This is a recurrent call for Proof-of-Concept Project grant applications. This new instrument will have 3-4 deadlines per calendar year.
The grant provides researchers with the opportunity to advance early-stage discoveries toward validated methods, products, or processes. It supports activities that accelerate concept development, helping transform research results into validated innovations with potential for commercialisation. This grant is a cornerstone of Digital Futures’ Innovation Programme, which aims to strengthen impact through innovation and complements Digital Futures’ Research Programme.
Researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm University (SU) and Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), are eligible to apply for funding under this call.
Important dates
- Call announced: April 28, 2026
- Declaration of interest deadline: May 22, 2026
- Proposal submission deadline: May 31, 2026, 23:59 CET
- Expert panel pitch event: June 2026
- Expected funding decision: June 2026
- Expected start of projects: July 2026
About the Innovation Programme
Digital Futures is a cross-disciplinary research center that explores and advances digital technologies to tackle societal challenges in Sweden and globally. Established jointly by KTH, SU, and RISE, we fund strategic research and innovation projects aligning with our vision. Find out more about Digital Futures background here.
One of the specific goals of Digital Futures is to drive innovation in digital transformation, thereby creating tangible economic or societal impact. To support this, Digital Futures has developed an Innovation Programme that targets and engages faculty, postdocs, and PhD students affiliated with Digital Futures to foster innovation and stimulate the translation of research results and ideas into innovations with clear economic and societal impact. The Proof-of-Concept Project grant is one instrument in the Innovation Programme supporting this.
Purpose
The purpose of Digital Futures’ Proof-of-Concept project grant is to bridge the gap between academic research and innovation.
A key aspect of the grant is to support the development of functional prototypes that can be used to technically and commercially validate the underlying idea or concept. The prototypes may take the form of software solutions or physical systems, including both hardware and software components. They should enable technical testing and validation in relevant environments, as well as demonstrations at the Digital Futures hub or other venues.
Successful projects shall:
- Involve novel technical concepts with significant potential economic and/or societal impact.
- Create a working functional prototype that shows the technical potential of the concept.
- Carry out a preliminary assessment of the economic or societal impact potential of the concept.
- Join regular meetings with Digital Futures’ advisors to discuss the progress in the project plus potential further development steps beyond the scope of the project to maximise the chances that the concept is commercialised or implemented by other actors for societal impact.
- Prepare a written project report of the project summarising the work done and the results achieved.
- Present the project report, including a live or recorded demonstration of the developed demonstrator, at the Digital Futures hub.
Eligibility
- Each project proposal must include at least one applicant; there is no upper limit on the number of team members. Each proposal may designate only one Principal Investigator (PI). One or more Co–Principal Investigators (co‑PIs) may be included. The PI and Co-PIsapplying for funding must fulfil the eligibility criteria for DF membership, as listed below.
- The PI and Co-PIs applying for funding must have a PhD, 80% employment or more at KTH, SU, or RISE with one of the following positions: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, or permanent full-time (”tillsvidareanställd”) Researcher.
- An applicant can participate in only one proposal.
Project duration and funding
Up to 5 projects will be selected. The project duration can be from four (4) to twelve (12) months. The size of the funding grant will be decided on a case-by-case basis up to 500 kSEK. The grant can be split between the PI and co-PIs in multiples of 100 kSEK. The Proof-of-Concept Projects are excluded from the Digital Futures funding cap. PIs and Co-PIs are eligible to submit funding applications every six months. Successful projects may be considered for continued or extended funding.
Applicants may also involve external partners in their project proposals, and these partners are welcome to provide cash or in-kind funding and tangible contributions, such as access to datasets, testbeds, and other research infrastructures. In this case, a Letter of Intent from the corresponding project partner(s) shall be provided with the application.
How to apply
- Submit a declaration of interest to call@digitalfutures.kth.se before the deadline May 22, 2026. After the declaration of interest, Digital Futures’ Head of AI Strategy and Innovation, Urban Forssell, will meet with all teams for an initial discussion about their proposals.
- Send your application file based on the template below, together with all supplementary material, to call@digitalfutures.kth.se, and include “Proof of Concept Project Grant” in the subject of your email. Deadline May 31, 2026, 23:59 CET.
Evaluation
The project proposals will be evaluated by an external expert panel. The evaluation will be based on the following criteria:
- Project plan and feasibility: Clarity and feasibility of project plan, budget and resources, including access to data, testbeds, and other infrastructure necessary to complete the project.
- Potential economic or societal impact: Degree of novelty and potential economic or societal impact.
- Composition of the project team: Applicants’ backgrounds and motivations for carrying out the project. The team composition and whether the team brings together the necessary competencies to carry out the proposed project.
- Conformity to the Digital Futures’ Vision: “To shape a sustainable society through digital transformation”.
The evaluation will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, project proposals are screened against the evaluation criteria, and the project teams are interviewed. The highest-ranked proposals are offered individual feedback and guidance to refine their submissions before proceeding to the second-phase hearing. During the hearing, applicants present their projects and respond to questions from the expert panel. Following the hearing, the expert panel finalises the ranking and recommends several projects for funding.
Based on the evaluation outcome and available funding, Digital Futures’ Executive Committee compiles a funding proposal outlining which of the top project proposals to fund. The funding proposal is then sent to Digital Futures’ Governing Board and the KTH President for decisions in that order.
Contact & Questions
Contact call@digitalfutures.kth.se for further questions. Please include “Proof-of-Concept Project Grant 2026” in the subject of your email.