Project costs that qualify for funding

When you apply for project funding, you can apply for grants to cover both direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include costs for salaries, equipment and travel. Indirect costs are costs that are shared with others in your organisation, such as for administration, IT and renting of premises. Indirect costs are sometimes called overhead.

For companies and other non-governmental organisations, there are some things to consider when it comes to the costs for which you can apply for funding. You can read more about this under State aid regulations – for companies and other organisations engaged in economic activity (only in Swedish).

You can apply for funding to cover salaries for researchers, doctoral students and other staff, unless otherwise stated in the call description. Social security contributions should be included. Funds can be granted for annual salary increases.

No more than full-time employment

The total amount of the salary for a single researcher, doctoral student or other staff must not exceed 100 percent of full-time employment.

This also means that someone who is already receiving full salary funding from any funder cannot receive additional funding for salary.

Researchers who are full-time pensioners cannot receive funding for their own salary.

Running costs can include the cost of consumables, travel, conferences and publication fees for open access journals and databases. This also refers to research services, technical knowledge, consulting services and corresponding services that have been purchased or licensed from external actors on market terms and that are used exclusively for the project.

The total maximum amount you can be granted for equipment and equipment depreciation costs is 500,000 kronor.

You can apply for funding for the cost of premises if this is not already included as overhead in the project’s budget.

For colleges, universities and other public administrations

When you state the cost of overhead in the application, do so according to the practice of the college, university or public administration that will manage the funds.

If funds will be transferred from the grant administrating organisation to another organisation that participates in the project, the overhead cost of each organisation can be applied. Declare and specify the different overhead costs in the budget specification. The total overhead costs for the project should be stated in the budget table.

Formas does not grant funding for overhead costs that you write off for equipment or premises.

For companies and non-governmental organisations

For companies and non-governmental organisations there are special rules for indirect costs. Read more about this here: State aid regulations – for companies and other organisations engaged in economic activity (only in Swedish).

Updated:8 November 2023
Page manager: Linda Bergqvist Ampel