Press releases

The Regional Government of Northern Ostrobothnia convened its last meeting of the autumn season on 16 December in Oulu. The Provincial Government approved the report on internal control and risk management and the equality and non-discrimination plan of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The report on internal control and risk management for 2025 The report on internal control for 2025 was approved. Internal auditing is carried out in accordance with the annual audit plan approved by the Regional Director. Each year, the provincial government is notified of the previous year's internal audit report on the audits carried out, the audit findings and recommendations for the development of operations. The findings and actions taken in the areas of responsibility's internal control and risk management have been discussed in the Executive Board meetings on a third-year basis. No significant internal control weaknesses have been identified in the past period.  Contract management has been developed by starting to review existing contracts and by updating contract monitoring and metadata. In 2025 there will be …

The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia met on 8 December 2025 for its last meeting of the autumn season in Oulunsalo. The Regional Council approved the provincial programme for Northern Ostrobothnia for 2026-2029, the strategy of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia for 2025-2029 and the budget for 2026. New provincial programme: Northern Ostrobothnia – our province! The objectives of the provincial programme for Northern Ostrobothnia 2026-2029 answer the question of what results and impacts the region wants to achieve during the programming period. The three main strategic themes for the coming years are 1. Sustainable competitiveness, regenerative investment and innovation; 2. Welfare and regional resilies in a changing world and 3. High quality and attractive environment. The new priorities of the regional programme commit the actors to take responsibility for the results and their effectiveness. The current EU Structural Funds period ends with the provincial programme’s mandate 2026-2029. During the regional programme period, capacity will be created to cope with the challenges of the future and Northern Ostrobothnia will be able to…

A Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027: The upcoming calls and application status MYRS reviewed the upcoming calls for projects. The ELY Centre for Northern Finland will open an ESF+ funding call for specific objective 4.1 as the EURA information system allows it. The JTF's call for applications for promoting employment and skills will also be opened at the beginning of the year. In the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, the JTF funding call will be opened in early 2026, and the ERDF call is expected to open in late spring 2026. Operating environment development grant application in Northern Ostrobothnia 1.9. – On 31 October 2025, nine applications for approximately EUR 1.9 million were received. By the end of October, one application for support of EUR 90 300 has been received for the ongoing JTF application for restoration and reuse. By the end of September, 17 applications for JTF projects, related to employment and skills, were received in Northern Ostrobothnia. They applied for a total of EUR 4 550 945.…

The Regional Government of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia met in Oulu on 17 November. This is an announcement of the meeting's decisions. The minutes will be published at the following address: The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia's strategy 2025-2029 proceeds to the provincial council's consideration The strategic framework approved by the provincial council has been translated into key results and measures, indicators and strategic capabilities during the spring and autumn. The strategic goals and the concrete measures implementing them are implemented through the Union's operational and financial planning. The provincial government proposes to the provincial council that it approves the strategy of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia 2025-2029.  The proposal for a provincial programme for Northern Ostrobothnia for the years 2026-2029 to be discussed by the provincial council The new provincial programme emphasises the vision of the direction of the region's development developed through an inclusive process. The objectives of the programme answer the question of what results and impacts the region wants to achieve during the programming period. the Provincial Program the New …

The Regional Government of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia met in Oulu on 27 October. This is an announcement of the meeting's decisions. The minutes will be published at the following address: agendas and minutes of the institutions Link to agenda: Agenda 27.10.2025 Please find enclosed the decisions of the meeting: The Regional Council of North Ostrobothnia's Strategy 2025-2029 The Regional Council of North Ostrobothnia's Strategy 2025-2029 will be submitted for approval to the last meeting of the Regional Council in 2025. The new strategy has been taken into account in the preparation of the budget 2026 and the economic plan 2027-2028 of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. Decision of the provincial government: An update on the strategy 2025-2029 of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia was noted. The principles of the North Ostrobothnia Regional Council's activities in the international organisation CPMR International activities are a strategic priority of the North Ostrobothnia Regional Council. Membership of the CPMR is a way to implement this priority. The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) is a member organisation of 150 provinces founded in 1973. The federation works with CPMR…

