In pursuance of the Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden concluded on 9th December 2005 at Stockholm, acknowledging the Sweden-India Innovation Partnership for a Sustainable Future from 17th April 2018 onwards in Science, Technology and Innovation for the period 2018 - 2021.

In this reference, a Protocol of Cooperation in the fields of Science & Technology between the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA), Sweden for the period 2018-2021 entered into force on 31st October 2018 both the governments have created funding mechanisms through which companies may seek support for joint India-Sweden research and development (R&D) projects and other activities intended to generate new or expanded research and technology-based partnerships between the two countries. This India-Sweden program aims to foster and support the development of collaborative R&D projects that bring together companies, research organizations, academics and other collaborators from both countries for the joint development of innovative products or processes. It aims to stimulate innovative R&D projects that address a specific market need or challenge; demonstrate high industrial relevance and commercial potential; and aim to deliver benefit to all participants, and more broadly, to both nations. These projects help participants to become more competitive by developing global research-based alliances with the potential to foster increased or expanded international R&D collaboration.

Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India

The Department of Science & Technology (DST) of Government of India was established in May 1971, with the objective of promoting new areas of science & technology (S&T) and to play the role of a nodal department for organising, coordinating and promoting S&T activities in the country. The Department of Science & Technology has an important role in building a strong base for research, development and demonstration in India and in addressing national concerns about strengthening science and technology. DST, as a national agency for strengthening the base of science and technology in the country, has made a sincere attempt to address national concerns of India in basic research.

For more information about DST, please visit www.dst.gov.in

Global Innovation & Technology Alliance (GITA)

GITA is a “not–for–profit” Public Private Partnership (PPP) company promoted jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with 51% holding and the Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India (GoI) with 49% holding.

GITA is a unique platform of the Government and Indian industry for attracting industrial investment in technology by mapping technology gaps, evaluating technology offers across the globe, connecting with technology developers, providers, commercializers, and funding technology development with a go-to market approach.

For more information about GITA, please visit www.gita.org.in

VINNOVA

Vinnova is Sweden's Government Agency for innovation, formally under the Ministry of Enterprise. Our mission is to contribute to sustainable growth by improving the conditions for innovation. We do this mainly by funding research and innovation projects which aim to develop new solutions through call for proposals. We also invest long term in strong research and innovation environments.

Vinnova’s funding promotes research and innovation collaboration between companies, universities and other higher education institutions, public sector, civil society and other actors. Our activities also focus on strengthening international cooperation.

Vinnova is tasked with promoting sustainable growth by increasing the innovation capacity. Improved conditions for innovation will strengthen the capacity to reach the UN goals for sustainable development in Agenda 2030. Innovation will be crucial, to create new solutions that contribute to the goals within the framework of the priorities of the call.

Gender equality is a prerequisite for sustainable growth and the projects funded by us are expected to contribute to an equal development of society. This is also a task give to Vinnova and in our case it means that both women and men have the opportunity to access funding with equal opportunities and participate in - and have influence over - the project. Addressing gender aspects that are relevant in the problem area and utilization of the solutions are important.

More information on how we address Agenda 2030 and Gender Equality is found on our website.

Vinnova is the national contact authority for the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. We are also the Swedish Government's expert authority in the area of innovation policy.

For more information about Vinnova, please visit www.vinnova.se.

Current RFP invites collaborative Applications in following areas:

• Smart Cities and Clean Technologies

• Transport & mobility (Electrical vehicles, Autonomous vehicles, Traffic safety, Mobility as a service, Reduction in traffic congestion, Digital solutions, etc.)

• Environmental technologies (Eco–system services, Clean water and air, Waste management, Renewable energy, etc.)

• Circular and bio-based economy (Bio-based materials, Bio-fuels, Resource efficiency in consumption and production, Waste-to-wealth, etc.)

• Energy (Reduced energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, Alternative fuels and mobile energy sources, Renewable energy, Energy storage, Resource-efficient infrastructure planning, etc.)

• City planning (ICT for urban technical supply, Geodata, tools for dialogue with citizens, etc.)

• Digitalisation and Internet of Things (IoT)

Funds will be provided in accordance with the national laws, rules, regulations and procedures established by each organization, and/or each jurisdiction/country.

Funding for R&D Project Participants in India

DST will support the successful projects with grants under applicable State Aid regulations, as follows:

• DST will support up to Maximum limit of INR 1.5 crore per project of the total Indian Project Cost, as a Grant in Aid, for a maximum project period of 24 months.
• Indian industry may receive up to 50% of their part of the eligible costs on a “Reimbursement Basis”, for costs already incurred on a proportionate basis.
• Indian R&D organisation/academic institution may receive up to 100% of their costs (within applicable range specified above and as per proposal) on a reimbursement basis.  
• Funding from other public sector sources will be taken into account when awarding grant, and applicants will be asked to declare funding from other sources in the application.

Funding for R&D Project Participants in Sweden

• Vinnova will provide funding to Swedish side participants up to 2,500,000 (two million five hundred thousand) Swedish Krona as Grant under applicable State Aid regulation
• Grants are only given to organizations with operations in Sweden. The maximum aid intensity (funding levels) which apply in this RFP are:

• Up to 50% of eligible costs for commercial entities/companies,
• Up to 100% of eligible costs for research performing organisations
• Up to 80 % of eligible costs for other non-for-profit participants

The project activities approved shall be covered by Industrial Research and/or Experimental Development definitions in State Aid Rules (EU General Block Exception Rules, GBER)

Eligible Indian Applicants

An Indian company having requisite understanding and capability to undertake R&D activities.

