Through the programme Education for working professionals, the Knowledge Foundation aims to give universities the opportunity to strengthen their capacity to deliver competence development for working professionals in the business sector. Starting in 2025, this programme replaces the former Expertkompetens programme.
Sweden faces a series of complex societal challenges, at the same time as a rapid technological development leads to a comprehensive transformation of the business sector. Altogether, this contributes to changed and increasing needs for relevant knowledge and competence, something that no longer solely can be met by the addition of newly graduated students. An increasingly important contribution will be competence development of already working professionals.
Sweden’s universities play an important role in this context. To many universities, working professional students is a newly added target group that prompts adaptations of the educational operations. The Knowledge Foundation therefore offers the programme Education for working professionals as a test bed for the development of competence-enhancing educational activities for working professionals.
The programme provides funding for the development of methods and formats for educational activities aimed at working professionals. Projects should involve close collaboration between universities, business partners and possibly other relevant stakeholders. Together, they are expected to analyse and define competence needs, jointly develop and test implement relevant educational activities.
To match the needs and conditions of the applicant research and education environment, the programme is offered in two variants – Mini and Maxi. More details about the two variants can be found in the call text.
Applicants: Universities within the Knowledge Foundation’s target group with degree-awarding powers at master’s level or higher. The programme can be carried out in collaboration between research and educational environments at several universities. Read more about the universities we support.
Co-funding requirements: The total co-funding from business actors must correspond to at least 10 percent of the amount requested from the Knowledge Foundation. A single business actor may not account for more than 70 percent of the total co-financing.
Maximum funding amount: SEK 5 million (Mini) or SEK 12 million (Maxi)
Project duration: 3 years (Mini) or 5 years (Maxi)
Applications are submitted through our application and reporting system, SBS Manager. The application period opens on 10 September 2026.
