2026-01891 Cybersecurity, AI and resilience

With the call for proposals, we want to strengthen the industry's ability to prevent, detect and manage cyber threats, and to develop secure and reliable AI-based systems. The projects are intended to lead to results that can be further developed for use in industry, thereby strengthening Sweden's competitiveness and digital resilience.

You can apply for funding for research and innovation projects in cybersecurity, AI and resilience. The projects must be carried out within one of the call's two focus areas: AI as an enabler for cybersecurity or trustworthy and secure industrial AI.

We are targeting consortia with at least two participants, at least one of whom must be a Swedish company. Representatives from industry, business, academia, research institutes and the public sector, as well as other actors, may participate. The projects must be based on industry needs and carried out in collaboration.

The project duration must be 12 to 24 months. Each project can apply for between SEK 1 million and SEK 10 million in funding. Vinnova's funding may amount to a maximum of 50 per cent of the project's eligible costs.

the call for proposals will strengthen the industry's capacity to develop and use secure, reliable digital systems and address increasing cyber threats as dependence on digital technology grows.

What is the call for proposals intended to achieve, and what are the projects expected to deliver?

Through the call for proposals, we aim to stimulate project activity that contributes to increased security, resilience and reliability in the digital systems used in industry. The projects should have the potential to strengthen Sweden's competitiveness and digital resilience.

The projects must be based on clear needs in industry and contribute to:

• developing solutions that strengthen the capacity to prevent, detect and manage cyber threats,
• increasing reliability, security and control in the industrial use of AI,
• creating results that can be implemented in industrial operations,
• strengthening expertise and collaboration between industry and cybersecurity experts,
• contributing to the dissemination and utilisation of results beyond the project.
• The projects' results must be usable and capable of being utilised within Swedish industry.

Focus areas of the call

the call for proposals has two focus areas, and projects must be relevant to one of them:

• AI as an enabler of cybersecurity, where AI is used to prevent, detect and manage cyber threats.
• Reliable and secure industrial AI, focusing on robust and secure AI solutions in industrial systems.

Detailed information on each focus area is available in section 11.

How does the call for proposals contribute to sustainable transition?

By strengthening the security and robustness of digital systems, the projects contribute to a more reliable and efficient digitalisation of industry. This creates the conditions for sustainable growth, where reduced disruptions and increased resource efficiency support the transition in line with Agenda 2030. Both gender equality and the climate transition must be integrated into the implementation of the projects and their results.

The Advanced digitalisation programme

the call for proposals is part of the Advanced digitalisation programme, an effort by Vinnova in collaboration with industry that mobilises actors from different parts of society towards a common objective.

Advanced digitalisation aims to strengthen Swedish research, make Sweden more attractive for research and innovation investments, and stimulate the development of advanced digital technology. The programme will be implemented with a long-term perspective and contribute to innovation, enabling technologies and the development of key areas of expertise that meet the needs of industry.

Read more about the programme on the Advanced Digitalisation website.

the call for proposals is aimed at consortia with at least two participants, at least one of which must be a Swedish company. actors from industry, business, academia, research institutes, public activities, or government authorities may participate.

To apply, collaboration between at least two legal entities is required.

The project must:

• be based on clear needs in industry or business,
• involve active participation from industry stakeholders, especially the need owner,
• contribute to knowledge transfer between cybersecurity experts and industry.

participants applying for funding must be Swedish legal entities. Foreign organisations may participate if they have a branch or permanent establishment in Sweden and the project partners' costs are linked to these activities.

the call for proposals is not aimed at individual organisations, but requires collaboration. Private individuals or sole proprietors cannot apply.

We fund research and innovation projects that contribute to increased cybersecurity, reliability and resilience in digital systems in industry, in line with one of the call’s two focus areas.

The projects must develop solutions that strengthen the ability to prevent, detect and manage cyber threats, and contribute to the safe and reliable use of AI in industrial applications. The projects must be based on the needs of industry and have the potential to be implemented and used in industry.

Examples of eligible activities

• Develop and further develop technical solutions, methods and practices in cybersecurity and industrial AI.
• Develop and verify solutions that strengthen security, reliability and control in digital systems.
• Conduct studies, tests and analyses to identify risks, vulnerabilities and needs.
• Develop and test solutions in collaboration between industry and cybersecurity experts.
• Contribute to skills development and knowledge transfer between participants.

We do not fund:

Routine or recurring changes to existing products, services or processes; training, courses, marketing, sales or ongoing operations; or investments in equipment or tools that are not linked to the project’s research and innovation activities.

What costs can we fund?

Our funding is subject to rules on state aid. The rules govern the types of costs that we can fund. These are called eligible costs.

