Co-production and assessment

All applications received by the Knowledge Foundation are assessed based on four assessment criteria, one of which looks at the project’s capacity for co-production and benefits to the business partners.

The Business benefit criterion is assessed based on somewhat different assessment questions depending on the programme. For example, the assessment may examine how relevant the research questions or the planned education programmes are in relation to the needs of the participating companies (or an industry), and the extent to which the project is expected to contribute to the development of participating companies. The assessment panel also examines how well the work of the project is planned and organised, with a particular focus on relevant division of labour and engagement on the part of the participating parties.

To ensure that the focus on the needs of the business sector set out in our statutes is reflected in the projects we fund, we have produced a definition of “business sector” that states the types of companies approved as co-financers or project participants. Among other things, we require that the companies work in a competitive market, that they do not have significant income from government grants or fees and that they have operations in Sweden able to utilise the results of the co-production.