Finland Two Special Tender

The Ministry of the Environment and the Uusimaa ELY Center informAs part of the governments stimulus package funding will be directed to municipalities for the rehabilitation and development of recreational areas on the one hand and the rehabilitation and development of existing national urban parks on the other. A total of EUR 13 million will be distributed in grant applications. Both applications for special grants will be held from September 21 to November 30 2020 and the projects must be implemented during 2021.The fourth supplementary budget of the state in 2020 allocated a substantial support package to municipalities the purpose of which is to mitigate the effects of the interest rate crisis and support economic growth in municipalities. The supplementary budget set aside a total of EUR 13 million for grants to municipalities under the State Aid Act for the rehabilitation and development of local recreation areas green areas and national urban parks. Grants will be distributed in two separate special grant applications 10 million for all municipalities for the rehabilitation and development of local recreation areas and 3 million for national urban parks.Rehabilitation and development grant for local recreation areas in municipalitiesIn a search organized by the Uusimaa ELY Center EUR 10 million will be allocated for the renovation and development of local recreation areas in municipalities. The search is targeted at all municipalities. In addition to individual municipalities and associations of municipalities municipalities are also encouraged to form regional consortia to plan joint projects.The primary goal of the search is to create high-quality and easily accessible local recreation areas and thereby promote outdoor recreation opportunities for citizens. Assisted projects may include for example the rehabilitation of existing routes and structures the construction of new local routes and their service structures such as rest areas bird towers huts etc. the marking of routes in terrain and the development of signs.Grant for the rehabilitation and development of national urban parksThe search organized by the Ministry of the Environment will allocate EUR 3 million to the rehabilitation and development of national urban parks. The application is intended for municipalities where a national urban park has already been established. Grants will be awarded for nature management measures in accordance with the management and use plans of national urban parks and supporting the protection of their special values the construction of infrastructure to protect nature from consumption and the improvement of mobility in the surrounding nature. Assisted projects must target the national urban park area.