VINNOVA Innovativa Startup

Are you a start-up company that wants to contribute to sustainable growth in a global market, whose operations are based on innovative products or services and have a scalable business model? If so, the programme VINNOVA Innovativa Startup may be for you!

What it is

Swedish companies, organizations and research institutions can, on the same term as corresponding actors in other EU countries, apply for funds from the budget, which is proposed to be 94 billion euros.

This is done with the citizen at the center. Researchers get the opportunity to realize ideas in research and innovation. In addition to funding, the program also offers knowledge and experience exchange as well as network building with colleagues in and outside Europe.

The program is for all types of organizations in business, public sector, research institutes, universities, university colleges, companies, industry and civil society.

How it helps

Vinnova helps to build Sweden’s innovation capacity by funding research and innovation projects, but also by coordinating strategic initiatives, collaborating with actors across all sectors and shining a light on inspiring solutions and ideas. In other words: they help to prepare Sweden for the future.

Vinnova funds research and innovation projects that may not become a reality without government support. This involves everything from climate-smart meat alternatives to seeing how robots can help the elderly. They also fund pilot studies for projects in research and innovation, and provide support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Here are some examples of projects supported by Vinnova.

They can only give funding to organisations, and often want several participants to cooperate in the project. Private individuals never receive funding from Vinnova, and neither do organisations with economic difficulties.

Vinnova funds research and innovation through various calls for proposals. A call for proposals is a type of framework for what earmarked funding should be used for. In the call, they also specify what kinds of organisations can apply for that funding.

Step 1

The first step to receiving funding is searching among Vinnova's calls for proposals to see if any of them might suit your project. The calls have different objectives and are directed at different target groups. Each call contains a number of conditions that must be met so that Vinnova can assess if they'll fund the project. Examples of formal requirements may be that the company may not be older than five years, that the project must have at least three participants or that the project manager has to be employed at the coordinator.

Funding and budget

VINNOVA offers various funding amounts depending on the specific program and project type:

1. For the Circularity - FFI - Spring 2025 program, VINNOVA grants funding of up to 50% of the project cost, with a maximum of SEK 500,000 for preliminary and minor studies.

2. The Challenge-Driven Innovation program offers funding in three stages:

   • Stage 1: Up to SEK 500,000 (max 80% funding rate)

   • Stage 2: Up to SEK 10,000,000 (max 50% funding rate)

   • Stage 3: Up to SEK 20,000,000 (25-40% funding rate)

3. For ITEA projects, VINNOVA provides funding up to SEK 15 million per project, typically over three years, with a maximum co-financing of 50% of the entire Swedish consortium's eligible costs.

4. In the M-ERA.NET joint call for 2025, the maximum total funding to Swedish consortium partners is SEK 3,500,000 per funded project.

5. For SweDeliver, a National Competence Center in Drug Delivery, VINNOVA's funding can amount to SEK 36 million for the period 2025-2029

Application process

Vinnva only accepts applications electronically through their application service: the Services portal. An application usually consists of an application form and various appendices, but this depends on the call. They only evaluate applications that contain everything they've asked for, so applicants must follow the instructions carefully.

How to complete an application - a step-by-step guide (only available in Swedish).