The call in brief
The call in 2026 to establish clusters of excellence is managed jointly by the Swedish Research Council and Vinnova. It is the first step in a coherent process to establish Swedish clusters of excellence.
The full call text is published on the Swedish Research Council's website and funding is to be applied for via the Swedish Research Council's application system Prisma.
Please note that the information on this page is preliminary and may not be changed until the call for proposals opens on April 1.
The applications for clusters of excellence must include both excellent research in groundbreaking technology and a plan to build world-leading innovation ecosystems in their field. The application must also describe how the cluster as a whole is to be governed, managed and developed. This is therefore not just an application for a research project. The ambition level of the clusters of excellence should be high with a vision to be ranked among the top five in the world in their field by 2035 compared to similar environments.
Important dates:
- Opens: 1 April 2026
- Closes: 3 June 2026
- Decision: November 2026
The call is open to all, including consortia that did not participate in the initiative's previous network and vision grants in 2025.
What do we finance?
The call funds research in engineering sciences, research in social sciences and humanities of relevance to technology and early innovation efforts, as well as the organisation and management of clusters of excellence. This part of the application must cover at least SEK 40 million per year and cluster.
The application must also include a plan for innovation support efforts and the building of innovation ecosystems from 2027 onwards. Following the decision, the granted clusters of excellence will initiate a process with Vinnova to finance the implementation of the innovation plan. The amount of funding for innovation may vary over time but must not exceed the research grant applied for in the application's innovation plan.
The application in brief
The applications under the call are handled by both agencies and are assessed on the basis of achieving high standards of both research excellence and innovation potential. The application is made via the Swedish Research Council's application system Prisma.
The application must be submitted by an approved administrating organisation at the Swedish Research Council and must specify a project manager who is also the scientific leader of the cluster. There is no limit to the number of applications an individual organisation can submit.
The scientific leader must be a researcher and at the start of the cluster be employed by an approved administrating organisation at the Swedish Research Council. The project manager may only be included in one application, and participating researchers in a maximum of two.
Each application must, in addition to the project manager, include a minimum of five and a maximum of fifteen participating researchers. It is important for the credibility of the application that companies and innovation supporting actors have a clear and anchored participation in the cluster's vision, governance and innovation plan.
The Swedish Research Council and Vinnova want to diversify among clusters of excellence in terms of technology areas and level of technology maturity and avoid overlapping or directly competing cluster initiatives.
Last updated 5 March 2026