16.10.2025
Meeting newsletter of the Secretariat of the Provincial Cooperation Group 16.10.2025
Result agreement for Northern Finland's vitality centres 2026
They will start operating on 1 January 2026 and will be the subject of performance contracts for 2026-2027. The performance agreements take into account the joint strategy document for the vitality centres 2026-2027, the government budget proposal for 2026, the fiscal plan and the budget proposals of the administrative sectors, which will be finalised in autumn and based on the Government Programme. During the next government term, the strategic performance agreements of the vitality centres will normally be drawn up for four years.
The Kainuu Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) and the North Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) participate in the drafting of the performance agreement of the Centre for Vitality in Northern Finland. The performance agreements will be completed in December 2025 and they will be signed with the new management of the vitality centres in February 2026.
The provincial cooperation group was presented with the draft performance agreement of the Northern Finland Vitality Centre and it was noted.
A Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027: Regional financing plan for 2026
According to Section 20 of the Act on the Development of Territorial Areas and the Implementation of the Regional and Structural Policy of the European Union (756/2021, Implementation Act), the tasks of the provincial cooperation group include approving the regional funding plan for the EU Regional and Structural Policy Programme referred to in Section 29(3) of the Implementation Act and the funding priorities included therein.
Regional councils prepare regional funding plans for the European Union's Regional and Structural Policy Programme. The financing plan is made together with the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment and other regional partners.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has instructed the preparation of the regional funding plan for the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 EU Regional and Structural Policy Programme. Due to the program change, there is only one year in preparation.
The financing plan was approved by the secretariat of the provincial cooperation group.
Renewing and knowledgeable results of project calls under the Finland 2021-2027 programme
The Northern Ostrobothnia ELY Centre's ESF+ call, which ended on 15 September 2025, received nine applications for approximately EUR 1.67 million in funding. The call targeted ESF+ specific objective 5.1: Safety nets for the future of young people.
The Growth Runway II call, which was open from 18 to 26 September 2025 at the North Ostrobothnia ELY Centre, received 18 applications for support totalling EUR 576 942. The call was aimed at SMEs in Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu.
The ERDF call for applications opened by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Northern Ostrobothnia from 18 to 26 September 2025 resulted in one project application, for which EUR 44 293 was applied for. The call was aimed at the exploitation of R&D projects and new technology in SMEs.
The ESF+ project call for Northern Finland, targeting specific objectives 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3, received 64 applications. A total of EUR 17 371 322 million was requested. In addition, 15 applications were received for the Northern Ostrobothnia region. A total of EUR 2 795 892 was requested.
Four applications were received for the ERDF project application of the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Northern Ostrobothnia. They applied for aid amounting to EUR 1 108 393. In addition, seven cross-regional applications were submitted, including North Ostrobothnia as the target area. A total of EUR 1 584 165 million was requested for these programmes.
A total of 88 applications for ERDF support of EUR 16 309 231 have been received by the beginning of October in the application period for business development grants (ERDF and JTF), which was open in Northern Ostrobothnia from 13 January to 30 November 2025. A total of 20 applications for JTF support have been received by the beginning of October. A total of EUR 13 768 508 is applied for.
The Secretariat of the Provincial Cooperation Group supported two projects to be funded under the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 programme
At its meeting, the Secretariat of the Provincial Cooperation Group discussed two projects, both of which received a favourable opinion. The projects have been presented to the secretariat of the Provincial Cooperation Group Protocol.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the Secretariat of the Provincial Cooperation Group will be held on 19 November 2025 at 9 a.m.
Additional information:
Development Specialist Heikki Laukkanen, 050 918 0035