• The Indian Project Lead (IPL) (i.e. lead company) must be a commercial (for profit) company under the Indian Companies Act 1956/2013, which operates in and is headquartered in India.
• At least 51% stake of the IPL Company must be owned by Indian citizens.
• The IPL should have the required expertise and team capacity to manage the proposed project.
• Sole proprietors and partnership firms are not eligible for support under this programme
• Companies headquartered and owned outside India and their subsidiaries in India, or vice versa, are not eligible to receive funding from DST/ GITA under this programme.
• IPL should lead the project from Indian side and if required bring in other Industry Partners or Academic/R&D Institutions as Consortium Partner.

Eligible Swedish Applicants

• The Swedish Project Coordinator (SPC), must be a company. SPC is responsible for the application submission Sweden and towards Vinnova.
• The Project Leader must be employed at the SPC.
• SPC shall be a company that operates in Sweden and registered in the country.
• Swedish research performing institutions (universities, colleges and research institutes) as well as test beds, public organisations, and other companies with operations in Sweden are encouraged to actively participate in the consortium.

It is your responsibility to ensure you follow the competition guidance rules and in doing so allow sufficient time to complete all of the competition requirements described in this document.

The following types of projects will be considered for programme funding:

• Full-Scale R&D Projects, focused on co-development of new products, processes or technologies
• Product Adaptation Projects including but not limited to:
  • Adaptation of product in consideration of local cultural / technical considerations
  • Adaptation to local conditions, such as climate, infrastructure etc.
  • Creation of low-cost alternative of an existing technology
  • Establishment of beta-sites / test beds

Note: The project partners should agree in advance on the IP rights and on the commercialization strategy of the product or process.

• Projects must be innovative and market-driven, leading to the proposed development of a new product or process or new/improved services, leading to commercialisation.
• Proposals must demonstrate the joint India-Sweden project teams’ capacity to manage the proposed project in their respective countries, and jointly with the counterpart project team.

IN INDIA

• Registration and submission of application

• The Indian Project Lead (IPL) may visit the GITA website: www.gita.org.in under the ‘Apply for Funding’ section.
• All applicants are required to register on the site.
  • Registration is two stage process
  • Stage I - Registrant needs to provide basic information.
  • Stage II – The system will send a Login ID and Password to the email ID provided, and ask for completion of registration.
• Application Submission Process:
  • Indian Project Lead needs to submit the Application online (no other mode of submission will be accepted) as per deadline (by 06 May 2021).
  • Login with the same ID and password.
  • Complete and submit the desired Application Form, along with the required supporting documents, as listed on the GITA website, by the deadline.
  • Upon Application submission, the system will send auto-generated email acknowledgement to IPL, along with application reference number.

• The application must reflect collaborative, synergised and a balanced effort from both the IPL and SPC, be written in English, and submitted using the prescribed process.
• Only online mode of submission will be accepted.

IN SWEDEN

• Submission of application

A person who submit the application must be authorized to do so on behalf of the applying organisation.

To apply for a grant, you fill in Web-based form in Vinnova's eServices portal (Intresseportalen). If you do not already have an account, you can register there. Only the Swedish participants should be included in the on-line application form with, for example, contact information and budgets.

You will also upload the following required documents. The documents must be written according to the instructions.

Mandatory attachments:

• Joint Application Form (MS Word document), filled in according the instructions here and in the form and identical to the one submitted by the Indian side to GITA The application form must reflect collaborative, synergised and a balanced effort from both the IPL and SPC and be written in English
• CV – Appendix: Shall include relevant information for project leader and key personnel on the Swedish side of the consortium, including those in consultant roles. Only 5 pages length is allowed, with maximum one page per individual.
• Latest annual report, registered at “Bolagsverket”, from the company acting as Project Coordinator on the Swedish side. Contact Vinnova if you have any questions on this.
• One document (maximum 3 pages), in 12 pt Times Roman, presenting:
  • A table with an overview of personnel resources involved, gender distribution within the team on the Swedish side, including a presentation of how much men/women contribute to the work and their roles to the project (as Full Time Equivalents). A possible imbalance in this regard should be explained in a credible way.
  • A self-assessment on which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals the project aims to address them and how. >

In addition to submitting the Application Form and its appendices, the Indian Project Lead (IPL) will also be required to submit/upload the following:

• Covering letter
• Completed Full Project Proposal in Application Form along with all annexures (signed and stamped by Authorised signatory)
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Indian Project Partners
• In case of in-house R&D Centres recognized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India,Copy of DSIR registration/ recognition certificate. For details,please refer to
  http://www.dsir.gov.in/files/12plan/bird-crf/rdi_af_blank.pdf
• Copy of the company registration and land ownership/lease papers for the company facility.
• Copy of the Registration Certificate, issued by competent authority of all Indian Project partner(s).
• Audited Annual Reports (including Income Tax Return, Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss Account & Auditor’s Reports) of all Indian partners for the last three Financial Years.
• Know Your Customer (KYC) documents of all Indian Project partner(s).
• Appendix-E - Executive Summary (Please download the draft template from the RFP Page).
• Appendix-F - Template IPL Presentation - PEC Meeting (Please download the draft template from the RFP Page).
• A brief semi-professional video about the proposed technology also highlighting the existing capabilities, infrastructure of the applicants.

The above list is indicative and GITA, in India, may seek additional documents/information from individual project applicants.

Click on to download Expression of Interest: India-Sweden EOI Form DST Vinnova R&D call 2021