National Grants and Funding Agencies
Vinnova – Sweden’s Innovation Agency
https://www.vinnova.se/
Innovative Startups (Innovativa Startups) – non‑dilutive grants of up to SEK 500 000 for early‑stage limited companies (<10 employees, turnover < SEK 10 M). The grant covers 100 % of project costs and aims to test market potential of innovative ideas. Projects may last up to nine months and calls open multiple times per year.

Innovation Vouchers (Innovationscheckar) – vouchers of up to SEK 100 000 to purchase external expertise (business development, IP strategy, test‑beds). Infrastructure checks can reach SEK 400 000. Eligible applicants must be SMEs in an innovation phase and include sustainability and gender‑equality considerations.

Challenge‑Driven Innovation & Strategic Innovation Programmes – multi‑stage grants for collaborations tackling societal challenges, with funding from SEK 500 000 to SEK 20 million (co‑financing required).

EU & International calls – Vinnova supports participation in Horizon Europe, Eurostars and Eureka programs and often co‑finances successful applicants.
Tillväxtverket – Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth
https://tillvaxtverket.se/
Automation/Production Competence Checks – aimed at manufacturing SMEs (2–100 employees). Provides up to SEK 150 000, covering 75 % of eligible costs to hire consultants for automation or production improvements. Applications opened in March and closed when funds were exhausted in July.

Regional Investment Grants (Regionalt investeringsstöd) – co‑finances major investments (machinery, buildings) in designated development zones. Support intensity is assessed individually and depends on growth potential, job creation and local importance.
Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten)
https://www.energimyndigheten.se/
Concept Development Grants – up to SEK 300 000 for early proof‑of‑concept.

Customer Verification Grants – up to 45 % of costs (max SEK 3 million) to build prototypes that meet customer

Pilot & Demonstration Grants – up to 45 % of costs for projects over SEK 7 million, allowing TRL 5 technologies to be tested in real‑world

Sida – The Swedish development agency
https://www.sida.se/


Sida runs challenge funds to co‑finance business projects that improve living conditions in developing countries. Grants usually require at least 50 % co‑financing and can be substantial – the Global Innovation Fund can provide up to USD 15 million
Loans and Public Venture Capital
Almi Företagspartner – Startup Loans
https://www.almi.se/lan-finansiering/
Micro Loan (Mikrolån) – up to SEK 250 000 (not 200 k), designed for micro‑enterprises. It can fund 100 % of capital needs and requires only a 10 % personal guaranteealmi.se. Loans often include grace periods and sustainability.

Other loan products include Innovation Loans, Green Loans and Growth Loans. All applications are accompanied by business advisory and sustainability guidance.

Almi Invest – State VC Fund
https://www.almi.se/en/venture-capital/
This is Almi’s venture capital arm, and one of Sweden’s most active early‑stage investors.
Typical initial investment: SEK 1–10 million; GreenTech fund invests SEK 5–30 million.

Almi Invest always co‑invests with private investors and takes a minority stake.

Operates eight regional funds and a national GreenTech fund.


Industrifonden – Evergreen VC
https://industrifonden.com/


An independent foundation (since 1979) investing in deep tech, life sciences and transformative tech. First tickets are SEK 10–50 million; the evergreen structure reinvests returns and allows long‑term engagement



Saminvest – Fund of Funds
https://www.saminvest.se/

A government‑owned fund-of-funds established in 2016. It manages ~SEK 6 billion and invests indirectly by anchoring privately managed VC funds and angel programs. Startups interact with Saminvest via partner funds such as Propel Capital (Sting) or Fast Track Capital (Minc).



Swedfund – Emerging Markets Support
https://www.swedfund.se/sv

Through the Swedpartnership program, Swedfund provides co‑financing for Swedish SMEs expanding into Africa, Asia or non‑EU Eastern Europe. Assistance is structured as a loan that converts to a grant if the project proceeds. It can cover up to SEK 750 000 or 40 % of project costs, and at least one‑third of the budget must be spent on knowledge transfer. Eligible companies must have 5–249 employees and turnover ≤ 50 M EUR.



Nopef (Nordic Project Fund)
https://nopef.com/

Financed by Nordic governments via NEFCO, Nopef supports feasibility studies for Nordic SMEs planning green projects outside the EU/EFTA. It provides interest‑free loans up to EUR 50 000, covering 50 % of costs. If the project proceeds to implementation, the loan is fully converted to a grant; if not, 50 % may still be forgiven. Applicants must have < 250 employees and turnover < €50 M.




Export Credit Agencies (EKN & SEK)
https://www.ekn.se/
https://www.sek.se/

EKN (Exportkreditnämnden) issues government-backed export credit guarantees that help companies, including those with turnover < SEK 5 billion, offer credit terms to foreign buyers and secure bank financing. SEK (Svensk Exportkredit) offers export loans but primarily serves larger firms (> SEK 500 M turnover).




Tax Incentives
R&D Payroll Tax Deduction (Forskningsavdrag)

Employers can reduce monthly social security contributions by 20 % of the R&D wage base, up to SEK 3 million per group per monthfaronline.se. Eligible employees must spend at least 50 % (≥ 15 hours/month) on qualified R&D tasks, and the work must be systematic and aimed at producing new knowledge. Meticulous documentation is required to withstand audits.

Investor Deduction (Investeraravdrag)
Private investors may deduct 50 % of investments in qualifying small companies from capital income tax, up to SEK 650 000 per investor per year (investment limit 1.3 M SEK). The company must have < 50 employees and turnover/balance < 80 M SEK. Shares must be held for five years, and each company can raise SEK 20 M of eligible investment annually

Qualified Employee Stock Options
Startups (< 10 years old, ≤ 50 employees, turnover ≤ SEK 80 M) can issue qualified stock options. Gains are taxed as capital income upon sale rather than salary; no employer social charges are due.

Foreign Expert Tax Relief (Expertskatt)
To attract international talent, foreign specialists and executives can be taxed on only 75 % of their salary for the first three years in Sweden, lowering both the employee’s income tax and the employer’s payroll tax. Applications must be filed within three months of the start date.
Regional and Municipal Programs
R&D Payroll Tax Deduction (Forskningsavdrag)

Regional Business Development Grants
Counties offer grants covering 10–35 % of costs for SMEs investing in machinery, product development or marketing to enhance local competitiveness. Eligibility and priorities vary by region; applications are handled by regional offices.

Stockholm Innovation Scholarship
Administered by Invest Stockholm, this annual competition awards SEK 100 000 to winners in categories such as creative industries, life science & health, social impact & sustainability, travel & tourism and simplification of everyday life. An Acceleration Scholarship of SEK 250 000 is awarded to a previous winner.

Municipal Support Offices and Incubators
Municipal agencies like Invest Stockholm, Business Region Göteborg, Invest in Skåne, and Malmö’s Företagslotsen provide non-financial support: business guidance, permits navigation, internationalisation advice and connections to incubators. For example, Gothenburg’s Yesbox offers a one‑stop shop combining Almi, Business Region Göteborg and other advisors. These offices do not typically grant direct funding but can connect founders with regional and EU programmes.