European Regional Development Fund project funding
- Service
- Nationwide except the Åland Islands
- Public service
The European Regional Development Fund is one of the European Cohesion Policy funds that aims to reduce development disparities between countries and regions, create vitality, improve employment, support sustainable growth, and increase competitiveness. The fund supports these objectives by financ-ing various development projects. The fund also supports sustainable urban development.
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You can find up-to-date information about the ERDF project funding and the application periods on the structuralfunds.fi website. Read about the foundations, application periods and themes and applicant instructions of the ‘Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021–2027 – Finland’s structural funds programme’ in the online service.
We recommend contacting the authorised persons of Economic Development Centres when planning a new project.
Submit your application online by the deadline stated in the application call in the EURA 2021 system.
To whom and on what terms
Funding can be applied for by companies and groups of companies, research and education organisations, industry development organisations, municipalities and other public entities, associations and co-operatives.
Operations funded by the ERDF funding must be project-based and separate from the organisation’s regular activities. The measures of ERDF projects are primarily targeted at SMEs, research and education organisations and municipalities. The applicant is required to have project competence and the capacity to realise the project and continue the operation after the project.
The applicant is required to have self-financing, and the project should principally benefit the region from which funding is applied for. The funding is paid against incurred costs and consequently, the applicant is required to have so-called buffer funding.
The public authority that provides the funding assesses and rates the application using both general and special objective-specific selection criteria that are defined (in Finnish) in the ‘hakijalle’ (for applicants) section of the structuralfunds.fi website. In order to receive funding, the project must meet all the general selection criteria. The assessment may also make use of region-specific selection criteria and call-specific emphases.