The Swedish system of state aid and grants is broad. It covers everything from a few thousand kronor in reduced employer contributions to millions of kronor in EU-funded investment aid. This guide gives you the full picture.
What types of support are available for businesses?
The support can be divided into six categories: employment support, investment aid, digitalisation support, innovation support, EU grants and agricultural support. On top of that, there are national support schemes via Tillväxtverket and Almi. Many businesses can apply for support from several categories in parallel.
Employment support - lower the cost of hiring
Employment support reduces the cost of hiring, either through reduced pay, subsidised pay or reduced employer contributions.
Nystartsjobb (new-start jobs) gives you a double reduction of the employer contribution for people who have been outside the labour market for a long time. You pay 0% in employer contribution, the state pays the rest.
Lönebidrag (wage subsidy) covers up to 80% of the wage cost for people with a reduced work capacity. Arbetsförmedlingen decides the amount individually.
Regional support for employer contributions gives a fixed reduction of 10 percentage points in assisted areas A and B. You do not apply for it separately, you report it directly in the employer declaration.
| Nystartsjobb | Etableringsjobb | Introduktionsjobb | Lönebidrag | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation | 1-2.5x empl. contr. | FK pays up to SEK 17,019 | 80% of wage cost | Share of pay |
| Max duration | 1-2 years | 2 years | 1-2 years | 8 years |
| Pay ceiling | SEK 20,000 | SEK 25,296 | - | SEK 20,000 |
| Full-time/part-time | Both | Full-time only | Both | Both |
| Collective agreement | No | Yes | No | No |
| Who applies | The employer | The job seeker | The employer | The employer |
Investment aid - cover up to 35% of the cost
Are you planning to invest in machinery, buildings or technology? Then there are several routes to co-financing.
Regional investment aid (regionalt investeringsstöd) gives up to 35% of the investment cost for businesses in assisted areas A and B. You must apply before the investment begins.
Agricultural investment aid (jordbruksinvesteringsstöd) gives farmers support for investments in animal welfare, energy efficiency and modernisation of production facilities.
Digitalisation support - finance your digital transition
There are two main tracks for digitalisation support: national checks via Tillväxtverket and EU-funded funds via the County Administrative Boards (länsstyrelsen).
Business development checks (affärsutvecklingscheckar) give up to SEK 250,000 for buying in external digital expertise. You pay 50% and the check covers the rest.
ERDF-funded digitalisation programmes have a higher funding level, up to 80%, but require more documentation and a longer application process.
EU grants - billions of kronor available every year
The EU distributes grants via a range of funds and programmes. The most important ones for Swedish businesses are ERDF (the regional fund), Horizon Europe (research), LIFE (environment) and Erasmus+ (education).
EU applications are more time-consuming than national support. Expect a well-written application to take 40-100 hours to produce. The amount can be large, from SEK 500,000 to several million kronor.
Agricultural support - for those with land and animals
Farmers have access to their own system of support via Jordbruksverket. The farm support (gårdsstödet) gives a base amount per hectare of land. In addition, there are payments for grazing land, environmental measures and young farmers.
The SAM application, Jordbruksverket's joint application for farm support and the rural development programme, opens on 3 February and closes on 30 April every year.
Innovation support via Vinnova
Do you run a business with a clear innovation profile? Vinnova funds research and product development with grants ranging from SEK 500,000 to several tens of millions of kronor.
Popular programmes: Forska och väx (up to SEK 500,000 to SMEs for R&D), Eurostars (international collaboration) and Strategic innovation programmes (strategiska innovationsprogram) in areas such as food and digitalisation.
National support - Tillväxtverket and Almi
Tillväxtverket distributes national grants for business development, exports and regional growth. Besides business development checks, there is support for trade development, sustainable transition and project support within the regional structural funds. The size ranges from SEK 50,000 to several million.
Almi is the state's business lender and offers financing on terms that are hard to match through an ordinary bank. Start-up and growth loans, innovation loans and venture capital via Almi Invest are the most common products. Unlike grants, Almi's financing must be repaid, but it is often decisive for businesses that lack sufficient collateral.
How do you find the right support?
Three questions help you home in on the right support quickly: What phase are you in (start-up, growth, investment)? Where are you located geographically (assisted area or not)? What is the money for (hiring, technology, research, land)?
The answers steer you towards the right authority track. Many businesses are unaware of support they are actually entitled to, partly because the system is fragmented and partly because the calls for applications open and close periodically.
Let Tillväxtstöd do the mapping
Tillväxtstöd helps you identify which support your business can apply for, and then writes the application together with you. Contact us for a free review.