19.09.2023
Meeting newsletter of the secretariat of the regional Cooperation Group
The secretariat of the regional cooperation group held a meeting on Tuesday 19 September 2023 in Oulu.
Open calls for applications
- The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Northern Ostrobothnia is open for applications for ERDF infrastructure projects from 1 September to 31 October 2023. An amount of EUR 2 million is available.
- ESF project call (P-P, Lappi, Kainuu) open from 15 November 23 to 31 January 2024. Specific objectives 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 to be applied for. The next call for projects was then pre-planned from 15 August to 30 October 2024.
- In addition, a continuous search for JTF ESF-type activities is ongoing in 2024 as long as there are granting powers.
- The open calls for applications for the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 programme can be found on the website: EURA 2021: Call for applications
The secretariat of the regional cooperation group supports the following projects to be funded under the EU's Regional and Structural Policy Programme 2021-2027:
Developing digital business knowledge and skills in the age of artificial intelligence (DigitAIli) / JTF
Applicant: Oulu University of Applied Sciences Ltd
Total cost 510 503 €
Aid requested 408 403 €
Execution period: 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2026
The key objective of the project is to increase and develop the digital business and e-commerce skills of people already in working life in the fast-changing situation caused by artificial intelligence. At the same time, the digital business and e-commerce and artificial intelligence utilisation capabilities and competitiveness of the personnel of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises will be developed in Northern Ostrobothnia.
Northern Finland's Life for Myself follow-up project / ESF+
Applicant: Association for the Support of People with Intellectual Disabilities
Total cost 802 285 €
Aid requested 263 734 € (Nordic Ostrobothnia share 45 % for the project as a whole, EUR 586 076)
Execution period: 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2026
The project seeks a solution to the problems of loneliness and equality of persons with intellectual disabilities and other persons in need of similar support. The aim is for the participants to find leisure activities of their choice, to strengthen their well-being and to improve social competence and the readiness for supported employment. The project launches and implements the Meet the Others cafés.
ACTION - Steps towards working life to strengthen agency - project / ESF+
Applicants Joint Authority for Education Brahe, City of Raahe, Municipality of Siikajoki
Total cost 827 428 €
Aid requested 661 946 €
Execution period: From 1.8.2023 to 31.7.2026
The project develops tailor-made services that respond to the risks of prolonged unemployment of jobseekers in the entire Raahe sub-region, risk identification, prevention and customer-oriented corrective measures. Efforts will be made to find solutions to the educational and skills mismatches between job vacancies and unemployed people.
Duuniport/ESF+
Applicants City of Kalajoki, Joint Municipal Authority for Education in the River Valleys, Kalajoki Christian College Support Association
Total cost 656 247 €
Aid requested 524 996 €
Execution period: From 01/10/2023 to 28/02/2026
In 2025, Kalajoki Campus will host the JEDU Education Centre, Kalajoki Upper Secondary School, Kalajoki Academy, as well as the City's business services and employment services. Kalajoki Christian College is involved in functional cooperation. The project prepares for the joint campus and the TE2024 reform. A common operating model and customer-oriented individual service paths are being built at the service point.
Optimum/ESF+
Applicant Support for self-employment in Northern Finland PSOTTY ry
Total cost € 687 931
Aid requested 550 345 €
Execution period: 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2026
The aim is to improve the proactive job search skills and labour market knowledge of highly educated jobseekers and higher education students, current working life skills and the development of digital and remote working skills. Recruitment skills of companies and employers in the region and support for the well-being and well-being of jobseekers and small entrepreneurs will be improved and exhaustion will be prevented.
From digital workshop to working life / ESF+
Applicant City of Oulu
Total cost 479 472 €
Aid requested 383 577 €
Execution period: 1 November 2023 – 31 August 2026
A new service model will be created for the operation of BusinessOulu's Employment Services, which will help companies suffering from a shortage of talent due to the digital transformation and develop the special skills of their job seekers. The operating model seeks a solution to the mismatch between the ICT sector and industry, in particular, by improving the chances of encountering companies and jobseekers. Skills shortages are addressed by training jobseekers in digital design and 3D printing, as well as by increasing know-how.
Low-threshold service point project in the Lakeude region / ESF+
Applicant Kempele Municipality
Total cost 512 988 €
Aid requested 410 391 €
Execution period: From 1.1.2024 to 31.12.2026
The activities carried out by the municipalities of Kempele, Liminka and Tyrnävä develop an equal service especially for people in the weakest position in the labour market, thereby getting them better into the labour market and society in general. The aim of the project is to reach out to young people who are not in education, training or employment and to provide them with the necessary expert services without a queue.
TASSU - Dance and music as a source of social inclusion and agency / ESF+
Applicant Oulu University of Applied Sciences Ltd
Co-implementer: Diaconia University of Applied Sciences Ltd
Total cost 418 420 €
Aid requested 334 736 €
Execution period: 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2025
The aim is to combat social exclusion by developing innovative approaches to participation and agency using dance and music methods, as well as tools for organisations working with marginalised and disadvantaged groups.
Jalas2 - Promoting well-being at work in foster care / ESF+
Applicant Oulu Deaconess Institute Foundation sr
Co-implementer: Diaconia University of Applied Sciences Ltd
Total cost 689 153 €
Aid requested 551 321 €
Execution period: 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2026
The aim is to improve the well-being and coping of substitute care workers and supervisors in child protection by promoting healthy lifestyles and mental well-being of employees. The project develops a peer-to-peer coaching operating model in which the employees of the units can act as promoters and promoters of the well-being of their work communities.
