BUSINESS FINLAND OY

Their core work

Business Finland is Finland's national innovation funding and trade promotion agency, responsible for supporting Finnish SMEs in accessing EU research and innovation programmes. Within H2020, they operated as an Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) partner delivering innovation management services to Finnish companies, and served as a National Contact Point (NCP) providing guidance on EU funding opportunities. They also participated in ERA-NET programmes as a funding body, co-financing transnational research in energy, materials, and raw materials. Their role is fundamentally that of an enabler — connecting Finnish businesses and researchers to European innovation ecosystems.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2014-2018), Business Finland focused almost exclusively on two pillars: delivering EEN innovation management services to Finnish SMEs (FINKAMIE series) and training National Contact Points across Europe. From 2019 onward, their portfolio diversified significantly into thematic ERA-NET programmes covering energy digitalisation, raw materials, battery technologies, and circular economy — reflecting Finland's strategic priorities around green transition and resource security. This shift signals a move from purely horizontal support functions toward co-funding targeted research in sustainability-linked sectors.

Business Finland is increasingly positioning itself as a national co-funder in ERA-NET programmes focused on circular economy, critical raw materials, and energy digitalisation — expect continued engagement in Green Deal-aligned funding instruments under Horizon Europe.

How they like to work

Business Finland operates primarily as a third-party contributor (6 of 12 projects) and coordinator of its own EEN activities (4 projects), rather than as a traditional research partner. With 94 unique consortium partners across 40 countries, they maintain an exceptionally broad but shallow network — typical of a national agency that engages across many programmes without deep bilateral research ties. For potential partners, this means Business Finland is best approached as a gateway to Finnish innovation funding and SME networks, not as a hands-on research collaborator.

Remarkably broad network of 94 partners across 40 countries, reflecting their role as a national agency interfacing with pan-European programmes. Their reach spans nearly all EU member states and associated countries, with no strong geographic concentration beyond Nordic and Western European partners.

What sets them apart

Business Finland is not a research performer but a national innovation agency — one of the few organisations that combines direct SME support (via EEN), NCP advisory services, and ERA-NET co-funding authority in a single entity. For consortium builders, partnering with Business Finland means gaining access to Finnish public innovation funding streams and a pipeline of technology-seeking Finnish SMEs. They are particularly valuable in proposals requiring national funding agency commitment for ERA-NET or similar co-fund instruments.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FINKAMIE2018
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 167,574) and part of a four-year recurring series demonstrating sustained national commitment to SME innovation management.
• ERA-MIN3
  Long-running ERA-NET (2020-2026) on critical raw materials and circular economy, signalling Business Finland's strategic commitment to resource security as a national funding partner.
• Bridge2HE
  Transition-focused project bridging H2020 to Horizon Europe NCP structures, positioning Business Finland at the centre of programme continuity planning.