On 15 June, Tillväxtverket opens call 2017: 2 within the West Swedish Structural Funds Program (ERDF) and closes in mid-September. All areas of action are open and there are no limitations. Applications related to digitization are considered in particular.

The overall objectives of Western Sweden's Regional Structural Funds for investment in growth and employment are:

• Strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises
• Contribute to a more low-carbon economy
• Promote sustainable urban development

To achieve the goals, there are three areas of action with different approaches. The target group is small and medium-sized companies.
Action 1 Cooperation in research and innovation 45 percent of EU funding in the program will be used for this area of ​​action. Small and medium-sized enterprises in the region need to increase their investment in research and innovation and their ability to commercialize knowledge. Therefore, projects within the program should stimulate collaboration between companies, academia and research institutes.
Action 2 Competitive SMEs 40 percent of EU funding in the program will be used for this area of ​​action. The projects will promote the development of more new innovative companies and stimulate development in existing SMEs, thus contributing to increased competitiveness in business.
Action 3 Innovation for a low-carbon economy 15% of EU funding in the program will be used for this area of ​​action. They can be used to facilitate companies to collaborate on research and innovation on low-carbon energy use, or to develop test and demonstration environments. Projects can also focus on increasing corporate energy efficiency.

Read more at VGR:s EU-portal and Tillväxtverkets (in Swedish).

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