Performance agreement for Northern Finland's vitality centres 2026 The vitality centres will start operating on 1 January 2026 and performance agreements will be drawn up for them 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 The Act on Regional Development and the Implementation of the Regional and Structural Policy of the European Union (756/2021,…

The renewed and competent call for applications for the Finland 2021-2027 programme, as well as the application situation in the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, is currently open for the trans-regional ERDF project call for Eastern and Northern Finland for specific objective 2.3. The application period ends on 30 November 2025. The Secretariat of the Provincial Cooperation Group supports six projects to be funded from the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 programme The Secretariat of the Provincial Cooperation Group discussed seven projects at its meeting. Of these, it advocates the funding of six projects. One project received a negative decision. The projects are presented in the minutes of the Provincial Cooperation Group Secretariat. The next meeting of the secretariat of the Provincial Cooperation Group will be held on 16 October 2025 at 9 a.m. Additional information: Regional Development Specialist Heikki Laukkanen, 050 918 0035  

The Regional Government of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia met in Oulu on 22 September. The meeting was the first meeting of the provincial government elected by the provincial council in September. This is an announcement of the meeting's decisions. The minutes will be published at the following address: agendas and minutes of the institutions Link to agenda: Agenda 22.9.2025 Please find enclosed the decisions of the meeting: Attendance and speaking rights at meetings of the Provincial Government The Provincial Government granted the right to attend and speak at meetings of the Provincial Government for the duration of its term of office to the Heads of Division of the Joint Municipal Authority, the Head of Communications and Administration, the Service Coordinator and the Protocol Controller appointed by the Provincial Government, unless it is one of the above. The Provincial Government appointed an Administrative Director as the Provincial Government's Protocol Keeper for the term of office of the institution, with the Head of Communications and Administration and the Head of Administrative Development as his deputies. The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia and the entrepreneurs of Northern Ostrobothnia have prepared a vitality pledge for 2025, which will contribute to the advancement of companies, communities and ….

The highest decision-making regional council of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia met in Oulu on 8 September. It elected the Presidents of the Provincial Council and the members of the Provincial Government and the Audit Board. Senja Kovaniemi (centre) from Liminka was elected as the chairperson of the provincial council. Sanna Laine (sd.) from Kempele was appointed as the first vice-chair, Jouni Jussinniemi (left) from Pyhäjärvi as the second vice-chair, and Juha Koskela (centre) from Ylivieska as the third vice-chair. The central task of the council is to decide on the strategic guidelines, plans, operational programmes and regional land use plans that guide the development of the county. These include, for example, the approval of the provincial programme and the provincial plan. In addition, the Regional Council annually reviews and approves the budget and financial plan of the Regional Council of North Ostrobothnia, and steers the allocation of resources by setting targets for the activities of the budget year. The Board of Governors approves the Association's financial statements and the report of the Board of Directors, which assesses the achievement of the objectives set by the Board of Governors.…

The call for applications for the operating environment development grant of the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Northern Ostrobothnia (ELY Centre) in Northern Finland is open from 1 September to 31 October 2025. In the Northern Ostrobothnia, Lapland and Kainuu call, a total of EUR 1.1 million can be awarded for specific objectives 2.2 and 2.3. A maximum of EUR 620 000 of funding may be allocated to Specific Objective 2.2. The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia has received eight applications for the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 programme by 5 June 2025. Nearly EUR 1.8 million has been applied for support in applications submitted to the JTF continuous application process related to employment and skills. The application period for business development grants from the North Ostrobothnia ELY Centre in North Ostrobothnia is open from 13 January to 30 November 2025. By the end of June, a total of 57 applications for business development grants have been received. … of the grants applied for