Business Finland opens a call for applications for funding to support the activities of an innovation clusters related to the utilization of AI technologies.
Objectives of the call
Background
The technical development of artificial intelligence has been exceptionally rapid in recent years, and this fast pace of development is expected to continue. AI offers enormous potential for improving the efficiency of operations in companies and the public sector, reducing costs, and, above all, developing new innovative products and services. In particular, significant investments are being made in Finland, both nationally and with EU support, in research and infrastructure. In the coming years, it is crucial to ensure that these investments are widely utilized for the benefit of businesses, the public sector, and commercial activities.
Objective
The objective of the call is to support the establishment of a new innovation cluster focused on the utilization of AI technologies. The innovation cluster will bring together international experts in AI technologies and potential users. The cluster may include companies, public procurement units, research institutions, authorities, associations, and existing networks.
The aim of the innovation cluster is to accelerate the adoption of AI technologies and strengthen the ability of Finnish companies to leverage AI technologies for the development of their business and competitiveness. The detailed objectives are as follows:
- To support and strengthen collaboration among cluster members, as well as promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise. To prepare Finnish actors for utilizing AI technologies and engaging in international commercial and research collaboration. To continuously expand the cluster with new members who create synergies and add value to the cluster activities.
- To launch joint research and development projects among the cluster members aimed at developing new innovative products and services based on AI technologies.
- To initiate innovative public procurements both in Finland and internationally for the public sector, with the goal of improving the quality and productivity of public services through AI technologies, as well as creating new internationally scalable solutions.
The entity selected through this call must be able to establish and launch the innovation cluster and facilitate its activities.
Financing method
Business Finland may grant innovation cluster funding for the operating costs of innovation clusters formed and organised jointly by innovation actors. Innovation clusters and the infrastructures they implement are commercial market-based actors. The innovation cluster funding granted by Business Finland is intended to support the cluster's operating conditions in its early stages, when the utilisation rate of cluster services is still low and the prerequisites for income-funded cluster activities do not yet exist. The objective of the funding is to cover losses caused by the initial underutilisation of the cluster organisation. The aid shall not be used to subsidise the price of services provided by the cluster or otherwise transferred to users of the cluster.
General conditions for financing
Innovation clusters refer to means structures or organised groups of independent parties (such as innovative start-ups, small, medium and large enterprises, as well as research and knowledge dissemination organisations, research infrastructures, testing and experimentation infrastructures, Digital Innovation Hubs, non-for-profit organisations and other related economic actors) designed to stimulate innovative activity and new ways of collaboration, such as by digital means, by sharing and/or promoting the sharing of facilities and exchange of knowledge, and expertise and by contributing effectively to knowledge transfer, networking, information dissemination and collaboration among the undertakings and other organisations in the cluster.
Access to the cluster's premises, facilities and activities shall be open to several users and be granted on a transparent and non-discriminatory basis. Undertakings which have financed at least 10 % of the investment costs of the innovation cluster may be granted preferential access under more favourable conditions. In order to avoid overcompensation, such access shall be proportional to the undertaking's contribution to the investment costs and these conditions shall be made publicly available.
The fees charged for using the cluster’s facilities and for participating in the cluster’s activities shall correspond to the market price or reflect their costs including a reasonable margin.
The applicant for funding must be a cluster organization formed by members of an innovation cluster. Business Finland will not grant funding if
- the applicant has arrears, payment defaults or other outstanding financial obligations related to previous loans granted by Tekes or Business Finland
- the applicant is not in the prepayment register
- according to the Finnish Tax Administration, the applicant has overdue taxes or payments for which a payment plan has not been agreed upon
- the applicant has neglected registration, notification or payment obligations related to other statutory obligations.
Public support shall not be used to subsidise the price of services provided by the innovation cluster or otherwise transferred to the users of the innovation cluster. The cluster's services must be widely used by SMEs and other companies.
Funding conditions for the innovation cluster
Eligible costs
In this call, aid is granted for the cluster's activities, but not for the construction and improvement of its infrastructure. The eligible costs of operating aid for innovation clusters shall be the personnel and administrative costs (including overhead costs) relating to:
a) animation of the cluster to facilitate collaboration, information sharing and the provision or channelling of specialised and customised business support services;
b) marketing of the cluster to increase participation of new undertakings or organisations and to increase visibility;
c) management of the cluster's facilities; organisation of training programmes, workshops and conferences to support knowledge sharing and networking and transnational cooperation.
Monitoring of funded projects
The activities of an innovation cluster organisation are economic activities. The cluster organisation must aim to achieve profitable business.
The beneficiary shall keep separate accounts for the cluster activities, showing both the income from the use of the cluster's infrastructure and services, the income from participation in the activities and the costs incurred from the operation of the cluster. If the cluster organisation has other activities not covered by funding, the cluster organisation must be able to separate the activities covered by funding from other activities in its accounting.
The income generated from the cluster's operations shall be taken into account when calculating the maximum amount of operating aid to be paid. The final level of operating aid at the end of the support period may be less than 50%. Business Finland may reduce the amount of support to be paid or recover support already paid in order not to exceed the maximum amount of operating support allowed.
Funding and criteria
In this call, support is granted for a cluster startup phase of up to 24 months according to project plan. Business Finland is prepared to finance one innovation cluster with a maximum of 500,000 euros. The support intensity is a maximum of 50% of eligible costs. The applicant must have credible self-financing.
Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
- Fulfillment of the general funding requirements described in this call for applications.
- Credibility and impact of the project plan in achieving the goals of the call.
- The number and quality of cluster members at the time of application submission, as well as the ambition and credibility of the members' goals.
- The cluster organization's resources and capacity to make the cluster activities profitable.
- The planned impacts of the innovation cluster on business operations, innovative public procurements, exports, job creation, and investments.
Schedule
The application period ends 30.9.2025. The application is submitted in Business Finland's online service. Select Research, Development and Piloting as your funding service. The online service utilises Suomi.fi authorization when applying for funding, please read the instructions.