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

• Salary costs: Salary costs, including employer contributions and other payroll overheads.
• Equipment, land and buildings: Instruments, equipment and rent for premises other than regular business premises.
• Consultancy and licence costs: Consultancy services, knowledge and patents purchased or used under licence from an external party. Costs for consultancy services may account for a maximum of 20 per cent of a project participant’s budget. In cases of special need, we may accept a higher proportion, provided that this is justified in the proposal.
• Other direct costs: For example, materials, supplies and travel necessary to carry out the project.
• Indirect costs (overhead): Costs that have not arisen as an immediate result of, but can be related to, the project, for example regular premises. Indirect costs may account for a maximum of 20 per cent of salary costs. Universities, university colleges, as well as certain research organisations and government agencies, may have higher levels.

For more detailed information about the costs we can fund, see Guidance on eligible costs.

What eligibility requirements apply to the costs we fund?

For your costs to be eligible, the following applies, among other things:

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

For more detailed information about the eligibility requirements, limitations and exceptions that apply, see our general terms and conditions.

The rules on state aid govern what proportion of the costs we can finance. This is determined individually for each organisation. We therefore distinguish between how much funding the project can receive and how much each participant can receive.

How much funding can the project receive?

Vinnova's funding can amount to between SEK 1 million and SEK 10 million per project and may account for a maximum of 50 per cent of the project's total eligible costs. The call's preliminary total budget is SEK 30 million.

How much funding can a participating organisation receive?

The amount of funding a participating organisation can receive depends primarily on:

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

The descriptions in the following sections of what support we can provide are simplified. For complete information, see Bases for aid and aid levels for funding.

support to companies for research

In the call for proposals, we provide support for industrial research.

Industrial research can be described, in simplified terms, as seeking new knowledge through planned research or critical analysis. This is done to develop or significantly improve products, processes or services.

What proportion of the costs can we finance?

The organisation's size and the type of activity determine what proportion of the costs we can finance. This is called the maximum aid intensity.

Maximum aid intensity for industrial research:

• Small company 70%
• Medium-sized company 60%
• Large company 50%

Situations in which we finance a higher proportion

If the project is covered by any of these bonus criteria, we can finance a higher proportion of the costs:

• Effective collaboration: A certain level of collaboration between small and larger companies, between companies in two different European countries, or between research organisations and companies.
• Dissemination of results: Extensive dissemination through, for example, conferences or open databases.
• Other bonus criterion.

Maximum aid intensity for industrial research with a bonus criterion:

• Small company 80%
• Medium-sized company 75%
• Large company 65%

support to universities, university colleges and other public organisations

We also provide support to organisations that do not carry out economic activities. This means that the organisation does not offer a service or product on a market. This most often includes universities, research institutes and other public organisations.

This aid is not covered by the state aid rules. We can therefore finance up to 100 per cent of such an organisation's costs. The aid is often referred to as “not state aid.”

How is it determined whether an organisation carries out economic activities?

An organisation that offers any type of service or product on a market is considered to carry out economic activities and cannot be granted this form of support.

It does not matter how the organisation is financed: whether it is public or private, or whether it is for profit. Nor does the legal form of the operation matter, for example whether it is a limited company, a trading partnership, an economic association, a non-profit association or a foundation.

Whether an organisation carries out economic activities is determined by its regular activities, not by the activities in the project.

Some organisations carry out both economic and non-economic activities, for example research institutes. In that case, it is important that you know which of these operations you are applying under.

If you are unsure whether an organisation in your project carries out economic activities, contact the call manager. However, the organisation is responsible for assessing whether it carries out economic activities.

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

eligibility requirements for participants

All participating organisations must be legal entities. Natural persons or sole proprietorships cannot participate. Foreign legal entities may also participate. However, foreign actors that receive funding from Vinnova must have a branch or permanent establishment in Sweden, and the costs must be incurred by the branch or permanent establishment.

The coordinating party must be a Swedish legal entity and conduct activities in Sweden.

At least two participants must participate in the project. This includes the coordinating party. Different parts of an organisation are the same legal entity and count as one participant, for example, two departments at a university. Different companies within the same group also count as one participant.

eligibility requirements for the project

• The project may apply for a maximum of SEK 10 million.
• The project must start no earlier than 2027-03-19 and no later than 2027-04-15.
• The project must not have started before you submit your proposal.

eligibility requirements for the proposal

• The proposal must be written in Swedish or English.
• The proposal must follow the instructions under the heading “How to apply”.
• The proposal must include all requested appendices.

Applications that meet our eligibility requirements proceed to assessment. In the assessment, we look at the potential of your idea, how realistic it is, and who will carry out the project.

