Closed for applications

Grand Solutions: Digitization, technology and innovation

With investments within this call, Innovation Fund Denmark will support that Denmark’s strong knowledge and research position within the field is transformed into inventions, products, and technologies, which benefit Denmark. This call consists of two parts.

Who?

Enterprises, research institutions or public institutions in or outside Denmark, directly involved in the project activities, is eligible to apply, participate and receive funding from Innovation Fund Denmark

What?

Co-financing of expenses for e.g. salaries, equipment, other project-related costs, external services, etc. (see section 1.5 in the Grand Solutions guidelines published end of January 2022 for further information)

How much?

Total budget: Minimum 205,4 mil. DKK Investment per project: from 5 mill. DKK to 40 mill. DKK

Important dates
February 1, 2022
Opens for applications
April 5, 2022
Application deadline
November 2022
Response to application
Early 2023
Project start

The Grand Solutions program invests in ambitious, preferably cross-cutting research and innovation projects that can create new, concrete solutions to important, politically prioritized societal challenges, and which create value for the whole of Denmark. The Grand Solutions program invests, as far as possible, in projects that are carried out in close interaction between research institutions and business.

 

Aim of the call

With investments within the call ”Digitalization, technology and innovation”, Innovation Fund Denmark should create breeding ground for the development of products and new knowledge-based solutions that contribute to maintaining production and jobs in Denmark.

The investments shall contribute to strengthen research and innovation within a number of important digital and technological areas, including the earlier strategic basic research within areas such as robot- and drone technology, automated production technology, big data and artificial intelligence, quantum technology and quantum computing, cyber and information security, space-based technology and data. The initiative can, for example, support the development of digital solutions for the benefit of the green transition, health and welfare. The investments can also utilize new knowledge about the significance of digitalization for people and society, etc. Finally, the investments can be used for research and innovation, which seek to create more gentle workplaces and new forms of organization, etc.

The projects can support the development of local business powerhouses (in Danish: “erhvervsfyrtårne”) (see link in section 5: “Guidelines and inspiration”)

Evaluation

The three overall decision criteria are:

  • Quality of the idea – the quality of the research and innovation
  • Impact – value creation during and after the project
  • Quality of execution – efficiency in the project execution and the implementation of the results

Further information about the decision criteria can be found in the guidelines for Grand Solutions, which will be published on Innovation Fund Denmark's website at the end of January 2022 (see link in section 5: “Guidelines and inspiration”)

It is emphasized that key stakeholders of the project contributes to develop the project and participates in, or in other ways are directly involved in the project, e.g. through investment.

In addition to the three decision criteria, reference is made to the guidelines for Grand Solutions. The distribution of the funds originates from the current Finance Act and the agreement on the disposition of the Research Reserve (see links under section 5: “Guidelines and inspiration”).

The evaluation process

Applications to Grand Solutions must be submitted via www.e-grant.dk, which is the application portal of Innovation Fund Denmark. The call open in e-grant on February 1, 2022. Please note, that applicants will receive a receipt for submitting the application if the application is submitted after mid March 2022.

The evaluation process is described in detail in the guidelines for Grand Solutions and briefly outlined below.

Evaluations process

Open model as PDF

Applicants are notified of the decision via www.e-grant.dk. E-grant has prepared a FAQ that can be accessed here.

It is expected that the project applications proceeding to phase 2, will receive either invitation for investment negotiations or rejection of application in November 2022, after which the investment negotiations can be initiated with an expected project start in the beginning of 2023.

More info
Guides
Open section, Guides

Applications within this Grand Solutions call must take into account the following:

  • Guidelines for Grand Solutions (NB: The new guidelines for Grand Solutions will be published on Innovation Find Denmark's website at the end of January 2022)

 

The following can be used as inspiration for applications within this Grand Solutions call:

Contact
Open section, Contact

Innovation Fund Denmark hosts regular webinars and Q&A on Grand Solutions where everyone is welcome to participate. Registration for upcoming webinars and Q&A sessions takes place via Innovation Fund Denmark's website here (scroll down to see upcoming events).

Frequently asked questions to Grand Solutions and related answers can be found on Innovation Fund Denmark’s website here.

Contact InformationFor questions regarding formalities, Innovation Fund Denmark's Investment Officers may be contacted. In connection to this, please note that Investment Officers or other employees of Innovation Fund Denmark are not allowed to answer specific questions regarding projects or ideas.

