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This grant program mobilizes small and medium-sized businesses to engage in research activities. It is designed for companies with little or no previous research experience who are working to develop new products, processes, or services that can be strengthened through research collaboration. The program is linked to FORREGION, a program financed by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, and is supplemented with specific regional guidelines and priority areas in Akershus. The grant supports preliminary projects (forprosjekter) that can demonstrate potential for value creation and sustainable innovation, whether through new or improved products, services, or production processes. Businesses must collaborate with a research and development (R&D) environment in the project, with the ambition that the preliminary project will lead to further research work or collaboration with research institutions. The program targets small and medium-sized businesses with fewer than 250 employees that have little or no previous research experience. Companies that have been project responsible in main projects financed by the Research Council, Regional Research Funds, or EU research programs in the last five years are considered experienced R&D companies and cannot apply. Priority thematic areas include climate, environment and energy; health and care; and urban, place and regional development.