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SLU Umeå and Swedbanks Ägarstiftelse Norrlands award for Sustainable Innovations 2025
Published: 25 April 2025
The green industry is facing one of its biggest challenges yet and we believe the solution is here. Do you work or study at SLU Umeå and have an idea for a new product, service or method that can contribute to a more sustainable industry? Apply for the Innovation Award and you can personally win up to SEK 50,000.
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The announcement in its entirety:
The green sector is facing one of its greatest challenges ever – and we believe the solution might be found at SLU in Umeå. Do you have an idea for a new product, service, or method that can contribute to sustainable development? Then you have the chance to apply for the SLU Umeå and Swedbanks Ägarstiftelse Norrlands award for Sustainable Innovations and compete for up to SEK 50,000! The prize is awarded to ideas with the potential to transform the green sector and the food supply chain and is a joint initiative between SLU Umeå and the Swedbanks Ägarstiftelse Norrland. The total prize pool is SEK 75,000, with a first prize of SEK 50,000 and two student prizes of SEK 15,000 and SEK 10,000 respectively. The aim of the prize is to encourage innovation and help more of the university’s knowledge make a real impact in society.
Who can apply?
Students, researchers or employees of SLU Umeå are welcome to participate, regardless of discipline. Innovations can be product-related as well as service-oriented but must not have reached commercial phase. If you are more than one person behind the idea, at least one of you must be a student, employee or researcher at SLU Umeå. If others have been involved in the creation of the innovation or have worked on developing it, you must check with them before applying. Our recommendation is that if there are questions regarding who should apply, please apply together as the prize money is then shared between the applicants.
Please note that previous winners of this prize cannot compete again with the same idea. This applies only to those who have received prize money and not those who have received honorable mentions.
Read more below under Detailed competition conditions.
Assessment criteria
Applications are assessed based on:
- Innovation height and idea (Is the idea new, well presented, and thought out?)
- Sustainability (How does the idea affect society from an economic, social, and ecological perspective?)
- Commercial potential and/or societal benefit (Who are the potential customers and users?)
- Implementation potential (What potential exists to take the idea further to implementation in society/industry? What are the main risks and competitors?)
Important dates
The last application date is Thursday, October 16, 2025.
The award ceremony will take place in late autumn 2025.
Why an innovation award?
The green sector is facing great challenges – and an equally great need for change and development. To meet future demands the world needs new approaches, innovative business models, and, not least, strong drive.
SLU is a driving force in the transition to a more sustainable green sector. Through groundbreaking research and continuous development of new knowledge, the university contributes solutions to both today's and tomorrow's challenges. But for research results to really make an impact in society, more than insights are required – entrepreneurial power is needed to put them into practice.
We therefore see the innovation ability and entrepreneurial spirit that exists among our researchers and students as crucial for the future. To create real change, innovations not only need to be born – they must also be developed into sustainable businesses that can make a real difference. In a world where time is short and the transition is urgent, entrepreneurship becomes one of our most important tools.
As part of this commitment, SLU in Umeå, together with Swedbanks Ägarstiftelse Norrland, have established the Innovation award. With the aim to promote a culture where innovation and new thinking are encouraged – and where more of the university's collective knowledge can be transformed into societal solutions. The ideas that are rewarded should have the potential to develop into economically sustainable businesses, with the ability to contribute to the future of the green sector.
Detailed competition conditions
Who can apply?
Researchers, employees, and students at SLU's Umeå campus are welcome to participate. Innovations can be product-related as well as service-oriented – we do not set such limitations on competition entries.
Individuals as well as teams are welcome to apply. If a team wins, the prize sum is shared between the applicants. If there are several people behind an idea, at least one of you must be a student, researcher, or employee at SLU in Umeå. As a student, you must have earned credits (at least 1 ECTS) at SLU Umeå during the academic year in which the competition takes place.
Note that you can only apply for an innovation that is yours. If others have been involved in the creation of the innovation or worked on developing it, you must check with them before applying. Our recommendation is that if questions arise, apply for the prize together.
Please note that previous winners of this prize cannot compete again with the same idea. This applies only to those who have received prize money and not those who have received honorable mentions.
The prize
The total prize sum is 75,000 SEK and is distributed as a first prize of 50,000 SEK and two student prizes of 15,000 SEK and 10,000 SEK each. The student category is also open to doctoral students. The prizes will be awarded in autumn 2025.
The prize is personal and there is no requirement for reporting back, but we would like the winners to report back to us 12 months after receiving the prize with a short summary of how the prize affected their ability to drive their project forward. The prize sum is a scholarship awarded to the main applicant from Swedbanks Ägarstiftelse Norrland and is normally not taxable. However, the recipient is responsible for clarifying this with the tax authorities.
Selection criteria
The Innovation award is open to all ideas, but the sustainability aspect of the proposals will be central to the assessment. Our industry needs more innovations to reduce the environmental impact, and we hope the prize is an important tool to accelerate that development.
We welcome project ideas that have not yet developed into a commercial product or service to apply for the Innovation award.
The assessment criteria we use to evaluate applications are as follows:
- Innovation height and idea (Is the idea new, well presented, and thought out?)
- Sustainability (How does the idea affect society from an economic, social, and ecological perspective?)
- Commercial potential and/or societal benefit (Who are the potential customers and users?)
- Implementation potential (What potential exists to take the idea further to implementation in society/industry? What are the main risks and competitors?)
Confidentiality
Applications for the innovation prize will be handled confidentially, and the innovation remains the property of the applicant even after the competition.