Application deadline: 18 August 2020 at 12:00 CET
Grand Solutions project duration: Typically 2-5 years
The 2020 budget for the 2 calls with deadlines 27 February and 18 August is maximum DKK 700 mill.
Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD) invests in ambitious and targeted strategic research and innovation projects that create and implement new solutions, technologies, behavioural changes and valuable new knowledge.
IFD co-finances green projects, preferably with transdisciplinary approach across the scientific fields including natural sciences, humanities and social sciences, that in competition with the global state-of the-art knowledge and a committed and efficient consortium creates large value for society and high impact on the green transition.
Objective
The objective of this call is to enable green transition towards a sustainable society and to enable the Danish governments’ ambitious target of 70% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Denmark by 2030 and net-zero emissions in EU and Denmark by 2050. This requires research and innovation with interdisciplinary approach in all different sectors and scientific disciplines to develop innovative solutions and implement them.
The research and innovation must strengthen the entire value chain from strategic research to development and implementation, and contribute to build-up capacity in the Danish research sector to provide knowledge and educated staff at all career levels and access to infrastructure, to secure targeted long-term green innovation efforts.
Based on Danish research- and/or professional strongholds within academia and/or industries in collaboration with international input, we must develop green solutions that are globally scalable through establishment of obligating partnerships between the contributing parties. To do that, we seek ambitious ideas with large potential for both transition and growth in the green area that will lead us to fulfil the Danish reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions.
Investment strategy
Innovation Fund Denmark invests in projects at all stages of the research and innovation value chain. Thus, IFD invests in the early strategic research project, where targeted efforts and cooperation with the most competent international and/or Danish partners from relevant scientific and professional disciplines are crucial, as well as a promising project that lacks the final steps towards implementation and a successful introduction into market/society.
IFD's investments often do not necessarily take a project all the way through the value chain. Therefore, it is crucial that the project partners themselves have the ability to ensure that the outcome of their efforts enter the market/society to ensure implementation, or have investors/end-users who can take over the project implementation after IFD’s investment period.
IFD emphasises that the green transition projects should, where necessary, work with transdisciplinary approach across the scientific fields including natural sciences, humanistic and societal research and innovation, that may contribute with valuable knowledge on e.g. human behaviour, incentives, regulation and market/societal conditions. Use of artificial intelligence, and robot and drone technological perspectives promoting the green transition may also be included.
The White Paper from IFD Climate Solution Panel 2019, the 2020 Agreement on Allocation of the Research Reserve, Finance Act 2020, the partnerships on climate established by the Danish government 2019, Research 2025 and IFD Investment strategies for Bioresources, Environment and Energy have many recommendations on how to enable the green transition. IFD invites proposals that focus on solutions, technologies, and behavioural changes that mitigate climate change, and consequently will provide maximum effect on the reduction on greenhouse gas emissions in Denmark and globally.
In short, IFD is looking for solutions to secure a sustainable nature and environment, as well as behavioural aspects in relation to the green transition, reflecting the fact that technical solutions cannot stand alone as they are often part of a broader social and behavioural context, and invites project applications that focus on the following sub-themes:
- Energy and storage
- Climate
- Climate friendly agriculture and sustainable food
- Climate and environmentally friendly transport
- Sustainable nature and environment
- Sustainable cities and community
- Manufacturing Industry and materials
- Behavioural aspects in relation to green transition
Please see the appendix for elaboration on the sub-themes (pdf).
The overall assessment criteria are:
- Quality of research and innovation
- Value creation – during and after the project period
- Efficiency of project execution
- Implementation of results
In connection with applications for the Grand Solutions 2020 "Research and Innovative Solutions Aiding the Green Transition ", particular importance is paid to describing the project’s quantified contribution to the green transition; including reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, in Denmark as well as globally. Hence, the partners must account for the specific value creation of the project, and in this connection, value creation should not be understood only as monetary value, but may also encompass improved quality of life as well as reduced environmental impact, cleaner environment, etc. It is the responsibility of the applicant to describe the different aspects of value creation from the project.
In addition, efficiency in terms of the rate of project development, the effective use of invested resources, managerial and professional skills and the subsequent effective implementation of the project results, nationally and/or globally, will be carefully evaluated. The value creation of the project will be assessed in relation to the size of the investment.
Likewise, it is weighted that the project's beneficiaries/end-users and core stakeholders contribute to the formation of the project, participate in the project or are otherwise directly involved in the project, e.g. through investments and implementation.
In addition to the above assessment criteria, reference is made to “Guidelines for Grand Solutions" (published 12 December 2019) and the Allocation of the Research Reserve. Allocation of funds will be made on the basis of the 2020 Finance Act.
Assessment Process:
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Interviews take place in November 2020.
