Finnish-Ukrainian Grants 2026: Programmes and Opportunities

Finnish-Ukrainian Grants 2026: Programmes and Opportunities

Finland has allocated over EUR 1 billion in development cooperation and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since February 2022 – making Ukraine its largest single partner in development cooperation. Beyond the humanitarian dimension, Finland runs a separate ecosystem of grants and programme calls for universities, researchers, artists, and businesses – where Ukrainians and Ukrainian organisations can apply now or in the coming months. Below is a verified overview of seven Finnish-Ukrainian funding programmes (Finnish-Ukrainian Grants) with exact deadlines, original source links, and eligibility conditions.

Programmes covered
7 programmes
Nearest deadline
27 April 2026
Typical amounts
up to EUR 400,000
Target audience
Universities, artists, researchers, business

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🎓 Higher Education: TFK Ukraine Call (EDUFI)

For the third year running, Finland’s education agency runs a dedicated Ukraine call within the Team Finland Knowledge (TFK) programme, separate from the general TFK competition. This is one of the most direct and accessible Finnish funding mechanisms specifically targeting Finnish-Ukrainian academic cooperation.

Team Finland Knowledge Programme – Ukraine Call 2026

Organiser: EDUFI (Finnish National Agency for Education) | oph.fi

A dedicated annual call to support the development and rebuilding of Ukraine’s higher education sector through Finnish-Ukrainian institutional partnerships. Funded activities include joint study modules, courses and intensive programmes; student and staff mobility between Finland and Ukraine; digital and virtual teaching implementation; curriculum development; and collaboration with the labour market. A Finnish higher education institution acts as the lead applicant and is responsible for financial management. Each Finnish institution can only receive funding for one Ukraine project in the 2026 call. Salary costs may account for up to 50% of the total grant.

Grant amount: EUR 35,688 – EUR 80,000 per project
Lead applicant: Finnish university or university of applied sciences (+ Ukrainian HEI as mandatory partner)
Project period: 1 August 2026 – 31 December 2028
Deadline: 27 April 2026 (end of April – confirmed by EDUFI)

Official TFK programme page at oph.fi

For universities and academic institutions: the TFK Ukraine Call is just one of dozens of grants available to Ukrainian higher education institutions in 2026. A comprehensive overview of funding for researchers, universities, and scientists is available in the GetGrant article “Grant Guide 2026: 46 programmes for scientists, business, IT and NGOs”.

🔬 Research and Science: LUKE Joint Call

LUKE – Linking Ukraine to the European Research Area – is an international Horizon Europe call involving 11 countries, with the Research Council of Finland (RCF / aka.fi) as one of the funding partners. The total call budget is EUR 10.5 million; RCF commits EUR 500,000 for up to two Finnish participant parties.

LUKE Joint Call – Linking Ukraine to the ERA (2026)

Organisers: DLR (Coordinator, Germany), RCF (Finland), NRFU (Ukraine) + 9 other research councils. Submission portal: ptoutline.eu

The call supports transnational research and innovation consortia with Ukraine as the central partner. Each national party is funded by its own research council. Supported topics are: (1) Energy – renewable energy and energy security; (2) Cybersecurity – resilience of critical infrastructure and adaptive systems; (3) Medical and health research – telemedicine and biomedical research; (4) Social sciences and humanities – social reconciliation, sustainable social development, and restoration of human capital. Maximum project duration: 24 months. Proposals must be submitted through the centralised PT-Outline portal. Finnish participants may also need to submit in parallel to RCF; check the RCF call page for specifics.

RCF funding (Finland): EUR 500,000 total for up to 2 Finnish parties
Consortium: Ukraine (mandatory) + ≥2 other countries (Austria, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey)
Who can apply: Universities, research institutions, enterprises, NGOs (Ukrainian parties apply via NRFU/NASU)
Deadline: 15 May 2026, 23:59 CET / 16 May 2026, 00:59 EET

Submission portal PT-Outline  |  NRFU announcement for Ukrainian participants

LUKE and Horizon Europe: LUKE is part of Ukraine’s broader integration into the European Research Area. For a full overview of how Horizon Europe 2026–2027 is opening up to Ukrainian researchers, universities, and SMEs, see the GetGrant article “Horizon Europe 2026–2027: new opportunities for Ukraine”.

🎨 Arts, Culture and Science: Finnish-Ukrainian Grants

Two of Finland’s largest private foundations in the arts and sciences have open or upcoming calls where Ukrainians may be eligible – either through a connection to Finland (Kone Foundation, SKR) or with no national requirement at all (Saari Residence).

