With Grand Solutions, Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD) wants to invest in ambitious innovation projects with excellent science and strategic research that contributes to create new and tangible solutions to important societal challenges and creates value for Denmark.
The FORSK2025 catalogue is the basis and guide for the thematic calls.
By developing new technologies, knowledge and competencies, Danish export, growth and welfare are strengthened and concurrently contribute to handle challenges and protect our nature and environment, and reduce climate change impact from e.g. the transport sector.
Objective
With this Grand Solutions call, IFD addresses cross-disciplinary issues, challenges and needs, nationally as well as internationally, where research and innovation is the value creating element for Denmark, through the development of solutions to Danish societal challenges, which – in the short or longer term – will create growth and employment in Denmark.
The Grand Solutions call Green Growth strives to invest in knowledge-based and cross-disciplinary solutions for Danish society, paving the way for unprecedented societal and market opportunities.
Areas of Investments
The call is aimed at innovation projects with specific or cross-disciplinary development of service, innovative products and/or processes within all fields. The ambition is for the results to drive forward the future financial and/or societal development or to find solutions to significant societal challenges, for example by ensuring that Danish public and private companies can maintain and/or develop their competiveness, nationally and/or globally.
The research and innovation effort shall contribute to utilise the Danish potential for developing competitive environmental, energy and transport technologies and solutions that can accommodate the future need for energy, materials, water, transport and mobility, concurrently reducing the load on water resources, the sea, nature and the climate. The research may also contribute to the switch to a more circular economy and may include the recommendations from the Danish National Bioeconomy Panel. The research may at the same time contribute to a resource effective and, not the least, an environmentally and climate friendly production of food and other biological products, including marine resources and development of precision farming.
The research may further strengthen our climate change mitigation and adaptation and include arctic research. It may also contribute to the procurement of means to reach the Danish targets for emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) from farming while considering production and trade. In addition, the research may contribute to the continuing development of sustainable quality construction, construction processes and construction management, physical infrastructure and attractive cities. Please see the FORSK2025 catalogue for further details.
The innovation projects within Green Growth may also support the UN Sustainable Development Goal no. 6 Clean Water and Sanitation, no. 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, no. 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, no. 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, no. 13 Climate Action, no. 14 Life Below Water and no. 15 Life on Land.
Theme specific strategy
With the Green Growth call, IFD wishes to invest in projects having a large growth potential, where strategic research and innovation may contribute to creating new, internationally competitive solutions to global challenges in relation to energy, materials, bioressources, climate, environment, water resources, construction, transport and mobility. IFD at the same time wants the projects to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The targets for Green Growth are a cost-effective green transition, decoupling of growth from environmental load and an effective resource utilisation towards value creation for a sustainable society. Crucial instruments to achieve the targets are international and cross-disciplinary collaborations. IFD expects large potential in solutions that improve resource utilisation through a circular approach, including the making of new value chains and establishment of new jobs across the recycling chain.
Particularly within the energy segment, there is a need for digitalisation of the energy sector, smart grids, energy storage technologies, including energy conversion, e.g. production of liquid fuels and/or chemical building blocks concurrently with large-scale energy storage (P2X), and development of new, robust business models. IFD investments within the energy segment are coordinated with the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program (EUDP), so that the IFD primarily invests up to and including TRL 4, and EUDP TRLs above.
IFD further encourages applicants to submit project proposals addressing the topics described in the five Innovation Challenges, part of the Danish participation in the international Mission Innovation collaboration. The five Innovation Challenges are Smart Grids, Carbon Capture, Converting Sunlight, Clean Energy Materials and Affordable Heating and Cooling of Building.
The Green Growth theme spans quite wide and more details may be found in the theme specific IFD investment strategies within Energy, Environment, Bioresources, ICT, and Digitalisation and Health.
Assessment Criteria
With the Green Growth call, IFD invests in strategic research projects and innovative solutions, which have a clearly defined aim and expected impact. It is important that the aims are clearly defined, and that the path to the goal is substantiated, for example that the project group comprises the necessary competences. The solutions must have considerable societal or market potential – short or long term. It is not a prerequisite that the project leads to a commercial product but it is a requirement that knowledge created in the project creates value by bringing the project forward in well-defined and value-creating steps towards new solutions.
IFD will always prioritise investing in excellent knowledge-based innovation projects providing solutions of the highest quality, regardless of subject and specific field.
The main assessment criteria are:
- Quality of science, research and innovation
- Value creation during and after the project period
- Efficiency of project execution
- Implementation of results
For applications for Grand Solutions 2019 Green Growth, value creation is broadly defined as targeted activities leading to increased growth and employment through for example development of new products and services, creation of more and value-creating jobs, increased productivity, reduced social costs, reduced resource consumption or reduced climate and/or environmental impact and solutions to significant societal issues.
