📋 Tender Overview
The Government approved the Renewed and Competent Finland 20212027 EU Regional and Structural Policy Program and decided to submit it to the European Commission. The program supports economic energy climate innovation education and employment policies as well as work against exclusion and poverty.The program includes actions under the European Regional Development Fund ERDF and the European Social Fund Plus ESF . The activities of the Fair Transition Fund JTF will be included separately in the program through a subsequent program change. The program applies to mainland Finland. The land Provincial Government is responsible for its own programming.The new seven-year Renewable and Competent Finland program provides a framework for long-term regional development. The funding of the program for example supports companies RDI activities promotes the availability of skilled labor accelerates the green transition and increases the participation of young people - the program thus promotes sustainable growth and peoples well-being says Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintil .The program supports sustainable renewal competence development and inclusionThe cross-cutting priorities of the Renewable and Competent Finland program are sustainable development gender equality equality digitalisation internationalization climate change and innovation. These are included in all activities. 35 of ERDF funding is allocated to climate measures.The program has six lines of actionInnovative Finland ERDF The aim is to promote the research and innovation capacities of regions and companies based on business and working life and the introduction of new technologies. Funding will boost the growth and competitiveness of SMEs. In addition the aim is to take advantage of digitalisation for the benefit of citizens businesses and public administrations.Carbon-neutral Finland ERDF The aim is to promote energy efficiency and the circular economy as well as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Funding will also be allocated to measures to prepare for climate change.More accessible Finland ERDF The aim is to support SMEs in Eastern and Northern Finland by developing local road transport infrastructure with separate funding for sparsely populated areas.Employable skilled and inclusive Finland ESF The aim is to support employment skills development of working life continuous learning and flexible educational pathways.Finland for Social Innovations ESF The aim is to support the life situation and well-being of children and young people who are clients of child protection especially those placed outside the home.Finland which addresses material deprivation ESF The aim is to help the disadvantaged by providing support for the purchase of food and basic commodities. At the same time efforts will be made to provide other services to improve the situation of beneficiaries.Public funding for the program is about 3.2 billion eurosThe implementation of the new regional and structural policy programming period covers the years 20212027. Funding for the program consists of EU funding and national funding. Public funding for the program is 2.493 billion of which 1.469 billion is EU funding and 1.024 billion is national co-financing. The funding for a fair transition to be confirmed at a later date will total around 0.7 billion.The implementation of the program will start in NovemberEach member state draws up a program for each EU regional and structural policy programming period which describes the starting points objectives and actions set by the member state for development activities as well as funding in accordance with the regulations of the EU programming period. The Finnish program has been prepared in extensive partnership with representatives of ministries regions and organizations. The European Commission is expected to give final approval to the program in March-April 2022. The implementation of the program will start gradually with project applications during the rest of 2021. The first funding decisions will be made in spring 2022. Funding will be provided by the provincial associations ELY centers and the Finnish Food Safety Authority.