We also look at how well your project integrates gender equality, both in the composition of your project team and in how you carry out the project. Integrating sex and gender perspectives leads to more inclusive and relevant solutions. This strengthens both innovation capacity and the project's results.

gender equality as a tool for innovative societal development

What do we assess?

When we assess applications, we look at three main criteria:

• potential: We analyse what effects and value we can expect from the project.
• actors: We assess the participants' expertise and ability to carry out the project and achieve the desired results and effects.
• Feasibility: We assess how realistic and credible the project plan is, both in terms of carrying out the project and achieving the desired results.

In the overall assessment of the project, potential is weighted at 40%, while actors and Feasibility are each weighted at 30%.

potential (40%)

• The project's potential to develop solutions, knowledge and expertise that promote advanced digitalisation and renew Swedish industry, in accordance with the focus of the call for proposals selected by the project.
• How innovative the project proposal is in relation to existing solutions and ongoing major initiatives in the area.
• How likely it is that the project proposal will lead to new knowledge and skills that can be used to scale up, implement or use new solutions that can impact Swedish industry.
• How well perspectives on sex, gender and the climate transition have been integrated into the project proposal, and their significance for the project's results.

actors (30%)

• The project partners' expertise, credibility and ability to carry out the project.
• The consortium's roots in Swedish industry within the selected focus area, including the extent to which relevant industrial actors and need owner are actively involved in the project.
• The project partners' ability to collaborate, disseminate, make use of, commercialise and further develop the results and knowledge generated in the project, both within their own the organisations and outside the consortium.
• How well financial contributions, participation, power and influence are distributed equally within the project team.
• How well the need for consultancy services and licences is justified. This applies only if a project partner's consultancy and licence costs exceed 20 per cent of the project partner's total budgeted costs.

Feasibility (30%)

• How realistic the project plan is in relation to the stated objective, methods, activities and budget.
• The participation and relevance of the specified project partners in the project's various work packages and activities.
• How well the project plan shows how the project's solutions will be developed, tested, verified or validated.
• How well the project plan shows how the results are anchored, disseminated and utilised among key actors in the area.
• How favourable the conditions are for the project's results to be taken further and put to use after the project has ended.
• How well risks are described and managed in the implementation of the project.
• How well the gender balance in the project team and perspectives on sex and gender have been integrated into the project plan.

How do we assess?

Once we have received the applications, we review them. We reject all applications that are incomplete or do not meet our eligibility requirements.

Applications that are correct and complete are assigned to different evaluator experts and assessed in competition with each other. The evaluators are appointed by us based on their expertise in the area. Each proposal is assessed by at least three evaluator experts.

Once the evaluators have reviewed the applications, we hold an assessment meeting where the evaluators recommend which applications should be approved.

We may also invite applicants to interviews before making a decision.

How does an organisation's financial status affect the assessment?

Before deciding on funding, we also carry out an overall assessment of the organisational and financial status of those receiving funding.

We use information obtained from credit reports, currently from Dun & Bradstreet.

In our assessment, we check the following:

• organisations that are granted funding for salary costs must be registered as employers with the Swedish Tax Agency. If such registration is not in place when we make the decision, you must be able to show that an application has been submitted. We do not approve retroactive registration.
• organisations must not be insolvent or undergoing liquidation or corporate restructuring. Nor may they have significant unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• The project manager must be employed by a participant, preferably the coordinating party.
• Limited companies must not have used up half or more of their share capital.
• We may also ask small and medium-sized enterprises to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to carry out the project.

Once we have assessed all applications, we will send you a decision in which we either approve or reject your proposal. As applications are assessed in competition with one another, your application may be rejected even if you meet all eligibility requirements and criteria.

In the decision, we state what proportion of the costs we cover for each organisation.

You cannot appeal our decision, but you are welcome to apply to us again on another occasion.

What happens if you are granted funding?

If we grant your proposal, you must comply with our general terms and conditions for funding. The terms and conditions include, among other things, the following:

• You must sign a specific document in which you approve your participation and undertake to carry out the project.
• You must report on progress, your costs and achieved results to us during the project period.
• If there are several parties, you must have a written project agreement governing your respective rights and obligations in the project. All parties must sign the agreement before you submit your first progress report. As it may take time to prepare and negotiate an agreement, we recommend that you begin this process as soon as possible.
• The use of the results and the requirement that scientific publications be made available through open access, so that the results are freely available to everyone.

See our general terms and conditions

You must also comply with the special conditions that apply to this, the call for proposals:

At the invitation of the programme manager, the project must participate in relevant events within the Advanced digitalisation programme and thereby contribute to the dissemination of knowledge within Swedish industry in accordance with the programme's aim. 

