All grants and application periods in one place.
In October 2026 the following are open to companies: Business Finland's Sprint grant (continuous call), the Western Finland Vitality Centre's ReArm call until 31.10., and the EU's EIC Accelerator, whose next deadline for full applications is 4.11.2026. The Finnish Cultural Foundation's only annual call is 15.–30.10.2026. Competition is tough: the Vitality Centres' spring R&D call received applications for 27 million € when 5 million € was available.
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Business Finland and the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (Elinvoimakeskus)
Key forms of public business financing in October 2026. The ELY Centres' business services moved to the Vitality Centres at the start of 2026.
| Financing | Level / amount | For whom / notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| BF Sprint grant | €75,000–100,000, 75% of costs | Limited company with fewer than 50 people, turnover under 10 million €, equity of at least 50 000 €; at least 2/3 of costs R&D; continuous application | Business Finland |
| BF continuous R&D project funding | Grant 40/50/60 % or loan 50/70 % | SMEs and mid-caps: product, service, process or business model development | Business Finland (proposal 12.2.2026) |
| BF R&D funding for the creative industries | €9 million/year | In the spring 2026 round, 71 applications, about €14 million applied for; next round later in 2026 | Business Finland 15.9.2026 |
| BF Tempo funding | No longer opens | According to Business Finland, Tempo will not reopen | Business Finland |
| Vitality Centre: development grant, development projects | max. 50 % (lump-sum project 60 %) | SMEs; the grant must be at least €10,000 | Vitality Centre 10/2026 |
| Vitality Centre: development grant, investments | 10–40 % | The level depends on the size and location of the business | Vitality Centre 10/2026 |
| Vitality Centre: R&D call (Southern and Western Finland) | €5 million (spring 2026) | 431 applications, €27.1 million applied for; next round planned for early 2027 | Vitality Centre |
| Vitality Centre: ReArm funding (Western Finland) | approx. 4,1 million € for the whole area | SMEs developing security, defence and dual-use capabilities; applications until 31.10.2026 | Federation of Finnish Enterprises 23.6.2026 |
Finnvera loans and guarantees for small businesses
Finnvera's products and pricing in 2026 (EB = Euribor).
| Product | Maximum amount | Price | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loan for micro-enterprise growth | 50 000 € | 6-month Euribor + 4.5%; arrangement fee 1.5% (max. €500) | Start-up and operating microenterprises (max. 9 people) |
| Business loan | from 20 000 € | 6-month Euribor + 3.75% | For a limited company shareholder: growth and restructuring |
| Finnvera loan | from 50 000 € | Case by case | SMEs, and large companies in exceptional cases |
| Climate and environmental loan | 150 000 € – 2 million € / project | Without a deposit | Projects that meet the InvestEU criteria |
| Initial guarantee | 80 000 € | Guarantee commission 1,75 % | SMEs registered less than 3 years ago |
| SME guarantee | 200 000 € | Guarantee commission 0,95 % or 1,95 % | SMEs registered over 3 years ago, over 50% personal ownership |
| Finnvera guarantee | from 10 000 € | Case by case | SMEs, and large companies in exceptional cases |
Source: Finnvera: Finnvera's financing for small businesses 2026 (presentation published by Turku UAS)
Foundation application deadlines
Application deadlines for large foundations and the entrepreneurs' foundation. Some of the 2026 rounds have already closed.
| Foundation | Application period | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Finnish Cultural Foundation | 15.–30.10.2026 | One joint application a year (central fund + regional funds); decisions in February 2027 |
| Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation | 9–31.5.2026 (ended) | Decisions by email by the end of September; grants announced on 9.10.2026 |
| Kone Foundation | 1.–15.9. annually (2026 ended) | Annual grant application round |
| Alfred Kordelin Foundation (science) | 15.–31.8.2026 (ended) | Science grants |
| Vilho, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Foundation | 14.8.–14.9.2026 (ended) | Science grants |
| Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation | 17.–28.8.2026 (ended) | General grant search |
| Turku Entrepreneurs' Foundation | 1–4 times a year | For members of Turun Yrittäjät; up to €2,000 per application (2022 figure); not for working capital |
Source: Foundation announcements; HIP News 10.8.2026; Federation of Finnish Enterprises
Support for hiring and for new entrepreneurs
From 1.1.2025 the start-up grant and wage subsidy are granted by the municipal employment areas. The support is discretionary, and areas may have their own policies depending on appropriations.
