Vinnova, Formas and the Swedish Energy Agency say yes to funding for SustainGov, where Samhällsnytta at Karlstad University is one of the partners.
The decision means that SustainGov is granted around SEK 11 million in government funding per year for running the programme, which is intended to help the public sector do the right things.
– It is important for Karlstad University that we get to be a part of this long-term and strategic initiative, says Johan Quist, Managing Director of Karlstads universitet Samhällsnytta AB.
– But it is even more important for all the employees and citizens who meet each other every day in what is the core of the Swedish public sector.
Additional funds will also be coming from co-funding participants in the programme. Moreover, government funds will be added in the form of an investment budget in the range of SEK 125–150 million per year, excluding co-funding.
It is Impact Innovation – an initiative by the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova – who have granted funding for SustainGov. The decision means that five strategic innovation programmes will be launched during the first quarter of 2024. The innovation programs must be aimed at one or more overall societal challenges and require collaboration between a broad constellation of actors.
– It is very gratifying that analysts and funders see such potential in our consortium, says Johan Quist.
The idea is for SustainGov to be a platform that offer support in the transition to a sustainable society by fundamentally changing the governance, financing and working methods of the public sector.
– Our offer is about being bold enough to question existing structures in the public sector. Samhällsnytta is going to contribute by being responsible for interventions that deal with new ways of working with policy. Samhällsnytta has been on that journey for a few years already, and now our efforts will have even better conditions to succeed, says Johan Quist.
SustainGov is a collaboration between 15 government agencies and organisations. Mid Sweden University is the programme coordinator and in addition to Samhällsnytta at Karlstad University, the programme also includes Västerbotten County Administrative Board, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR), Södertörn University, Norrbotten Municipalities, Sundsvall Muncipality, Tomelilla Municipality, Region Jämtland Härjedalen, Region Västernorrland, Stockholm School of Economics, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), DIGG, the Swedish Veterinary Agency (SVA), Skellefteå Science City and Bron Innovation.
A total of around SEK 500 million per year is invested by the government within the framework of the Impact Innovation programme. More information about this and the other innovation programmes that have been granted funding can be found at: www.impactinnovation.se/en/
