What do Business Finland’s funding services look like at the beginning of 2026?
Business Finland is directing its funding activities towards greater impact in line with its new strategy. How will this be reflected in the funding service portfolio? What will happen to services that are currently closed?
At the end of 2025, several funding services were closed either temporarily or permanently. The decisions were guided partly by the aim to increase companies´ research and development activities, and partly by the significant cuts to innovation funding in the state budget.
According to Business Finland’s new strategy, the core objective of funding activities is likewise to increase the volume of R&D work and raise the level of ambition.
With our funding, we encourage Finnish companies to make bigger development leaps.
“With our funding, we encourage Finnish companies to make bigger development leaps. To ensure our own toolbox is in the best possible shape, we are renewing our funding services so that they can support companies as effectively as possible in their research and development work. We aim to ensure that the prerequisites for taking developed solutions to the market are clarified as part of the R&D project,” says Executive Director Timo Metsä-Tokila from Business Finland.
New kind of boost for small innovative companies aiming for international growth
The previously closed Tempo funding call will not be reopened. Instead, during early 2026, Business Finland will launch the Sprint funding call for small companies that have a new innovation and the potential for rapid international growth. Implemented as a pilot, Sprint funding is intended as the first R&D funding for new startup companies, as well as for existing companies seeking a fundamental change of their business direction by developing a new innovation. The goal of the funding is to help companies accelerate their growth and strengthen their capabilities in development, commercialization, and applying for follow-on funding. Detailed criteria will be published when the call opens. Read more in the news.
No new NIY calls likely; possible Deep Tech Accelerator calls to be announced later
The NIY funding for the growth and internationalization of startup companies will most likely remain closed, due to drastic cuts to innovation funding in the state budget. The closure does not affect companies that already have their first or later NIY funding period ongoing.
Information about possible new calls for Deep Tech Accelerator funding will be provided later. This funding targets startups under five years old that have already launched operations and were founded to commercialize the latest research results and expertise.
Business-research collaboration and ecosystems continue to be boosted
The Rise to Challenge (Näytönpaikka) call for proposals, aimed at research organizations and seeking the most impactful research initiatives for later utilization by companies, proved to be a success and will continue in 2026.
The call for proposals for cooperation between research organizations and SMEs will also be organized again.
More funding will be allocated to the Research to Business funding service.
The annual leading company (Veturi) competitions will continue. There are already more than 1,000 R&D projects involving companies and research organizations in the ecosystems of the leading companies already in action.
Separate funding for the internationalization of food and beverage manufacturers
The discontinued Explorer funding services received a new continuation through separate funding allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In cooperation with the ministry, Business Finland opened in December 2025 the Food Market Explorer and Food Exhibition Explorer funding calls for food sector companies that manufacture food and beverages and aim for international growth.