Rapid innovation initiatives

Purpose 

COWIfonden aims to support and promote innovation and professional development. To continue this support, COWIfonden has allocated DKK 2.8 million in 2026/2027. COWIfonden will support innovative initiatives that arise from ongoing discussions and collaborations with partners. This includes experimental work, physical and digital prototyping, and contributions at workshops and hackathons for employees in COWI Group companies. 

COWIfonden does not provide donations for business development or daily operations within COWI, such as training employees or developing IT tools, which may increase employees’ efficiency. Additionally, all innovation initiatives must have relevance beyond COWI, and the results must be made available to the public.  

We welcome ideas that align with the professional fields of activity of the COWI Group. We strongly encourage collaboration with external parties to foster innovative and impactful projects. 

Who can apply?

Employees in COWI Group companies and partners in collaboration with COWI employees. 

Application process 

• Ideas can be submitted at any time. 
• Simply apply via COWIfonden’s online application form using the template.
• We typically notify applicants of our decision within two weeks of their application. However, please note that during 1 July - 1 September, we will not be assessing any applications. 

Language

Please ensure that the idea description is prepared in English. 

Economy 

• You have the opportunity to apply for DKK 50,000, 75,000 or 100,000. 
• The donation will be directly paid to the COWI or Arkitema Executing Unit. 

Prerequisites 

• Recipients must complete activities or projects related to the rapid innovation initiatives within six months of receiving the donation letter. 
• Four times a year, COWIfonden organises a virtual awards night where all recipients will have a maximum of five minutes to present their findings to COWI and COWIfonden. This session will be recorded for external use.  
• To ensure a broader range of opportunities, we will not award funding to the same applicant more than twice in a single year. 

Findings 

To ensure transparency and impact, the project results must be published or made public. This may involve various forms of dissemination, such as publication in international magazines, participation in international conferences or release of open-source software.