The following Investment Officers may be contacted regarding questions to this Grand Solutions call:

Michael Adsetts Edberg Hansen (responsible for this Grand Solutions call)
Phone number: 6190 5037
Email: michael.hansen@innofond.dk

Jakob Dahl Wedel
Phone number: 6190 5031
Email: jakob.wedel@innofond.dk

Jens Peter Vittrup
Phone number: 6190 5023
Email: jens.peter.vittrup@innofond.dk

Erik Bech Jakobsen
Phone number: 6190 5032
Email: erik.bech.jakobsen@innofond.dk

Børge Lindberg
Phone number: 6190 5012
Email: boerge.lindberg@innofond.dk

 

The program
Who can apply?
Open section, Who can apply?

Any legal entity in Denmark or abroad can be a project participant and receive funding from Innovation Fund Denmark eg.:

  • Businesses
  • Research institutions
  • Public institutions
What can I apply for investment for?
Open section, What can I apply for investment for?

You can apply for funding for projects that create societal value and/or economic value in Danish public and private companies and/or from buyers in society, for example from citizens, the state, regions and municipalities.

A buyer can be an end user of the innovation, but it can also be a public or private investor who is willing to invest in the project after the Fund's commitment is completed.

It can be an advantage if the purchaser(s) of the project's results and other core stakeholders are involved as active participant(s) in the design of and through the project.

How much money can I apply for?
Open section, How much money can I apply for?

Grand Solutions projects will range from DKK 5,000,000 - 40,000,000

What can the money finance?
Open section, What can the money finance?

The money can co-finance expenses for salaries, equipment, other project-related costs, external services, etcetera.

The budget must include all direct project costs, meaning costs that can be directly attributed to the project, regardless of whether the costs are to be covered by Innovation Fund Denmark or will be covered by the project participants themselves or another party.

For further details, please see the programme guidelines.

How long does the project have to take?
Open section, How long does the project have to take?

The projects are of 1 to 5 years duration.

Application
How do I apply?
Open section, How do I apply?

The application process for the Grand Solutions programme consists of two phases.

In phase 1, all interested applicants submit a short letter of interest, outlining their project. On this basis, applicants will either receive an invitation for phase 2 or a rejection.

In phase 2, the invited applicants submit a final application, describing their project in detail. When Innovation Fund Denmark has assessed all applications, the fund makes a decision as to which projects will be invited to enter negotiations for an investment agreement.

The application material for both phases must be created and submitted via the electronic application system: www.e-grant.dk. You must register as a user of the system with either a username and password or with NemID/MitID before you can create an application.

You create a new application by finding the correct call under "Search Options" and pressing "Start your application". Note that the list of search options is sorted alphabetically and that the names of all calls from Innovation Fund Denmark start with "IF".

You must write your application material for both phases in English.

You can find a guide to e-grant on the website of the Danish Ministry of Education and Research.

 

What must the application contain?
Open section, What must the application contain?

In both phases, the application consists of an electronic application form designed in the electronic application system e-grant (www.e-grant.dk), which you must fill out in English.

Your application must have an official title (maximum 180 characters including spaces), which briefly describes the project for which you seek investment. You must also enter an acronym.

In phase 1, the application is a letter of interest and must contain:

  • Official project title and acronym
  • Short summary of the project (maximum 600 characters)
  • Expected total budget and duration of the project
  • Requested total investment from IFD
  • Foundation and concept of idea (maximum 1,800 characters)
  • Quantifiable goals (maximum 1,200 characters)
  • State of the art and competition (maximum 2,400 characters)
  • Expected impact (maximum 1,200 characters)
  • Contribution for up to 5 core project participants (maximum 600 characters per participant)
  • Competences and experiences for up to 5 key persons in the project (maximum 600 characters per person)

In phase 1, the following appendices must be attached to the electronic form:

  • Appendix A: Budget overview (obligatory)
  • Appendix B: List of references (obligatory)

Download templates for the appendices below or from the electronic application form in e-grant.

The content of the electronic application form for phase 2 and the corresponding appendices will be announced in the invitation to applicants who make it to the next round. You can find more information on which adjustments are allowed from phase 1 to phase 2 in the programme guidelines.

Documents
Evaluation
How does the assessment process take place?
Open section, How does the assessment process take place?
Who evaluates the application?
Open section, Who evaluates the application?

