See Business Finland’s most exciting funding opportunities for this spring!
What new calls and funding instruments does Business Finland offer, and what opportunities do they provide for the University of Oulu and our researchers? See this summary of the most interesting funding opportunities this spring!
Two new Leading Companies
Business Finland is launching two new Leading Company projects: ABB’s H2 Springboard and Nokian Tyres’ FUTUREPROOF. These projects offer collaboration opportunities for SMEs and research organizations to tackle future challenges. Additional Leading Company project selections will be made in March 2025.
The H2 Springboard project, led by ABB, is a five-year initiative aiming to foster close cooperation between over 50 Finnish companies, research institutes, and universities to accelerate the Finnish hydrogen economy. The goal is to develop electrification and automation solutions for operating and managing hydrogen plants and integrating them into the power grid. Additionally, the project focuses on developing subsystems and technologies that support electricity and hydrogen network management and energy storage.
The FUTUREPROOF project, led by Nokian Tyres, aims to address key future mobility challenges by developing solutions related to tire and traffic digitalization, product lifecycle management, and manufacturing technologies. The objective is to ensure sustainable European mobility on both roads and off-road by bringing together experts from various fields.
Read more about partnership model funding call for Co-Research projects.
6G Bridge and Quantum
Business Finland’s 6G Bridge program and Quantum campaign invite research organizations to strengthen their collaboration with strategic international research ecosystems. The funding call aims to build research partnerships with key international partners and increase the visibility of Finnish research through joint international projects.
This funding call will remain open until the completion of the 6G Bridge program (December 31, 2026) and the Quantum campaign (December 31, 2025). Finnish universities and research organizations can propose new Co-Research and/or Co-Innovation projects. There are no fixed deadlines for submitting applications.
Business Finland funding for SMEs’ business growth
Business Finland launched a funding call for research organizations to initiate projects that enhance SMEs' ability to grow their businesses. A total of 17 projects are starting, enabling collaboration between researchers and SMEs, including mid-sized enterprises that have not previously leveraged research organizations systematically.
Business Finland plans to open a new funding call in May 2025 to further support collaboration between research organizations and SMEs — stay tuned!
Rise to Challenge funding call
The Rise to Challenge funding call seeks to identify the most impactful research initiatives and discover groundbreaking research ideas with the potential to revolutionize future markets. The goal is for research organizations to build entirely new knowledge bases, which companies can later leverage to enhance their capabilities.
The first pilot call focuses on digital solutions that enhance security, but future calls will likely cover various other themes. Rise to Challenge projects can last up to five years, with funding distributed in two phases. The pilot application closes on March 31, 2025.
Why apply for Business Finland funding?
In spring 2024, Business Finland introduced changes to its funding instruments, making funding even more attractive for universities. Starting in 2025, Business Finland’s funding for public research projects will cover 80 % of the project’s approved costs, up from the previous 70 %. This increase enhances the benefits of collaborating with businesses.
“Business Finland provides us with highly efficient funding. These projects also allow us to engage in strong industrial collaboration with clear objectives”, says Rector Arto Maaninen. “It is also motivating when someone takes an interest in your work. Often one realizes its value when they participate in a Business Finland project for the first time.”
Additionally, this year €9 million from Business Finland’s funding budget has been allocated to support research and development in creative industries. This funding is available for joint projects between companies and research organizations that aim to generate new knowledge and innovations for transforming the creative sector.
Another new funding opportunity arises from the government’s budget decision, allowing Business Finland’s funding to be directed towards R&D activities in university hospitals within Finland’s wellbeing services counties. These projects must be carried out in collaboration with companies and research organizations as part of Co-Innovation projects.