Civic tech: digital services should build trust in society

Under the label "civic tech", Vinnova seeks new, digital services that strengthen trust between the public sector and citizens. The call is open until September 2020, or as long as there are still grants to be applied for. Vinnova is looking for cutting-edge projects whose results have the ability to be scaled up, disseminated and widely used. The goal of the projects that receive grants must be to develop already advanced prototypes, where these must be able to be presented at an event at the end of the project period of a maximum of 15 months. In assessing the applications, Vinnova will place great value on projects that deepen citizens' commitment to the public sector and open up the public administration. The project must include at least two parties who represent different sectors and who work together for innovation, not just to buy in services. In this context, the definition of civic tech is as follows: "Use of digital technology to strengthen trust between citizens and the public sector. It is achieved by deepening citizen engagement for the public sector, opening up the public administration and using digital technology as a lever for a new generation of services close to citizens.” A project can receive a maximum grant of SEK 2 million, depending on the size of the project. The level of support varies, but start-ups, non-profit associations, research organizations and public organizations can receive 100 percent support. The application deadline for the first assessment session is February 17, 2020. After that, there will be two more application sessions. Here you will find more information about the announcement.