Grants for energy-efficient transport solutions and research

“Marknadsnära lösningar för ett hållbart transportsystem” supports research and testing across road, rail, shipping, aviation and combinations of modes. Technical, organisational, economic and legal solutions must have clear energy relevance, take a whole-system view and contribute to the call’s purpose and at least one programme goal.

Choose one of two routes. Group A funds research and demonstrations close to market or operational use, with an average grant rate of at most 60% of total eligible project costs and at least 40% co-financing. It requires clear participation and co-financing by organisations that need the solution and other relevant actors. Group B funds curiosity-driven research with societal relevance and can allow a higher rate. Non-economic participants, such as universities conducting independent research rather than market services, can receive up to 100% of their own eligible costs. Each participant’s aid rules still apply in both groups; the 100% participant ceiling does not override Group A’s 60% project ceiling.

Eligible project costs must be between SEK 500,000 and SEK 10 million. This cost floor is not a minimum grant. Both groups have a maximum grant of SEK 10 million per project. The groups are alternatives, not two grants to add together. Around 80% of the call budget is allocated to Group A and 20% to Group B, but the agency may change this based on application quality. Doctoral researchers can participate in either group.

Priorities include changing freight-trade patterns, risks and opportunities of near-total electrification, autonomous and digital solutions that save energy without increasing traffic, heavy electric transport’s interaction with the grid, shipping and aviation’s transition, and municipalities or regions as test environments. Other topics can qualify with a clear link to the call’s purpose and goals.

For businesses, feasibility studies and industrial research—new knowledge for improved products, processes or services—have base ceilings of 70%, 60% and 50% for small, medium and large companies. Experimental development, such as testing and refining solutions under realistic conditions, has ceilings of 45%, 35% and 25%; routine changes do not qualify. These are participant ceilings, subject also to the chosen group’s project-level limit.

Industrial research and experimental development can receive up to 15 additional percentage points for effective collaboration or wide publication of results, with an overall ceiling of 80%. Business collaboration must include an SME unless carried out in at least two EU countries, and no business may bear over 70% of eligible costs. For collaboration with a research organisation, that organisation must bear at least 10% and retain the right to publish its results. Alternatively, results must be widely shared through conferences, publications, open databases or free or open software.

Research costs can include staff, project-use equipment and building depreciation, eligible land costs, external research, knowledge, patents and consultancy bought on market terms, materials and operating costs. Costs must be your own, reasonable, auditable, separately recorded and incurred during the approved project period. Unpaid work and recoverable VAT are excluded. Project parties cannot subcontract each other; separate related-company consultancy is limited to actual salary cost.

Actual overheads normally have a ceiling of 30% of eligible salary costs. Universities and higher-education institutions use their full-cost method. A 45% ceiling applies to research organisations constituted as limited companies or partnerships under direct or indirect state legal control, research foundations with government-appointed board members, and government agencies mandated to conduct their own research, excluding universities and higher-education institutions. They must receive funding by government decision for independent research and participate through non-economic work, rather than providing research services on a market. Only actual overhead costs qualify. Economic activities must be accounted for separately and use the ordinary 30% ceiling.

Finance the balance and cost increases with your own funds or other funding; businesses needing private co-finance must use their own resources or private cash. Another organisation’s work cannot be counted as your cost. The agency can require more co-financing, including for non-economic participants. Declare other public or centrally managed EU funding sought, received or planned for the same costs so combined support respects the applicable limits.