Renewal and international growth of the creative industries: innovation funding call

More information

If you would like more information about the call, please contact our customer service and leave a message with the tag: RRF - innovation funding application for creative industries. Our advisors will contact you as soon as possible.

Call has ended!

How would you like to renew and disrupt either the audiovisual or the event industry? Do you have an appetite for international growth or a unique idea that gives you a competitive edge?

This funding call is intended for organizations that want to implement development projects which will renew and support the growth of the audiovisual industry and/or the event industry as well as produce results that can be exploited in the organization's business operations. The projects must aim to produce solutions that are new on a national level, at least. Preference will be given to the applications of organizations striving for global success.

The funding call is connected to the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland, which seeks to build a greener and a more digital society and is a part of the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The project funding is intended to support the renewal, growth, and internationalization of companies in the creative industries and the event industry as well as to support the recovery of these industries. The key criteria for the development projects are innovation (the project produces something new on a national level, at least), development of the company's operations, and the company's renewal. The funded projects are required to drive the digitalization of the company or its business operations.

Business Finland will also evaluate the applicant's expertise, ability to implement the project, and the project plan. We will also consider possible impacts on the ecosystem that will promote the growth and internationalization of the creative economy and the event industry.

What kind of projects are eligible for this funding?

Example topics for development projects in the audiovisual industry:

New revenue models and value chains
New possibilities offered by digitalization and data
Sustainable production models with a competitive edge
Models for cross-industry cooperation
Example topics for development projects in the event industry:

New revenue models and value chains:

New possibilities offered by digitalization and data
New forms of fan and community culture
Scalable event products and concepts

The maximum budget for a project is €100,000. Business Finland can provide funding as a grant for 50% of the project costs. The funding is de minimis support. The funded projects can receive 70% of the funding in advance.

The beneficiary must use the funding for its employees' salaries, indirect personnel costs, and purchased expert services. A deferred installment of other costs can also be approved for the project. Other costs include overheads, travel expenses, costs of materials and supplies, facility rentals, equipment purchases, equipment depreciation costs, and equipment rentals. Business Finland approves these costs up to 20% of the total amount of salaries and purchased services.

Who can apply for funding?

The funding can be provided for entities engaged in economic activity, excluding natural persons. For this reason, private traders ("toiminimi" in Finnish) cannot be funded. The beneficiary must have potential for profitable business operations and growth. The organization must have sufficient human and financial resources to implement the development project and to exploit the project results in their business operations. This can mean, for instance, having a team in which one employee has full-time responsibility for business development.

How to apply for funding?

Basic applicant and application information is completed in the Business Finland online service.

On the Applicant tab, please choose a type for your organization based on its size: startup/SME/large company. Choose one of these options even if your organization is a non-profit organization, a foundation, or a public organization.
On the Funding Service tab, please choose: Tempo
On the Organization tab, please enter your Business ID and the name of your project.
Basic Information for Application tab:

Please check that the basic information as well as the responsible person, cost statement contact person, and contact person for the application have been entered correctly.
RRF – Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland: Please choose Creative RRF
Answer the questions on the environmental impacts of the project. Each project funded through the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland must meet the "Do No Significant Harm" requirements. The EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility requires that no measures do any significant harm to the environment.
The company's current status: Briefly describe the current status of your organization and its operations. What does your organization do and when did its operations begin? Please attach an accounts ledger no more than two months old (income statement and balance sheet).
Growth Vision: Describe the company's plans for the future: How do you plan to develop your operations over the next years and what actions are you taking to implement your plan?
Project Goals tab: Ignore the first question (project goals). Regarding the impacts of the project, describe how the project will promote the beneficiary's business and/or the business of other actors in the creative industries. If the project continues an earlier development project that was funded by Business Finland or the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre), please describe how the results of previous projects will be taken into account. Please answer the question concerning the project implementers.
Project Implementation tab: Enter the project schedule and attach a project plan as a DOC file.
Budget and Funding: Divide the costs and provide a clarification on the self-financing of the project.

Please note: If several companies are applying for funding for the same project, the companies should send their own applications, which are all given the same name. The application should also mention that it is an application for a joint project plan.

Each project funded through the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland must meet the "Do No Significant Harm" requirements. The EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility requires that no measures do any significant harm to the environment..

Funding schedule

Applications must be submitted by 31 October 2021 for funding granted in 2021. According to the preliminary plan, a total of EUR 9 million of funding will be granted in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Projects funded through RRF must be completed no later than in December 2025.

Business Finland organized a info webinar of the call on September 29, 2021 at 9:00. During the session, further information how to apply and background of the application was shared. A webinar recording and frequently asked questions are available.

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