Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland
The Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland supports ecologically, socially and economically sustainable growth in line with the objectives of the Government Programme. The Programme boosts competitiveness, investment, research, development and innovation, as well as measures to raise skill levels.
The objectives of the Programme include:
- raising the employment rate
- ensuring quicker access to treatment
- clearing the backlog in treatment, rehabilitation and services in healthcare and social welfare that was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
- increasing the introduction of new digital solutions
- promoting regional, social and gender equality.
The EU recovery instrument is divided into seven programmes, of which the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is the largest. Finland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) is part of the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland.
Discretionary government grants awarded for 2022–2025
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for Pillar 4 of the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland, which focuses on improving access to health and social services and increasing their cost-effectiveness, and in part for Pillar 3, which is about raising the employment rate and skills levels to accelerate sustainable growth.
The Programme is implemented in all wellbeing services counties, the City of Helsinki and the centres of excellence on social welfare. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has awarded discretionary government grants for the period 2022–2025. Information on the projects receiving discretionary government grants is available on the Innovillage website (in Finnish).
- First call for government grant applications (in Finnish)
- Second call for government grant applications (in Finnish)
- Discretionary government grants for research (third call for government grant applications) (in Finnish)
- Fourth call for government grant applications (in Finnish)
- Frequently asked questions about discretionary government grants (in Finnish)
The development work carried out in the wellbeing services counties is supported through national projects that are implemented, for example, by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, DigiFinland, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela).
Striving to strengthen mental health and work ability in working life
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the investment under Pillar 3 titled ‘Mental health and work ability as prerequisites for employment and productivity’, which aims to strengthen mental health and work ability in working life. The aim of these measures is to bring about a change in the operating culture, with an emphasis on supporting work ability proactively instead of addressing problems reactively.
The investment takes place as four projects:
- Mental Health Toolkit, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
- Digital guide for employers and supervisors on supporting work ability, Digital and Population Data Services Agency
- Supporting young people’s mental health in working life and when they enter working life, Silta-Valmennus ry with its organisations (in Finnish)
- Sustainable working life, Keva (responsible ministry: Ministry of Finance)
More information on other websites
- Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland: Recovery and Resilience Plan
- Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland on the Ministry of Finance website
- Implementation and monitoring of Finland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan on the State Treasury website (in Finnish)
- Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (in Finnish)
- Recovery and Resilience Facility on the European Commission website
Contact persons for the Programme at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Kirsi Paasovaara, Project Manager, +358 295 163 012
Heli Parikka, Specialist, +358 295 163 165
Sanna Hämäläinen, Project Secretary, +358 295 163 523
Pilar 3
Work ability programme: Niina Kovanen, Senior Specialist, +358 295 163 726
Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model: Tuula Kieseppä, Senior Medical Officer, +358 295 163 745
Mental health and work ability: Jaana Vastamäki, Senior Specialist, +358 295 163 468
Pilar 4
Investment 1: Tuula Kieseppä, Senior Medical Officer, +358 295 163 745
Investment 2: Mari Miettinen, Senior Specialist, +358 295 163 644
Investment 3: Anna Väinälä, Senior Specialist, +358 295 163 460
Investment 4: Maarit Hiltunen-Toura, Senior Specialist, +358 295 163 295
Email addresses are in the format [email protected].
