The Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021–2017 programme promotes regional vitality, employment and wellbeing

The Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021–2027. Co-funded by the European Union.

The Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021–2027 programme supports business, energy, climate, innovation, education and employment policies, as well as activities against exclusion and poverty.

It includes the measures of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF).

The programme’s funding consists of EU and national funding. The programme’s public funding amounts to EUR 3,159 billion, of which EUR 1.935 billion comes from the EU and EUR 1.224 billion consists of national co-financing. 

The programme consists of seven priority areas:

  1. Innovative Finland (ERDF): The objective is to promote research and innovation capabilities of regions and companies with a particular focus on business and working life, and the introduction of new technologies. Funding will advance the growth and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Another objective is to utilise digitalisation for the benefit of citizens, businesses and public administration.
  2. Carbon neutral Finland (ERDF): The aim is to promote energy efficiency and the circular economy and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Funding will also be allocated to measures to prepare for climate change.
  3. More accessible Finland (ERDF): The objective is to support SMEs in Eastern and Northern Finland by developing local road transport infrastructure with separate funding for sparsely populated areas.
  4. Competent and inclusive Finland that provides work (ESF+): The objective is to support employment, skills, working life development, continuous learning and flexible educational paths.
  5. Finland of social innovations (ESF+): The aim is to support the everyday lives and wellbeing of children who are clients of child welfare services and, in particular, those children and young people who are placed outside their home.
  6. Finland that prevents material deprivation (ESF+): The aim is to help those in a disadvantaged position by providing support for the purchase of food and basic commodities. At the same time, the aim is to make available other services that improve the situation of those receiving aid.
  7. Finland of just transition (JTF): The objective is a regionally just transition for discounting the use of peat, adapting the sector’s workforce and restoring adverse environmental impacts.

Read more about the programme  | Structuralfunds.fi

Inquiries:
Johanna Osenius, johanna.osenius(a)gov.fi
Petra Metsälä, petra.metsala(a)gov.fi