The applications are assessed by four committees with members who convene and qualify evaluations on committee meetings. The committees have the competence to assess as well as make decisions and are thus the bodies in which applications are evaluated and decisions on investments are made.

The committees consist of 10-18 members, divided between established international researchers and impact specialist with extensive knowledge of Danish affairs.

In phase 2, the applications are also assessed by external evaluators, and evaluations that are subject to consultation are sent to the applicants as part of a consultation process.

Applicants who are not invited for phase 2 or to enter an investment agreement after phase 2 will receive a rejection stating why.

Special conditions in 2024:

In 2024, letters of interest for phase 1 of the application process will be assessed internally and by external evaluators (including a consultation process for applicants) and decided by Innovation Fund Denmark’s board of directors. The reason is that the new committees are introduced for the first time in 2024 and will not be functional until later this year. Applications for phase 2 will be evaluated by the new committees in the second half of 2024.

How is the application assessed?
Open section, How is the application assessed?

Applications for the Grand Solutions programme are evaluated based on three overall decision criteria:

  1. Quality of idea
  2. Impact
  3. Quality of execution

You can find further information on the three overall criteria and their sub-criteria in the guidelines for phase 1 and phase 2 of Grand Solutions. Please note that the sub-criteria for the two phases are not identical.

How do I get a response to my application?
Open section, How do I get a response to my application?

In phase 1, applicants will receive either a rejection as response to their letter of interest or an invitation for phase 2, in which applicants must submit a full application. The decision will be notified to you via e-grant.

In phase 2, invited applicants will receive either a rejection or an offer of investment and thus an invitation to negotiate an investment agreement. The decision will be notified to you via e-grant.

When will I receive a response to my application?
Open section, When will I receive a response to my application?

Applicants for phase 1 of Grand Solutions will receive a response in 7-8 weeks (11 weeks in 2024 however).

Applicants who make it to phase 2 can expect 9 weeks of processing time in this phase and a total timeline of 9 months from submitting their letter of interest in phase 1 and until they receive a final decision in phase 2 (however, please expect up to 10 months in 2024).

From approval to project start
What happens after my application is approved?
Open section, What happens after my application is approved?

An investment from Innovation Fund Denmark is conditioned by the project parties entering into an investment agreement with the fund on the organisation of the project no later than 60 days after receiving the written invitation to investment negotiations.

The project must be started no later than 90 days after this investment agreement has been signed by all parties.

Innovation Fund Denmark may demand repayment of parts of the investment if the agreed conditions are not met. You can find more information in the investment agreement and the document containing the general terms and conditions for the programme.

When can the project start?
Open section, When can the project start?

The project can start as soon as there is an approved investment agreement and it must start no later than 90 days after the agreement has been signed by all parties.

During the project
How is the investment paid out?
Open section, How is the investment paid out?

The payment is generally made two times a year and is handled in collaboration with Innovation Fund Denmark and the financial administrator appointed by the project.

Do I have to submit accounts or report during the project?
Open section, Do I have to submit accounts or report during the project?

Innovation Fund Denmark is an active partner in all Grand Solutions projects and engages proactively with the project for its entire duration. Specifically, Innovation Fund Denmark appoints one or more investment officers to carry out this task.

The project follow-up and the requirements for accounts and reporting will be evident from the investment agreement that Innovation Fund Denmark enters into with each project.

What happens if I can't keep up with the plan?
Open section, What happens if I can't keep up with the plan?

Innovation Fund Denmark may terminate the investment ahead of time if the Fund considers that there is insufficient progress, the project proves aimless, or if the project is unable to achieve the objectives which the  Funds' investment to the project is based upon.

There will be an ongoing dialogue between the appointed Investment Officer from the Innovation Fund as well as with the steering group of the project about the progression of the plan.

What should I do when completing the project?
Open section, What should I do when completing the project?

At the project's last steering group meeting, the completed accounts are reviewed and the project's progress and results are evaluated.

Guidelines and general terms and conditions
Download guidelines and general terms and conditions
Open section, Download guidelines and general terms and conditions

Since publication in February 2024, the following clarifications have been made to the guidelines:

  • The overhead for hospitals and museums has been corrected to 3.1% and selected organisation types have been specified as Danish or non-Danish
  • It has been specified that there are no limitations on budget changes performed between core project participants
  • It has been specified that the main applicant is responsible for contact to IFD during the application process
  • Clarifications have been made to the time frame for investments covered by the de minimis regulation
Documents