Do you have a project plan for an idea that could revolutionize your industry or create something completely new? Take a step into the future and make use of the research and development funding opportunities available today!
Target group / Who can apply
Business Finland's funding is used to increase the research and development (R&D) intensity of the creative industries. Research and development funding in the creative industries can be applied for and obtained by research organizations and companies with an inspiring and viable idea and a joint project plan.
Amount of funding to be granted in the call
With EUR 9 million of funding, Business Finland promotes the growth and renewal of the creative economy and the growth of value added in the sector through R&D activities.
Call description
The aim of the Co-Innovation research and development funding for the creative sector provided by Business Finland is to promote the renewal and international competitiveness of companies in the sector by supporting ambitious research and development projects that combine the expertise of the research institute and the companies' desire to renew, grow, and improve their competitive position. Co-Innovation joint projects are implemented in parallel in close cooperation between the participants.
Project grants in the creative industries are awarded on the basis of the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers (688/2001), the Government Decree on the Financing of Research, Development, and Innovation Activities (1444/2014) and state budget documents. The funding is competitive and discretionary.
More information: Funding to promote research and development in the creative industries
Purpose of the funding
You can apply for funding for research and development activities that produce new knowledge and new know-how in collaboration between companies and research institutes. The research and development activities can be related to areas such as new business models that strengthen the company’s competitiveness or innovative services and products that create added value for customers and challenge traditional operating models. The funding enables the company to focus on the research and development process. In addition, companies can network with experts and research organizations in their field. It creates valuable partnerships and new forms of collaboration. The funding will strengthen the expertise of research organizations and accelerate the utilization of research knowledge in companies’ R&D activities and the development of new export products.
Business Finland's funding for companies may be a grant or a loan under this call. The aid percentages vary depending on the size of the company and the content of the project.
- For SMEs, the grant is 50% of the eligible costs in research-oriented projects and 35% in development-oriented ones.
- For Midcaps, the grant is 40% of the eligible costs for research-oriented projects and 25% for development-oriented projects.
- For large companies, the grant is 40% of the eligible costs for research-oriented projects. For development-oriented projects, a large company can apply for a maximum loan of 50%.
- For research organizations, the grant is 80% of the project's eligible costs.
When companies other than those in the creative sector participate with their own subprojects, the incentive effect of the funding on cooperation and networking in Co-Innovation projects can also be evaluated in terms of the network collaboration.
The proportion between the total costs of research and business projects must be balanced. The greater the emphasis on applied research, the higher the share of business projects. In future-oriented high-risk joint projects, the share of research may be higher. A single project may not account for more than 70% of the joint project’s costs. In addition, the combined total costs of the research projects may not exceed 60% of the overall Co-Innovation costs.
General conditions
Business Finland may grant Co-Innovation project funding to research projects by research organizations that generate new expertise as well as to companies’ parallel R&D projects that create international competitive advantage and significant business potential for the companies. The consortium must have a joint project plan. The companies must have sufficient self-financing, a credible team, and know-how and the capabilities to implement the proposed project.
In a Co-Innovation project, the consortium members agree collectively on the content, objectives, and utilization of the results of the project (IPR). The joint project plan should include a description of the project, the cooperation to be undertaken, and the role and responsibilities of each party in the consortium. All parties apply separately for funding for the costs related to their share of the project.
Applications from companies for Co-Innovation and joint projects are evaluated according to the companies' R&D evaluation criteria.
The consortium of the Co-Innovation project must consist of at least one research organization and three companies, at least two of which have an R&D project of their own funded by Business Finland. The appropriate consortium size is often larger than this. Companies and other operators included in the consortium that do not have an R&D project of their own can, for example, finance research activities or bring other contributions to the project, such as data, software, materials, or equipment handed over to the research project. The role and contribution of these companies must be described, and they must complement and further the goals of the project.
Two or more companies may jointly apply for an R&D project funding without a funding application from a research organization. In this case, it is a joint project between companies. The services of a research organization may be subcontracted for the joint project. The joint project must have a shared plan and goal. The Co-Innovation application template can be used for the application.
Assessment criteria
With regard to the content of the funded projects, the key criteria are their innovative nature and the impact of the expected results on the international competitiveness of the Finnish creative industry. The project must promote collaboration between companies and research organizations and have an impact on the companies’ international business. In addition, the consortium must be appropriate for the implementation of the project. Public research must be in demand and involve active international collaboration.
The project grant is not intended for funding the applicant’s established basic operations or the normal development of existing products and services.
- The joint project will significantly improve the international competitiveness of the companies involved and the renewal of any large companies involved in the consortium.
- The joint project will provide the companies with a high potential for new export business in comparison with the required R&D investments.
- The common goals of the joint project are ambitious, and the participants in the consortium have sufficient expertise and resources to achieve them. The parties to the joint project are genuinely engaged in close collaboration.
- The research conducted and the solutions produced through it have novelty value, market potential, credible commercialization plans, and social impact.
- The results of the public research project must also be widely available for use outside the Co-Innovation consortium. The research project must have a high-quality dissemination plan for the results.
The projects will be mainly evaluated in accordance with the criteria of Business Finland's Co-Innovation projects, for example with regard to genuine collaboration and public research criteria.
The projects are evaluated according to the following specific criteria:
- The international novelty value of the project’s expected results
- The potential benefit of the project’s results for the Finnish national economy
- The quality and interdisciplinarity of the project consortium and the value chain it forms
- The amount and quality of international/national collaboration in the project
- The quality of project plans
- Without a grant from Business Finland, the project either could not be carried out at all or would be carried out significantly more slowly or on a smaller scale
Funding terms and conditions
Public research funding (pdf)
Funding for companies' research and development activities (pdf)
The funding terms and conditions describe the costs that Business Finland can fund, how we monitor your project costs, and how you should report on the progress of your project.
Instructions for applying
Before submitting the application
Please provide concise answers to the preliminary questions below (max 2 A4 pages) and e-mail your answer to luovat (at) businessfinland.fi with the subject line "Co-Innovation call".
If you are the main coordinator or research organization, please answer these questions:
- What is the idea and goal of the Co-Innovation project, what will the research cover, and how will you utilize the research?
- Who are the applicants?
- Other participants, if any?
Our advisors will get back to you as soon as possible.
If you are a company participant in a Co-Innovation project, please answer these questions:
The company's current status
- Industry
- Annual turnover and a description of how the business during the project will be funded
- Employee number
Market need
- What is the problem to be solved?
- What is the proposed solution?
- Who is the end user of the solution?
- What are the target countries and on what basis have they been selected?
- What are the competing solutions you have identified in the targeted international market?
- What is the competitive advantage of your solution?
R&D project
- What does the project’s self-financing consist of?
- Concrete project description: What kinds of work packages does the project consist of? Also describe the purchased services and human resources required for the project.
- What are the concrete and measurable objectives of the project?
Business objectives
- What is the company's funding plan for international market expansion?
- Estimate the project’s target turnover (in euros) for the international market.
After submitting the application
All applications will be processed after the application period has expired, and the decisions will be announced for Co-Innovation and joint projects in October 2026.
E-service
Basic information of the application is filled in the funding e-service.