In the application, the partners must describe the tangible value creation in the project. Value creation is not restricted to monetary value but may also be, for example, reduced climate and resource impact, reduced social costs, better health, healthier food, cleaner environment, improved animal welfare etc.
IFD prioritises applications where the project creates measureable value for Denmark and the Danish society. The project must possess considerable potential and result in new solutions or products, for example through development and utilisation of new untraditional, potentially disruptive business models, methods, smart regulations etc.
IFD invests in innovation projects having a clear recipient or beneficiary in mind and potential to become attractive for other investors. The issues and needs must be clear and the solutions should not be previously available (globally). Further, the value creation should be measureable (e.g. reduced environmental footprint, health economic parameters, societal or monetary value).
IFD is willing to invest in high-risk projects if the partners also commit resources and knowledge to the project and if the risk is well described. Thus, the project governance model and quality of the project plan are crucial.
Therefore, it is important that the recipients/beneficiaries and core stakeholders either participate to form the project, participate in the project or are otherwise involved in the project, e.g. through investment, and this will be taken into consideration when assessing the innovation project.
The application will be assessed specifically on the qualities of the project in relation to excellent science, research and innovation in a global perspective with respect to an articulated or latent unmet need, state-of-the-art, directly competitive or similar scientific or technological solutions, solution scalability, technical, regulatory and market risks, risk management in the project plan and project implementation. In addition, development rate, efficient use of invested resources, leadership and scientific skills and the subsequent efficient implementation of the project results nationally and/or globally will be carefully assessed. The project’s value creation will be assessed in relation to the size and risk of the investment.
Reference is made to Guidelines for Grand Solutions 2019.
The allocation of funds is based on the National Budget 2019 and FORSK2025 catalogue as listed in the National Budget, as well as the 2019 Allocation of the Research Reserve.
Applications for Grand Solution must be submitted via e-grant, IFD’s application system. The assessment process is shown below. It is a single phase application process with potential interview.
Application deadline:
- 19 February 2019, 12:00 CET
Peer review consultation procedure:
- End of May 2019
Selected applicants are invited to project interview taking place:
- 29 April to 16 May 2019
The IFD Board of Directors decides which applications are subject to peer review and will be invited to an interview at IFD. Applications that are not subject to peer review and not invited to project interviews will receive a letter stating the reason for rejection via the e-grant system in mid-April 2019.
Final decision by Board of Directors and notification to applicants:
- Early June 2019
The peer reviews are sent to the applicant via the project contact person in a consultation procedure. Applicants are notified via e-grant of the decision by the Board of Directors to reject or invite projects to negotiations for an investment agreement.
Deadline for Investment agreement for signature:
- 1 October 2019
Project start:
- 1 December 2019
The duration of a Grand Solutions project is typically 2-5 years and the budget for 2019 is approx. 150 mill. DKK.
- Guidelines for Grand Solutions 2019
- Guidelines for e-grant
- National Budget 2019
- 2019 Agreement on Allocation of the Research Reserve as well as other research priorities
- FORSK2025, including the listed indicators for the allocation of funds
- IFD Investment strategies for ICT and Digitalization, Energy, Health, Environment, Bioresources and Tourism
- Innovation Fund Denmark 2015 Strategy
- UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Thomas E. Mathiasen
Tel: 6190 5063, Mail: Thomas.Mathiasen@Innofond.dk
Brian Christensen
Tel: 6190 5088, Mail: Brian.Christensen@Innofond.dk
Niels Langvad
Tel: 6190 5034, Mail: Niels.Langvad@Innofond.dk
Anitha K. Sharma
Tel: 6190 5048, Mail: Anitha.Sharma@Innofond.dk
Bo Frølund
Tel: 6190 5043, Mail: Bo.Froelund@Innofond.dk
Guillaume Mougin
Tel: 6190 5070, Mail: guillaume.mougin@innofond.dk
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
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.
Grand Solutions projects will range from DKK 5,000,000 - 40,000,000
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.
The projects are of 1 to 5 years duration.
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.
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.
Application for phase 1
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.
Application for phase 2
In phase 2, the application is a full application. 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
You can also see a preliminary outline of the application form for phase 2 below – please note that this is only a preview of the expected application form and that the final form may be subject to change.
The programme text for Grand Solutions has been updated in February 2024. To learn more about the changes to Grand Solutions, visit our Q&A here.
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.
Applications for the Grand Solutions programme are evaluated based on three overall decision criteria:
- Quality of idea
- Impact
- 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.
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.
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).
The programme text for Grand Solutions has been updated in February 2024. To learn more about the changes to Grand Solutions, visit our Q&A here.
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.
Below, you will find the standard documents needed for the investment agreement negotiations.
You are free to choose whether you want to prepare the agreement in Danish or English.
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.
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.
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.
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.
At the project's last steering group meeting, the completed accounts are reviewed and the project's progress and results are evaluated.
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
Here you can find and download call texts from 2024