| Support | Amount | Maximum duration | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start-up grant | €37.21/day (equal to the basic daily allowance), 5 days a week | In 6-month periods | For a new full-time entrepreneur; a second period is possible if the conditions are met |
| Pay subsidy, general | 50% of payroll costs | 5 months (10 months if unemployed for at least 12 of the last 14 months) | Must be applied for before the employment relationship begins |
| Pay subsidy, reduced work capacity | 70% of payroll costs | 10 months, extendable by up to 24 months at a time | |
| Pay subsidy, associations and foundations | up to 100 % | 10 months | The person hired must have been unemployed for at least 24 months; not for business activity |
| Pay subsidy, aged 60 and over | 50% of payroll costs | 24 months, extendable | Long-term unemployed |
| Employment subsidy for hiring people aged 55 or over | 70% of payroll costs | 10 months |
Source: KEHA Centre: Organisation Act, chapter 10 (pay subsidy); Kela 1 January 2026; Työmarkkinatori
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Read before you decide
Applying for business support 2026: Business Finland and the Vitality Centre
How to apply for business support in 2026? Business Finland Sprint, Vitality Centre development grant, application timing, payment and the de minimis limit.
Read the guide →Start-up grant 2026: how much, for whom and how to apply
The 2026 start-up grant is 37,21 euros per day for a maximum of 12 months. See the eligibility conditions, required attachments, taxation and payment applications.
Read the guide →Foundation grants for associations and companies: how to apply
Where to find foundation grants and subsidies, whether a company can receive them, how to write an application and how a grant is taxed. Guide 2026.
Read the guide →Starting a sole proprietorship in 2026: notifications, YEL and VAT
Starting a sole proprietorship in 2026: start-up notification, trade register fee, prepayment register, VAT limit of EUR 20,000, YEL limit and the discount for new entrepreneurs.
Read the guide →Business plan: template and example
Business plan template and example: the sections needed, what the start-up grant provider and Finnvera look at, and a copyable outline.
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Deadlines and dates
Grants Radar reminds its subscribers of these by email.
- Wihuri Foundation grants announced
The Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation announces the grants of its spring 2026 call.
Source - The Finnish Cultural Foundation's grant application opens
The Finnish Cultural Foundation's only annual joint call opens (central fund and regional funds).
Source - The Finnish Cultural Foundation's application closes
Final application date; decisions will be announced in February 2027.
Source - ReArm call closes (Western Finland)
The Vitality Centre's ReArm funding for SMEs developing security, defence and dual-use capabilities, about 4,1 € million.
Source - EIC Accelerator: deadline for full applications
The last deadline of 2026 for full applications to the EU's EIC Accelerator: grant up to €2.5 million and equity investment of €1–10 million.
Source
No upcoming dates right now.
Frequently asked questions: Grants Radar
What is Business Finland's Sprint grant?
The Sprint grant is 75 000–100 000 € and covers 75 % of approved costs; continuous application opened on 1.9.2026. It is intended for limited companies with fewer than 50 employees, turnover under 10 milj. € and equity of at least 50 000 €, and the applicant must first meet a Business Finland expert.
When is the Finnish Cultural Foundation's grant application round?
The Finnish Cultural Foundation's only annual grant call is 15.–30.10.2026, and it covers both the central fund and the regional funds. Decisions will be announced in February 2027.
What is the maximum amount of de minimis aid?
De minimis aid can be received up to €300,000 per company over three years. Aid granted from 1.1.2026 is recorded in the EU register, so it is worth keeping a record of aid received.
Where do you apply for a company development grant in 2026?
The ELY Centres' business services moved to the vitality centres (elinvoimakeskus) at the beginning of 2026, and development grants are now applied for from them. For development projects the support is up to 50% and for investments 10–40% depending on the size and location of the company, and the grant must be at least €10,000. Application rounds are often regional and time-limited.
How much is a Finnvera microloan?
Finnvera's loan for micro-enterprise growth is at most 50 000 €, priced at 6-month Euribor + 4,5 % with an arrangement fee of 1,5 % (at most 500 €) in 2026. The loan is intended for starting and operating companies with at most 9 people; the terms can be found on Finnvera's pages.
How much is the start-up grant in 2026?
The start-up grant equals the basic unemployment allowance, i.e. 37,21 € per day in 2026, and is paid for five days a week. It is granted at discretion by your own employment area, typically in six-month periods.
