# Co-created Innovations for a Competitive Food Sector and Sustainable Transitions

**Funder:** Formas
**Budget:** SEK 1–2 million
**Deadline:** 15 December 2026 (14:00; information meeting 15 October 2026)
**Duration:** 12-24 months
**Consortium:** Required - one Swedish company (not sole proprietorship) and one Swedish academic partner (university, college or research institute)
**Application:** Single stage
**Eligible countries:** SE
**Official call:** https://formas.se/en/start-page/apply-for-funding/all-calls/calls/2026-09-22-co-created-innovations-for-a-competitive-food-sector-and-sustainable-transitions-2026.html
**Last updated:** 25 Oct 2026

## Eligibility & scope

Innovation projects developing and testing science-based solutions for sustainable, resilient food supply chains. Requires a Swedish-registered company (not sole proprietorship, established ≥3 years) paired with a Swedish academic partner; foreign organisations cannot be partners. Organisational call visible only via Prisma account manager; companies funded up to 40% of eligible costs.

## Summary

This Formas call funds co-created innovation projects pairing an established Swedish food-sector company with a Swedish university or research institute, covering SEK 1M-2M over 12-24 months. The scheme targets experimental development work under GBER Article 25 and requires exactly two partners, one company, one academic organisation, both based in Sweden. Sole proprietorships and foreign entities cannot apply, and purchased services are capped at 20% of the Formas funding requested.

## Who should apply

- Established Swedish food-sector companies seeking an academic R&D partner
- Swedish universities or research institutes partnering with industry
- Consortia of exactly two organisations: one company, one academic/research body
- Projects focused on experimental development in food-sector innovation
- Applicants not structured as sole proprietorships or based outside Sweden

## Key dates

- Call opens 29 September 2026; deadline 15 December 2026 at 14:00
- Single-stage application
- Project duration 12-24 months

## Tips for applicants

- Confirm the consortium is exactly one Swedish company plus one Swedish academic/research organisation, no third partners or foreign entities are eligible.
- Keep purchased/subcontracted services under 20% of the requested Formas funding, as this is a hard cap under GBER Article 25.
- Frame the project explicitly as experimental development rather than basic research to match the GBER Article 25 funding basis.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much funding does this Formas food-sector call provide?

Between SEK 1M and SEK 2M (roughly €88,000-€176,000) per project.

### Who can apply to the Formas co-created food innovation call?

Only a consortium of exactly two Swedish organisations, an established food-sector company and a university or research institute; sole proprietorships and foreign entities are not eligible.

### What is the deadline for this Formas call?

The call opens 29 September 2026 and closes 15 December 2026 at 14:00.

### How long can funded projects run?

Projects can run for 12 to 24 months.

### Is this a single-stage or multi-stage application process?

It is a single-stage application process.

---

Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/formas-co-created-innovations-for-a-competitive-food-sect-2026-12) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.

**See which EU calls match your profile.** [Preview your matches in 30 seconds, no signup](https://grantsby.eu/demo?ref=llm_grant_md&grant=formas-co-created-innovations-for-a-competitive-food-sect-2026-12).