When providing information about the project and whenever project results are made public, it must be stated that the work was carried out with support from Vinnova (in English, the name is Sweden’s Innovation Agency) within the Advanced digitalisation programme. Making public includes, for example, publication, regardless of medium, and oral presentations. 

We may also decide to add supplementary special conditions for individual projects. If so, these will be stated in the decision.

May you have to repay funding?

If you have received more money than you are entitled to, or if you do not comply with a term, you may be liable to repay it.

To apply for funding, you need to complete a proposal in our online service. In the proposal, you will answer questions about the project, participating organisations and the budget.<\ p>

You must also attach the following appendices to the proposal:<\ p>

Project description: May comprise a maximum of 10 portrait A4 pages with single-column text in 11-point font. The project description must follow the template available further down on this webpage. <\ p>

Project summary: To be attached as a separate appendix. May comprise a maximum of 1 portrait A4 page. The project summary may be shared with the programme’s external advisory board and must therefore not contain confidential or other sensitive information. The appendix is not included in the assessment process. The project summary must follow the template available further down on this webpage. <\ p>

CV appendix: CVs for the project manager and all key individuals. The appendix is expected to include at least one CV per participant. Each CV may be a maximum of 1 A4 page with text in 12-point font. The CV appendix must follow the template available further down on this webpage. <\ p>

How to complete the proposal in our online service<\ a><\ p>

How to apply and report<\ a><\ p>

How long does a proposal take?<\ h4>

Please note that preparing a proposal takes time. Completing the templates may take several days, as it is based on analyses that you need to carry out.<\ p>

In our online service, you can start entering information and then continue at a later time. You can also grant access to others whom you would like to contribute to the proposal. When the proposal is complete, you mark it as complete.<\ p>

You can unlock the proposal and make changes at any time, up until the final application date. If you unlock the proposal, you must then mark it as complete again for it to be registered when the call for proposals closes.<\ p>

A project funded under the call for proposals shall address the cybersecurity and trustworthy AI challenges arising from increasing digitalisation in industry. As digital systems become more complex and integrated, both dependence on these systems and vulnerability to disruptions, attacks and errors increase.

Cybersecurity and digital resilience are crucial to the competitiveness of industry and its ability to transition. At the same time, the development of AI creates new opportunities to address security challenges, but also places increased eligibility requirements on reliability, security and control in digital systems.

the call for proposals has two focus areas: AI as an enabler for cybersecurity, and trustworthy and secure industrial AI.

AI as an enabler for cybersecurity

Underlying needs

Industry has a growing need for solutions that can strengthen cybersecurity in complex digital systems. The number of cyber threats is increasing, and systems are continuously changing, making it difficult to maintain a high level of security. At the same time, there is a major shortage of cybersecurity expertise.

There is therefore a need for solutions that can automate and streamline security work and reduce dependence on manual efforts in critical processes.

What the projects should contribute

Each project within this focus area shall use AI to prevent, detect and manage cyber threats. The projects shall develop solutions that strengthen cybersecurity and improve the management of complex data flows.

This may, for example, involve:

• automated monitoring and analysis of threats and risks,
• improved detection of vulnerabilities and incidents,
• solutions for faster response and recovery in the event of disruptions.

The focus is on solutions that can contribute to more automated and robust security processes.

Expected effects

In the short term, the projects shall contribute to increased security and better management of risks and disruptions in digital systems.

In the longer term, the projects shall help strengthen Sweden's capacity to develop and use advanced cybersecurity solutions. They shall also increase collaboration and knowledge transfer between industry and cybersecurity stakeholders.

Trustworthy and secure industrial AI

Underlying needs

The increased use of AI in industry creates a need to ensure that systems are reliable, secure and controllable. This applies especially in complex digital environments where systems interact and where errors or shortcomings can have major consequences.

To increase the use of AI, methods and solutions are required to ensure traceability, robustness, trust and protection against attacks and system failures.

What the projects should contribute

Each project within this focus area shall develop robust and secure solutions for industrial AI. The projects shall contribute to increased reliability, security and control in AI‑based systems.

This may, for example, involve:

• methods for ensuring quality, traceability and secure handling of data,
• solutions for verifying and validating AI systems,
• management of complex system environments in which several components interact.

The projects shall help reduce vulnerabilities and increase trust in AI‑based solutions in industry.

Expected effects

In the short term, the projects shall contribute to increased use of secure and reliable AI solutions in industry.

In the longer term, the projects shall contribute to increased digital resilience, strengthened competitiveness and a more robust and innovative ecosystem for digital solutions.