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The third call for applications for Interreg Europe is due in spring 2024. It has been decided to organise the call for applications from 20 March to 7 June 2024. At the same time, it opens up the possibility for projects approved in previous calls to complement their cooperation projects. It is possible to invite members from new partner countries, i.e. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Ukraine. The new partner countries will constitute the fifth geographical area in the third round of applications. New project proposals must include partners from four geographical areas. In the third application round, special attention will be paid to the innovative nature of the project idea. Applications can be submitted for all the themes of the programme and all remaining funds of the programme, approximately EUR 121 million, can be applied for. This anticipates that this will be the last call for applications for the whole programme. Interreg Europe… 2021-2027

The application period for the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia's JTF projects for the 2021-2027 programming period closed on 31 December 2023. By the deadline, six applications were received by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The applications sought funding from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia totalling approximately EUR 1.4 million. The funding available is EUR 1.3 million. The decisions on applications for further processing will be received in March 2024.

The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, in cooperation with the City of Oulu, is launching an ERDF project application for the implementation of the ecosystem agreement signed between the State and the City of Oulu. The content of the Oulu ecosystem agreement consists of the strategic focus areas and spearhead programmes of the Oulu Innovation Alliance for 2021-2027. The projects under the ecosystem agreement support the formation of business clusters and ecosystems in selected target sectors, identify the needs and services of the companies belonging to them, promote longer-term concrete goals and broad entities in line with the target sectors and spearhead programmes of the Oulu Innovation Alliance strategy, and provide added value from digital to the everyday services and built environment of residents. The application round is open from 18 December 2023 to 19 January 2024. Only one specific objective 1.3 of the priority axis is open for this call. ERDF applications must be submitted to the authority via the EURA2021 system. The projects to be funded must be part of the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 programme, Northern Ostrobothnia…

During the past summer and autumn in Raahe, Siikajoki, Ylivieska, Reisjärvi, Pyhänä and Pyhäjärvi, the local residents have worked hard in workshops, barning mosaic pieces for the work of art. Now these spectacular nature-themed wall mosaics are ready and hung in place in each municipality for everyone to admire. Together, the works form a magnificent whole of six works, the sum of their parts. The wall mosaic artworks were designed and executed by visual artist Jenny Grönholm and sculptor Jass Kaselaan. They brainstormed the contents of the art workshops and the themes of the works, from which the residents were allowed to vote the most pleasing of themselves. In the workshops, the works were laid under the guidance of the artists. One of the goals of the workshops and the whole art pilot was to get people to join the art scene. “The barn shops had nice encounters and people were enthusiastically involved in the work. Art and its making are clearly of interest…

The events in November were carried out in the municipalities of the lake as follows: 4.11. At the Tyrnävä Leather Factory. 15.11. In Kempele on the Vihiluoto nature trail. 18.11. In Liminka, in the Arboretum of Alakestilä. 25.11. In the Shadow of the Snow River. You can now give feedback on events and also share ideas for planning future events. Marrastulet will also be organised in 2024 as an activity of the municipalities themselves! Please leave your feedback by 31 December 2023 via this link: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/29E5B6BCA9D6782D Book prizes will be drawn between participants and those who have left their contact details. Marrastulet was implemented by the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region's Cultural Cell - Collaboration and impact on the cultural services of municipalities as an art pilot for the project. Further information: Project Manager Auli Suorsa (auli.suorsa@pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi).

Iijoki stories have been collected in art workshops organised in the municipalities along the Iijoki River this autumn. Now the stories have been compiled into municipality-specific video works and published on the Youtube channel of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. There is also one piece that combines all the stories. In the videos, residents of the municipalities along the Iijoki River of different ages from Kuusamo, Taivalkoski, Pudasjärvi, Iin Jakkukylä and Yli-Ii in Oulu tell about their own relationship with the environment and nature and the significance of Iijoki in their lives. “My family has been living on these shores for a long time. I am part of a chain of generations and feel great gratitude, and it is a valuable thing to be able to live here on the banks of the river Iijoki, in Jakkukylä. This is what the resident of Jakkukylä says in the video. A total of 236 people participated in the art workshops. The age range of participants was between 3 and 93 years. People with an immigrant background were involved in Kuusamo

The application period for JTF projects for the 2021-2027 programming period of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia closed on 30 November 2023. By the deadline, 23 applications were received by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The applications sought funding from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia totalling approximately EUR 5.2 million. Funding available is approximately €2.0 million. The decisions on applications for further processing will be received in February 2023. The application round for JTF projects will continue until 31 December 2023.

The responsibility for organising the public employment services will be transferred from the TE Office to the employment areas formed by the municipalities on 1 January 2025. Some of the ELY Centre's services will also be transferred to the employment areas. By the end of October, the municipalities notified the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of their solutions for organising employment services. Three employment areas were reported to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment from Northern Ostrobothnia. The largest of these is Oulu and the employment area formed by environmental municipalities, where the City of Oulu acts as the organising body. The organizer of the Kainuu-Koillismaa employment area is Kajaani and its affiliates from the North Ostrobothnia region are Kuusamo and Taivalkoski. The third employment area is in the southern part of Oulu, where Raahe is the organizer. The proposed employment areas meet the requirements of the 20,000 labour force bases and laws for a geographically homogeneous area that works in terms of the labour market and employment. ‘The regions of Northern Ostrobothnia, despite their geographical extent, are compact regions with similar labour market characteristics in their regions’,…

Oulun Rantasaunaseura ry receives the 2023 North Ostrobothnia Organisational Award for the volunteer and cultural activities of the Summer Sauna, which strengthens Finnish and local sauna culture. The award-winning association receives 1,000 euros to support its operations. The cultural activities of the 2023 sauna have focused around the sauna theme and deepened the visitor's experiences. Summer Sauna has created a diverse community in Oulu. The activities are boundary-breaking and in an exemplary way the theme of the year is realized in surprising contexts of culture. Oulun Rantasaunaseura has shown unique cooperation and volunteer spirit. The workshops are attended by people of many ages from Oulu and also international volunteers. Summer Sauna is an Oulu-based phenomenon that naturally connects visitors of different ages, locals and international visitors. In 2023, there have been more than 14,000 sauna bathers and…

Minister, honourable representatives of the municipalities and all the partners, good participants. We warmly welcome you and it is nice that you have arrived to the regional parliament organized by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. What is North Ostrobothnia like? Geographically, we are the 2nd largest province in Finland. Homeland for about 416,000 people. We are also a province of young people. The average age of a North Ostrobothnian is about 40.2 years.  The eyes turn north in many ways. With the many changes in the world, the North is becoming a national question for Finland and a question of the future for Europe as a whole, both in terms of security and economy. The importance of the north has become even more pronounced, unfortunately with the ongoing brutal Russian war of aggression and Finland's NATO membership.  At present, about 95 per cent of Finland's foreign trade passes through the Gulf of Finland by sea. In the event of a disruption to maritime traffic in the Gulf of Finland, we will have to resort to alternative routes. The geopolitical importance of the North is crystallized by the fact that in such a situation…