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Projects not invited for interviews will be notified in October 2020.
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Final decision on the application is expected in December 2020 with project start in Q1 2021.
Download the call text: "Research and Innovation Solutions Aiding the Green Transition" (PDF)
- Call text: Research and Innovation Solutions Aiding the Green Transition (pdf)
- Appendix: Sub-themes (pdf)
- Guidelines for e-grant
- The Climate Solution Panel white paper (PDF)
- Finance Act 2020 (in danish)
- RESEARCH2025, including the listed indicators for the allocation of funds
- 2020 Agreement on Allocation of the Research Reserve as well as other research priorities
- IFD Investment strategies for Bioresources, environment and energy (PDF, in danish)
- UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Scientific Officer Bo Frølund
Phone: +45 6190 5043
Email: bo.froelund@innofond.dk
Scientific Officer Connie Benfeldt
Phone: +45 6190 5061
Email: connie.benfeldt@innofond.dk
Program Officer Jakob Dahl Wedel
Phone: +45 6190 5031
Email: jakob.wedel@innofond.dk
Scientific Officer René Damkjer
Phone: +45 6190 5007
Email: rene.damkjer@innofond.dk
Scientific Officer Helle Junker
Phone: +45 6190 5029
Email: helle.junker@innofond.dk
Scientific Officer Kathrine Hauge Madsen
Phone: +45 6190 5047
Email: kathrine.hauge.madsen@innofond.dk
Scientific Officer Sune Dalgaard Ebbesen
Phone: +45 6190 5030
Email: sune.dalgaard.ebbesen@innofond.dk
Scientific Officer Lars Denning
M: 6190 5069
E: lars.denning@innofond.dk
Scientific Officer Paola Andrea Barrientos Quiroga
M: 6190 5086
E: paola.barrientos.quiroga@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
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)
The budget must include all direct project costs ie. 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, see the programme guidelines.
The projects are of 1 to 5 years duration.
Your application 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 in English.
You can find a guide to e-grant on the website of the Ministry of Education and Research
The application consists of an electronic application form designed in the electronic application system e-grant (www.e-grant.dk).
The following attachment is attached to the electronic form:
- Budget: Excel file (required)
- Appendix A: Figures, pictures, tables, etc. (optional)
- Appendix B: Partner Motivation (Required)
- Appendix C: Key persons (required)
- Appendix D: Gantt diagram (required)
Download templates below or from the electronic application form in e-grant.
All texts in the application form and appendices are prepared in English.
The application must have an official title (max. 180 characters including spaces), which briefly describes the project for which investment is sought. An acronym must also be entered.
The application is assessed by Innovation Fund Denmark's Investment Officers and by international peers and external evalutors.
Assessments that are subject to consultation are forwarded to the applicant in a consultation procedure.
On the basis of an overall assessment consisting of internal assessments (employees at Innovation Fund Denmark), assessments from external professional experts (external evaluators and international peers), possible party consultation responses and an interview with the applicants, the Board of Directors of Innovation Fund Denmark decides which applications will be invited to investment negotiations.
Applicants who are not invited to investment negotiation will receive a reasoned rejection via e-grant.
Applications for Grand Solutions projects are evaluated based on tre overarching decision criteria:
1. Quality of the idea
2. Impact
3. Quality of execution
The three overall desicion criteria are elaborated in the guidelines for Grand Solutions in section 3.3.
The Board of Directors of Innovation Fund Denmark makes the final decision on either rejection or invitation to negotiate an investment agreement is notified to the applicant via e-grant.
The aim is for the processing time from the application deadline to the decision to be less than 250 days.
An investment from the Innovation Fund Denmark is conditioned by the project parties investment agreement, which states that the organizing of the project must be made 60 days after the receipt of the written invitation to the investment negotiation.
The project must be started no later than 60 days after the investment agreement is signed by all parties.
Innovation Fund Denmark may demand repayment of parts of the investment if the agreed conditions are not met.
Here are the standard documents needed for the investment agreement as well as guidelines and background material for the agreement negotiations.
Note: There may occur minor changes in the documents before the contract negotiations for Grand Solutions' projects in 2022.
The project participants are free to choose if they wish to prepare the agreement material in Danish or English.
The project can start as soon as there is an approved investment agreement.
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 in proactive interaction with the project for its duration. Specifically, Innovation Fund Denmark appoints one or more Investment Officer(s) to carry out this task.
The project follow-up will be evident from the Investment agreement.
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.
Innovation Fund Denmark has become aware that a case processing error has occurred in connection with the appointment of reviewers in the evaluation of applications for the programs "Industrial Researcher", "Grand Solutions" as well as the two international programs "EUREKA" and "bilateral collaborations". Applicants who wish to clarify whether they are covered by the error, can read more here