How much pay subsidy can a business get?
The general pay subsidy is 50% of the wage costs for 5 months, or for 10 months if the person hired has been unemployed for at least 12 months during the last 14 months. For hiring a person with reduced work capacity the subsidy is 70%, and the employment subsidy for a person aged 55 or over is 70% for ten months.
Can an association receive a wage subsidy?
Yes. An association, foundation or religious community can receive a pay subsidy of up to 100% of the wage costs for 10 months, when the person hired has been unemployed for at least 24 months and the work is not business activity. The subsidy is applied for from the employment area before the employment relationship begins.
What is ReArm funding?
In ReArm funding, EU regional and structural funds have been allocated to SMEs developing security, defence and dual use. In Western Finland about 4,1 milj. € is available, and the call is open until 31.10.2026; applications are processed by the Central Finland Vitality Centre (Elinvoimakeskus).
What is the EIC Accelerator?
The EIC Accelerator is EU funding for growth companies with new technology. It can include a grant of up to €2.5 million and an equity investment of €1–10 million. Short applications are processed continuously, and the last deadline for full applications in 2026 is 4.11.2026.
Will Business Finland funding grow in 2027?
On 6.8.2026 the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (TEM) proposed an appropriation authorisation of €799 million for research, development and innovation, which is €175 million more than in 2026. Parliament will decide on the 2027 budget in December 2026.
How to use the information
- The Business Finland Sprint grant can be applied for only after the company has met a Business Finland expert – book the meeting first.
- Keep a record of the de minimis aid your business has received: the limit is 300 000 € over three years, and aid granted from 1.1.2026 is entered in the EU register within 20 working days.
- The Finnish Cultural Foundation now has only one application period a year (15–30 October), so anyone who misses it has to wait a year.
- Vitality Centre calls are often regional, time-limited rounds – check the call notices for your own region and, where needed, the information sessions.
- Foundations and public funders do not usually finance day-to-day operations or working capital; describe a clear development project and its results in the application.
- In the Vitality Centres' spring 2026 R&D call, more than five times the available amount was applied for, and applications were processed in order of arrival – submit your application as soon as the call opens.
- The Vitality Centre grant must be at least 10 000, € so with 50 % support the costs of the development project must be at least 20 000 €.
- The start-up grant and wage subsidy are applied for through your own employment area. A wage subsidy is not granted retroactively, so apply for it before the employment relationship begins.
- An association or foundation can receive a pay subsidy of up to 100% when the person hired has been unemployed for at least 24 months and the work is not business activity.
- Short applications to the EIC Accelerator are processed continuously, but full applications have deadlines (next 4.11.2026) – start with the short application in good time.
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Sources (24)
- Business Finland: Sprint Grant (continuous application 2026)
- Business Finland: Funding in 2025 over a billion euros (18.3.2026)
- Business Finland: Funding services at the beginning of 2026
- Business Finland proposal, Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce 12.2.2026
- Yritys Salo: News on development grants 2/2026
- Federation of Finnish Enterprises: Is the new ReArm call an opportunity for your business?
- Federation of Finnish Enterprises: Summer business funding calls include a development grant also for Southwest Finland
- Finnvera financing for small businesses 2026
- Business Oulu: Reporting de minimis aid
- Finnish Cultural Foundation: The Cultural Foundation moves to a single application period
- Wihuri Foundation: General Grant Call 2026
- HIP News 10.8.2026 (foundation application deadlines)
- Federation of Finnish Enterprises: Turku Entrepreneurs' Foundation distributes grants
- TEM: Budget proposal for the administrative branch for 2027 (6.8.2026)
- Finnvera: Annual report and financial statements 2025 (12.2.2026)
- Vitality Centre: Business development grant
- Vitality Centre: R&D funding call received a large number of applications
- Business Finland: Funding for the creative industries (15.9.2026)
- Kela: Benefit amounts and income limits as of 1.1.2026
- Job Market Finland: Southern Häme employment area and the start-up grant 2026
- KEHA Centre: Pay subsidy, employment subsidy for people aged 55 and over, and subsidy for arranging working conditions
- Job Market Finland: Pay subsidy as support for the employer and the person hired (18.8.2025)
- Luxinnovation: Horizon Europe's EIC in 2026
- EIC: EIC Accelerator
The information has been compiled from public sources on 6.10.2026. Always check the current terms from the original source. The information is not investment, loan or legal advice.

