project's results.

Gender equality as a tool for innovative social development

What does Vinnova assess?

The assessment of applications is made according to three main criteria:

• Potential: What effects and what value can be expected from the project.
• Actors: The participants' competence and ability to implement the project and achieve the desired results and effects.
• Feasibility: How realistic and credible the project plan is, both for implementing the project and for achieving the desired results.

Potential (weighted 50 percent)

• How personal mobility provides clear added value compared to previous or similar collaboration between the parties.
• How much potential the project proposal has to achieve the call's results and aim based on the current situation described in Manufacturing Outlook 2026.
• How likely is it that the project proposal will lead to new knowledge and new skills for each project party organisation.
• How well the project proposal contributes to increased gender equality by integrating perspectives on sex and gender.

Actors (weighted 25 percent)

• How the project partners, in terms of knowledge and skills, complement each other and how the stay can generate additional value, benefit and renewal.
• How well the project manager and other key people are assessed to be able to lead and implement the project.
• Credibility regarding the project's anchoring in the respective organisation.
• About international mobility: the benefits of mobility especially for the Swedish party.

Feasibility (weighted 25 percent)

• How well the project plan and budget are assessed to be able to realize a stay in accordance with the project proposal.
• How credible the project plan's risk analysis and action plan for these risks are.
• How well the project plan shows how the results will be anchored and disseminated to important actors within the area.
• How well gender perspectives have been integrated into the project plan.
• How good the conditions are for the project's results to be taken forward and used after the end of the project.
• How the stay contributes to the parties' ability to develop long-term cooperation for a net-zero industry.

How are applications assessed?

When Vinnova has received the applications, they are reviewed. Applications that are incomplete or do not meet the requirements are sorted out.

The applications that are correct and complete are distributed among different evaluator and assessed in competition with each other. The evaluators are appointed based on their expertise in the field. Each proposal is assessed by at least three evaluator.

Once the evaluators has reviewed the applications, the evaluators recommends which applications should be granted in an assessment meeting.

How does it affect an organization's financial status?

Innan Vinnova decides whether funding a comprehensive assessment of the organizational and financial status of those who receive fundingis also made.

Vinnova uses information from credit reports, currently from Dun & Bradstreet.

The assessment checks this:

• Organisations who are granted funding for salary costs must be registered as employers with the Swedish Tax Agency. If such registration does not exist when Vinnova makes a decision, you must be able to show that a notification has been made. Vinnova does not approve retroactive registration.
• 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.
• The project manager should be employed by a participant, preferably the coordinating party.
• Limited liability companies must not have used up half or more of their share capital.

Vinnova may also ask small and medium-sized companies to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to carry out the project.

Once Vinnova has assessed all applications, a decision will be sent in which your proposal application is either granted or rejected. Since applications are assessed competitively, you may be rejected even though you meet all eligibility requirements and criteria.

The decision states how large a proportion of the costs Vinnova will cover for each organisation.

You cannot appeal Vinnova's decision, but you are welcome to apply again at another time.

What happens if you are granted funding?

If your proposal is granted, you must follow both Vinnova's general terms and conditions for funding and the special conditions that apply to Impact Innovations calls for proposals.

Vinnova's general terms and conditions

The general 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 achievements to us during the project period.
• How the results will be used and that scientific publication will be open access so that the results are made freely available to everyone.

See our general terms and conditions

Impact Innovations special conditions

Since the call for proposals is included in the Impact Innovation investment, these special conditionsalso apply:

• At least one participant will represent the project at Net Zero Industry conferences and activities, approximately once or twice a year. Your costs for such participation are eligible for support.
• You will have a continuous dialogue with Net Zero Industry program office throughout the project.
• When information or results from the project is shared, it should be stated that the work was carried out within the Impact Innovation program Net Zero Industry, an initiative of the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova.
• When you submit your final report to Vinnova, you must also send a summary of the project results to Net Zero Industry. See template on Impact Innovations website. The summary should be freely distributable and must not contain confidential or sensitive information.

You also need to follow the special conditions that apply to this the call for proposals:

• The project will contribute to a joint reporting of results in a common format that the program office coordinates and compiles.
• Payment of funding is made to the coordinator in Sweden. Grant funds may be transferred to a foreign beneficiary without a branch or establishment in Sweden only after the coordinator has obtained information from the foreign party about incurred costs in connection with a progress report or final report, which has been confirmed by extracts from the party's accounting records or other equivalent documentation.
• §1.4 Project Agreement: Project Agreement is not required in this project.

Vinnova may also decide to add supplementary special conditions for individual project. 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 Vinnova's term, you may be required to repay.

When the call for proposals closes, you will be registered as proposal. Vinnova 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 after the call for proposals closes, please contact Vinnova.

When the call for proposals is closed, you cannot change anything in proposal. Then you can only supplement if Vinnova asks for it.

Who can read you proposal?

Your proposal will be read by employees at Vinnova and those evaluator who participate in this the call for proposals. Everyone works under a duty of confidentiality.

Applications submitted to Vinnova become public documents. This means that Vinnova must disclose them if requested. Men Vinnova classifies certain types of information as confidential if it can be assumed that disclosure would cause financial damage to the individual. This applies to information about business and operational conditions, inventions or research results.

Documents you send to [programme name] are not covered by Vinnova's confidentiality regulations. Therefore, they should not contain confidential or sensitive information.

General documents and confidentiality