Deadline: 01-Sep-2026
Vinnova is inviting grant applications under the SustainGov initiative to support collaborative projects that bring together the public sector, civil society, businesses, and academia to drive long-term systemic change in society. The program funds “change alliances” focused on transforming governance, public sector practices, and organizational culture in key areas such as complex care needs, inclusive society, and food security.
What is the Vinnova SustainGov Grant Program?
The Vinnova SustainGov Grant Program is a public sector innovation funding opportunity in Sweden designed to support cross-sector alliances that can create lasting systemic reforms.
The initiative funds collaborative projects that do more than deliver short-term solutions. Instead, it supports partnerships that aim to transform how the public sector works in practice by improving:
- Governance models
- Working methods
- Organizational structures
- Institutional culture
- Cross-sector collaboration
- Capacity for system innovation
The long-term goal is to reform the role of the public sector so that it can better respond to complex societal challenges through practical, scalable, and sustainable solutions.
SustainGov Focus Areas
Applications must align with at least one of the following priority areas:
- Complex care needs
- Inclusive society
- Food security
These focus areas reflect major societal challenges that require coordinated action across multiple sectors and levels of governance.
What Does SustainGov Fund?
SustainGov funds change alliances—multi-organization partnerships that work together to create systemic change in the public sector.
These alliances are expected to:
- Build shared capacity for system innovation
- Reuse and adapt existing solutions where possible
- Further develop innovative public sector practices
- Test new governance and implementation models
- Disseminate knowledge and solutions across systems
- Create long-term, durable institutional change
This means the program is not only about creating new ideas, but also about embedding innovation into governance and daily public sector practice.
Funding Amount and Project Duration
Eligible projects can request substantial funding support under the program.
Grant Amount
- Maximum funding per project: Up to SEK 10,000,000
Aid Intensity
- Maximum aid intensity: Up to 60% of eligible project costs
This means applicants must usually co-finance at least part of the project from other sources.
Project Duration
- Maximum project length: Up to 36 months
Projects should be designed with a realistic implementation plan that demonstrates how systemic change can be achieved during the funding period and sustained afterward.
Who is Eligible?
To qualify for the Vinnova SustainGov grant, applicants must form a project group that meets specific partnership requirements.
Eligible Project Group Requirements
The project consortium must include:
- At least five organizations in total
- Organizations can come from:
- Public sector
- Civil society
- Business/private sector
- Academia
- At least three organizations must represent the public sector
Coordinating Organization Requirement
The coordinating party must be one of the following:
- A municipality
- A region
- A state agency
This means private companies, universities, or civil society groups can participate, but they cannot serve as the lead coordinator unless they fall into one of the approved public sector categories.
Why This Grant Matters
The SustainGov initiative is important because many public sector challenges cannot be solved through isolated projects or single organizations.
Key Reasons This Funding Matters
- It supports systemic public sector reform, not just pilot projects
- It encourages cross-sector collaboration across government, academia, business, and civil society
- It helps embed innovation into governance and operations
- It promotes scalable and sustainable solutions
- It addresses complex social challenges that require coordinated responses
- It strengthens the public sector’s long-term ability to adapt and innovate
For organizations working on social innovation, governance reform, or public service transformation in Sweden, this is a strategic funding opportunity.
How the SustainGov Program Works
SustainGov is structured around the idea that real societal change happens when multiple actors work together over time.
Core Model of the Program
- Build a change alliance
Form a strong multi-stakeholder consortium with public sector leadership. - Define a systemic challenge
Choose a challenge within complex care needs, inclusive society, or food security. - Design transformation-oriented actions
Focus on changing governance, methods, structures, and culture—not just delivering a service. - Develop and test solutions
Reuse or adapt existing solutions where possible, while innovating where necessary. - Scale and embed change
Ensure outcomes can be adopted broadly across institutions and continue beyond the grant period.
How to Apply for the Vinnova SustainGov Grant
If your organization is considering this opportunity, use the following application roadmap.
Step 1: Build an Eligible Consortium
Make sure your project group includes:
- At least 5 organizations
- At least 3 public sector organizations
- A lead coordinator that is a municipality, region, or state agency
Step 2: Select the Right Focus Area
Your proposal should clearly fit within one or more of these themes:
- Complex care needs
- Inclusive society
- Food security
Explain why the issue is complex and why it requires system-level collaboration.
Step 3: Define the Systemic Change Goal
Your application should clearly describe:
- What problem you are addressing
- Why current systems are not sufficient
- What needs to change in governance or practice
- How your alliance will create long-term reform
Step 4: Prepare a Strong Project Plan
Include:
- Objectives and expected outcomes
- Roles of each consortium partner
- Governance and decision-making model
- Activities and milestones
- Budget and co-financing structure
- Scaling and sustainability strategy
- Plan for knowledge sharing and dissemination
Step 5: Submit Through Vinnova’s Official Process
Applications must be submitted according to Vinnova’s official grant call guidelines and deadlines. Always review the full call text, budget rules, and eligibility conditions before submission.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many strong ideas fail because the proposal does not fully align with the call’s systemic-change purpose.
Avoid These Common Errors
- Treating the grant like a standard service-delivery project
SustainGov prioritizes transformation of systems, not just implementation of activities. - Missing the consortium requirements
Failing to include at least 5 organizations or at least 3 public sector actors can make the application ineligible. - Using the wrong lead organization
The coordinator must be a municipality, region, or state agency. - Weak explanation of long-term impact
The proposal must show how change will continue after the project ends. - Ignoring co-financing implications
Since aid intensity is capped at 60%, applicants should plan the remaining financing carefully. - No clear plan for scaling or dissemination
Vinnova wants solutions that can be reused, adapted, and spread across systems.
Tips for Writing a Strong SustainGov Proposal
To improve your chances, focus on clarity, partnership quality, and system-level logic.
Best Practices
- Show why the problem is systemic, not isolated
- Demonstrate strong public sector ownership
- Include partners with complementary expertise
- Explain how innovation will be embedded in governance
- Provide a realistic path from experimentation to institutional adoption
- Highlight how the project can influence policy, operations, and culture
- Make scalability and sustainability explicit
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the maximum funding available under the Vinnova SustainGov grant?
Projects can request up to SEK 10,000,000.
2. What is the maximum aid intensity for SustainGov projects?
The maximum aid intensity is 60% of eligible project costs, meaning applicants typically need to provide co-financing.
3. How long can a SustainGov project run?
Projects can run for up to 36 months.
4. What are the eligible focus areas for this Vinnova call?
The three focus areas are:
- Complex care needs
- Inclusive society
- Food security
5. How many organizations must be included in the project consortium?
The consortium must include at least five organizations.
6. How many public sector organizations are required?
At least three organizations in the consortium must represent the public sector.
7. Who can be the coordinating organization?
The coordinating party must be a:
- Municipality
- Region
- State agency
8. Can universities, businesses, or civil society groups participate?
Yes. Organizations from academia, business, and civil society can participate as partners, but they cannot act as the coordinating party unless they meet the public sector coordinator requirement.
9. What type of projects does SustainGov prioritize?
SustainGov prioritizes projects that create long-term systemic change by transforming governance, working methods, organization, and culture in the public sector.
Conclusion
The Vinnova SustainGov grant is a high-value funding opportunity for collaborative alliances seeking to transform the Swedish public sector through long-term system innovation. With up to SEK 10 million available, the program supports ambitious partnerships that can address complex care needs, inclusive society, and food security by embedding practical, scalable, and sustainable change into governance and public sector practice.
For more information, visit Vinnova.
