The Rise to the Challenge Funding Call is Business Finland’s most significant contribution to research organizations. Funding for a single project over five years can amount to as much as EUR 5–10 million. EUR 30 million has been earmarked for the first phase of the projects, which is estimated to fund 5–10 stand-alone projects. Given the significant investment by Business Finland, we also expect a major commitment and dedication from the research organizations, including from their management. The Rise to the Challenge funding enables new wellbeing, expertise and business for Finland in the long term.
With this funding, we want to accelerate cutting-edge research and create the expertise and capabilities needed by the growth sectors of the future. We fund radical, bold initiatives. New radical initiatives and innovative research ideas that could revolutionise future markets now have a real opportunity to rise to the challenge.
The autumn call welcomes world-class ideas without thematic restrictions.
The call is only open to research s.
The bar is high
With the Rise to the Challenge funding, we want to accelerate cutting-edge research and lay the foundations for tomorrow’s business. These projects address socially significant challenges of the future through research. The bar is high. We are now seeking radical initiatives, courage and a willingness to take risks.
In recent years, Business Finland’s research funding for research organizations has mainly been allocated to projects in which companies using the research results are involved in steering and financing the research from the beginning. This phased call will fund research organization projects with identified productivity benefits and/or international commercial potential that cannot yet be accurately assessed. The participation of companies is not yet expected in the first phase of the funding call.
Goals and theme of the Rise to the Challenge pilot call
The aim of the call is to increase Finnish R&D competence, making Finland an international top-level pioneer in this area, and to generate expertise and capabilities for future growth sectors. The call supports the Government program’s goal of raising Finland’s research and development expenditure to 4% of GDP by 2030.
The autumn call welcomes world-class ideas without thematic restrictions.
Funding phases, process and selection criteria
The maximum duration of an individual research project is five years. In this call, funding will be granted for the first phase of the research project, the maximum duration of the first phase being three years. Company participation is not expected in the first phase of the project; instead, companies may be engaged as the project progresses. Based on the results of the first phase, the project may be granted further funding. Further funding requires that the goals set for the first phase have been achieved.
If funding is granted for the project’s second phase, this is made as a change decision to the project plan and the cost estimate and no new funding application is required. The aim of Business Finland is that the implementation and funding of the projects that have reached their goals in the first phase would continue to the second phase without interruption.
Both phases can be implemented in collaboration between research organizations.
Project selection criteria
Preliminary application phase:
- Significance of the mission, uniqueness and novelty of the research idea.
- View of the potential business arising from the research and the timeframe of utilisation. Relevance to Finnish society.
- Diverse expertise of the research team/teams compared to international standards and the project manager’s experience and leadership capability.
For projects invited to further discussions, in addition to the above:
- The ambition and quality of the project plan, and the plan for engaging stakeholders who will utilise the project’s results.
- Initial resources and RDI capabilities and their planned development.
- Quality of national and international networks of the research project.
Preliminary application phase: DL on 31 October 2025
At the preliminary application phase, the key research questions and the research roadmap are defined. The research must be related to major societal needs and new business opportunities that arise from them.
Based on a standardised PowerPoint presentation, the presenters of project ideas that best meet the funding call criteria will be invited for further discussions.
PowerPoint template for presenting your project idea
- Mission and Situational picture
- Roadmap
- Impact and Indicators
- Team and Leadership
- Project Content and Cost Estimate
The material must be submitted by Friday, 31 October 2025, at the latest (in accordance with the PowerPoint template) by sending a secure email. Enter “Rise to the Challenge Research Funding Call, BFRK/7/910/2025” in the subject line.
Based on the material, the most promising research ideas will be selected for pitching the project to Business Finland’s experts. Those invited to pitch their project will be sent a link to book a discussion time at the beginning of November. The pitches will be presented to BF’s experts in November–December. During the pitch, the project team must demonstrate how the research organization is committed to the project and strengthening the research team.
Feedback on further discussions will be provided no later than 20 January 2026.
First phase of the project – maximum of three years: Competency development and strengthening resources. Full application DL on 9 March 2026
Based on the November–December discussions, some applicants will be recommended to submit a full application. Attach a standard project plan to your application.
The full application specifies the key research questions and the roadmap presented at the preliminary application phase. The project plan must describe the mission, goals and plan for the entire five-year project at a general level, as well as provide a more detailed plan for the first three-year phase with measurable goals and cost estimates.
As part of the first phase of the research project, you should:
- assemble and strengthen your research resources
- identify interdisciplinary research needs and organise collaboration, for example, with the social sciences, humanities or creative industries, and strengthen international research links
- engage companies that will utilise the research results in their own R&D work for the second phase of the project and outline other paths for utilising the research
- specify the research plan for the second phase
While preparing the application, the applicant and Business Finland will specify measurable goals that will help steer the project’s implementation and reporting, as well as monitor the project’s impacts. Based on these indicators, it will be decided whether the project can be granted further funding after the first three-year period.
Phase 1 result indicators
In its funding application, the research organization must present indicators for assessing the results of Phase 1, as well as to justify progression to the potential Phase 2 of the research project (three mandatory and one optional indicator). The indicators presented must be relevant not only to the organization of the project and the quality of research but also to the expected societal and business impact.
Mandatory for all:
- Initial researcher resources and a plan for their development
- Progress towards the mission in the first phase, i.e., implementation of the project in accordance with the roadmap and project plan
- Identification of utilisation pathways and evidence of stakeholder commitment to the second phase of the research
Examples of optional indicators:
- First phase research results and their (peer-reviewed) publications
- Multidisciplinary and international collaboration relationships, the goal and plan for participating in international calls
- Development of research infrastructures and the use of existing infrastructures
Second phase – maximum of two years: Ensuring impact and utilisation
The funding decision for the second phase depends on the results achieved in the first phase. As a rule, the set indicators must be mainly achieved.
When reporting on the first phase, the applicant must also submit a more detailed plan and cost estimate for the second phase of the project. The plan should include elaborated impact objectives for the second phase. If funding is granted for the project’s second phase, this is made as a change decision to the project plan and the cost estimate and no new funding application is required.
In the second phase, the research will proceed according to the specified plan. Alongside the research, further utilisation pathways will be identified, and links to the business community and other stakeholders will be strengthened further. The utilisation options include commercialisation paths realised through the founding of new companies. This phase also includes applying for international research funding and building the necessary international networks.
This call for funding is expected to allocate EUR 30 million for the first phase of projects, up to EUR 3 million per organization or EUR 6 million per joint project. The project may be carried out in collaboration between research organizations. The call will fund 5–10 projects.
A possible two-year extension can be funded with a further EUR 2 million for a single organization’s project or EUR 4 million for a joint project involving several research groups.
Research organizations are funded at 80%.
The full application must be completed in Business Finland's online service by 9 March 2026.
Select Co-Research as the funding service. You do not need to include “Notifications of Participation in the Project” forms in the application.
Select “Rise to the Challenge” from the drop-down menu under “Programs and other Related Links”. Enter a name for your application in the following format: “Rise to the Challenge – project name x”.
Prepare a project plan on a separate application template, and attach it to your application.
Parties to a joint project must use the same project name. In joint projects, each research organization submits its own application in the e-service, but the entire group has a common project plan. You will briefly answer questions in the online service regarding the entire project and describe your own role in more detail.
