Seeking public funding

What should you consider when applying for public funding?

You should prepare well for a public funding application. In most cases, you will not be able to get your entire investment funded by any one government agency or organisation. Some funding requires you to be able to finance at least half or more of the investment yourself through your bank or some other financier.

You must always present a business plan to the body processing your funding application. The business plan is an important part of the negotiations you will have with public funding providers. A well-developed business plan that shows what you will do, how you will do it and how the rest of the capital needs will be financed will increase your chances of finding a funder.

Always contact the government agency or organisation that decides on the funding in question. They will always know exactly what applies.

Why are there not more subsidies and grants for businesses?

The grants and loans offered by the state have a market-complementary role and should not compete with private stakeholders offering financing. Seeking financing on the private market can therefore be both easier and more effective. In addition, the private alternatives, such as banks, venture capital firms and credit institutions, are more numerous and have more capital.

What impact can public funding have on your business?

Funding you receive to collaborate on projects with other companies commits you to the collaboration. You are obliged to account for what you have done with the money. You must also be able to show that the objective of the grant or loan has been achieved. The government agency or organisation that grants you funding may also have views on your project and how it is carried out.

Grants for cultural-historical environments

If you look after a cultural environment to preserve it for the future, or work to make a cultural environment more accessible and useful, you can apply for a grant from the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen).

Culturally and historically valuable buildings, environments and landscapes are common sources of knowledge and experiences. You can apply for a grant from the County Administrative Board if you look after a cultural environment in such a way that it is preserved for the future or if you make it more accessible and useful for everyone.

Grants for the management of valuable cultural environments

A national goal is to have a diversity of cultural environments, buildings and facilities that are preserved, used and developed. Every year, the State allocates money for cultural environmental protection. What the money can be used for is specified in the Ordinance on grants for the management of valuable cultural environments.

As someone who owns or manages a culturally and historically valuable building or environment, you can apply for a grant from the County Administrative Board.

Grants can be given for:

• looking after cultural-historical buildings and environments that are already protected as architectural monuments or cultural reserves, or are part of a so-called national interest in cultural environmental care
• looking after valuable cultural environments that provide a special understanding of historical contexts, or that have special local or regional significance
• projects that make cultural environments more accessible and useful for everyone

Grants for cultural-historical environments at The County Administrative Board