Upper secondary school/ESF+
Applicant City of Oulu
Total cost 586 254 €
Aid requested 469 003 €
Execution period: 1.11.2023-30.09.2025
The aim of the project is to strengthen the postgraduate study capacity and functional capacity of TUVA students so that after a TUVA year they would be able to apply for upper secondary education and start their studies there; promote the progress of upper secondary school students' studies according to an individual plan and strengthen the students' functional capacity so that studies can continue after the pilot period in their own educational institution; reduce the negative interruptions in education during the joint stages of studies and identify and support young people's own resources, strengthen learning to learn skills, create a safe learning environment, promote self-efficacy, strengthen community spirit and encourage students to make decisions and become part of the community.
Knowledge-driven management for the future / ESF+
Applicant Oulu University of Applied Sciences Ltd
Total cost 559 499 €
Aid requested 447 600 €
Execution period: 2/10/2023 – 2/10/2026
The project will create a training package for people working in the workplace, which will increase the data capacity of people working in SMEs and public organisations in particular and thus help organisations employing these people to use good practices of knowledge-based management in developing the quality and efficiency of their own operations. The training provides participants with the skills to work in development, managerial and expert tasks related to data.
DigiSampo/ESF+
Applicant City of Oulu (BusinessOulu)
Total cost 523 641 €
Aid requested 418 913 €
Execution period: 1.11.2023-31.10.2026
The aim is to create a step-by-step model for companies interested in digitalisation, which starts with the company's self-assessment and progresses through advisory services to various coaching sessions. After that, it is possible for the company to formulate its own development project related to digitalisation.
Higher education pathway to the extractive sector, FIFG / ESF+ (supra-regional)
Applicant University of Oulu
Co-implementers: Oulu University of Applied Sciences Ltd and Lapland University of Applied Sciences Ltd
Total cost €643,704 (North Ostrobothnia €425,220)
Aid requested 514 962 € (North Ostrobothnia 340 176 €)
Execution period: From 1.8.2023 to 31.7.2026
In order to meet the needs of the extractive sector, training in the sector must be developed, increased and its attractiveness improved. The project responds to the region's need to increase the number of students in the extractive industry. The project develops and plans an attractive educational path from a university of applied sciences to a university.
VATUPASSI - Responsible future / ESF+
Applicants University of Oulu, City of Kalajoki, Nivala-Haapajärvi Region NIHAK ry, City of Ylivieska
Total cost 840 800 €
Aid requested 672 640 €
Execution period: From 01/10/2023 to 31/03/2026
The project seeks solutions to identify and understand sustainability as a cross-cutting theme in companies' strategy, product and service process development and supply chain. The project develops, tests and pilots sustainability ladders for companies of different sizes and at different stages. During the pilot project, a VATUPASSI toolkit will be built for companies and business service organisations to help them get their corporate responsibility issues in order.
Knowledge management as an asset for change management – TIMU / ESF+
Main project: Oulun Ev.-Lut. Parish Union
Sub-project: Diaconia University of Applied Sciences Ltd
Total cost 478 701 €
Aid requested 382 965 €
Execution period: 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2025
The project improves the digital skills of the staff of the Oulu Parish Consortium and its parishes and the Oulu Diocese's doomscapitulium to meet the requirements of knowledge-based management. The aim is to understand the possibilities of digitalisation and to be able to apply digitalisation to make existing processes more efficient.
Customisation for Competitiveness - Wood Construction Product Systems Development Project / ERDF
Applicants Centria University of Applied Sciences Ltd, University of Oulu
Total cost estimate 532 170 €
ERDF and state funding requested 425 734 €
Execution period: From 1.8.2023 to 31.5.2025
The project focuses on developing wood construction product systems and researching their business impacts from the perspective of customer expectations, productivity and quality. The aim is to create new information and new operating models as well as a new wood construction product configurator for use by wood construction companies.
Development of the functional ecosystem of the RadioPark concept / ERDF
Applicant City of Oulu
Total cost estimate 459 202 €
ERDF and state funding requested 367 362 €
Execution period: 1 August 2023 – 31 December 2024
The project develops and pilots the operating models of the RadioPark ecosystem. RadioPark is an ecosystem-based operator whose purpose is to create opportunities for large co-development projects for SMEs developing and applying radio technology in different vertical sectors. The methods developed and piloted are used to test the latest radio technology in various applications and environments at optimized costs for companies. The development of the marketing readiness of operations results in a readiness to market and operate cluster-like operations.
Business Opportunities for International Market (BOIM) / ERDF
Applicant City of Oulu
Total cost estimate 1 769 465 €
ERDF and state funding requested 1 415 571 €
Execution period: From 1.8.2023 to 31.7.2026
The project seeks new market openings globally for SMEs in Oulu and Northern Ostrobothnia. At the same time, new strategic partnerships and cooperation opportunities will be sought to support the export measures, networking and visibility of SMEs in the Oulu region and the region globally. The project seeks new Invest-In actors and investment targets in the Oulu region and brings significant international actors to the region.
The secretariat of the regional cooperation group did not support the following projects to be funded under the EU Regional and Structural Policy Programme Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027:
- Safety net/ESF+, applicants Oulu Deaconess Institute Foundation sr, Oulun Ev.-Lut. Parish Union, Youth Friends Association, University of Oulu
- Viewpoint - cultural meeting point for young people, loved ones and professionals / ESF+, applicants Helsinki Deaconess Institute Foundation sr, Finnish Red Cross, National Institute for Health and Welfaref
- Data source/ESF+, applicant: City of Oulu
- Sustainable learning in a global environment / ESF+, applicant: University of Oulu.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the secretariat of the Provincial Cooperation Group will be held on 17 October 2023.