Kone Foundation

Kone Foundation – Annual Grant Call

Organiser: Kone Foundation (independent private foundation) | koneensaatio.fi

One of Finland’s largest private foundations in arts and science (~EUR 35 million per year). Funds academic research in humanities, social sciences and environmental sciences; professional artistic work in all disciplines; and interdisciplinary projects combining art and research. After 2022, Kone Foundation has repeatedly emphasised its support for Ukrainian researchers and artists forced to leave Ukraine. Key eligibility condition for non-Finnish applicants: a connection to Finland is required – living or working in Finland, having Finnish participants in the team, or carrying out the work in Finland. Monthly grants: EUR 2,700/month (early career), EUR 3,200/month (mid-career ≥10 years), EUR 3,800/month (late career ≥20 years).

Who can apply: Individuals, working groups, organisations with a Finnish business ID; non-Finns – if connected to Finland
Deadline: 15 September 2026, 16:00 Finnish time (EEST)
Decisions: November–December 2026

Information for grant applicants at koneensaatio.fi

Saari Residence (Kone Foundation)

Saari Residence (Kone Foundation) – Open to Artists of All Nationalities ✅

Organiser: Kone Foundation | koneensaatio.fi/saari-residence/

A two-month artist residency at Saari Manor in Mynämäki, Southwest Finland – open to professional artists of all nationalities with no requirement for a Finnish connection. The residency provides accommodation, a dedicated workspace, and a monthly stipend based on career experience. All artistic disciplines are eligible: visual arts, literary writing, translation, performing arts, curating, film, and more. Current status: spring 2026 group workspaces are available for artistic working groups (not individual two-month residencies).

Monthly stipend: EUR 2,700/month (up to 10 years’ experience) · EUR 3,200/month (10+ years) · EUR 3,800/month (20+ years)
Next open call: March 2027 (for 2027 residencies); monitor the website and apply on the first day

Residency conditions and application instructions

Finnish Cultural Foundation

Finnish Cultural Foundation (SKR) – Grants for Science, Art and Culture

Organiser: Suomen Kulttuurirahasto (SKR) | skr.fi

Finland’s largest private foundation in art, science and culture (~EUR 60 million per year). Funds scientific research, artistic projects, cultural initiatives, and international artist mobility. Eligibility: Finnish nationals, and individuals or organisations residing or operating in Finland; others – only when the application demonstrates clear, strong ties to Finland or Finnish culture. From October 2026, SKR is transitioning from four application rounds per year to one annual October round. The August 2026 round is retained for residency grants and artist mobility grants; exact August dates are not yet published – check skr.fi for updates.

August 2026 round: Residency grants and artist mobility (exact dates TBC – check skr.fi)
October 2026 round: 15–30 October 2026 (new unified annual round; deadline 30 October, 16:00 Finnish time)
Decisions: February 2027

All Finnish Cultural Foundation grants at skr.fi

Grants for artists and cultural organisations: in addition to Finnish programmes, 2026 brings a range of international opportunities for Ukrainian artists, media professionals and cultural managers. A current overview is available in the GetGrant collection “Current culture grants and opportunities”.

📚 For Individual Researchers: EDUFI Fellowship (Finnish-Ukrainian Grants)

The EDUFI Fellowship is an individual scholarship programme from the Finnish National Agency for Education for doctoral-level researchers at Finnish universities. Ukrainians who were forced to leave Ukraine after 24 February 2022 benefit from special flexible conditions not available to other nationalities.

EDUFI Fellowship (including special conditions for Ukrainian doctoral researchers)

Organiser: EDUFI (Finnish National Agency for Education) | oph.fi

A stipend for non-Finnish doctoral students conducting research at Finnish universities. Critically: the application is submitted not by the doctoral student but by the Finnish university department that will host them. Ukrainian doctoral researchers who were forced to flee Ukraine due to the Russian invasion in 2022 or later are exempt from standard restrictions: they may already be in Finland for longer than one year, they may be enrolled at either a Finnish or Ukrainian university, and they can receive funding for the full 12-month period regardless of their current location.

Stipend amount: EUR 1,900 per month (increased from EUR 1,500 from 1 January 2023)
Duration: 3–12 months (up to 12 months for Ukrainian forced migrants)
Applicant: Finnish university department (hosting party)
Deadline: Rolling – submit ≥5 months before intended start date (processing ~2–3 weeks; longer in summer)

EDUFI Fellowship details at oph.fi

Finding a Finnish university partner: for both the EDUFI Fellowship and the TFK Ukraine Call, a confirmed Finnish institution partner is essential. Strategies for finding international partners and formalising agreements are covered in the GetGrant article “Partnerships for International Grants: Where to Find and How to Formalise”.

💼 For Business: Finnpartnership Business Partnership Support

Finnpartnership is a financial grant programme administered by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs for Finnish companies and organisations developing business partnerships in developing markets. Ukraine has been the programme’s most popular target country since 2022, with over 60 Finnish-supported projects already active there. Ukrainian companies and NGOs participate as partners – not lead applicants.

Finnpartnership Business Partnership Support – Ukraine

Organiser: Finnpartnership (funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs) | finnpartnership.fi

Grants cover the early phases of building sustainable Finnish-Ukrainian business partnerships: feasibility studies and assessments, piloting new technologies or services, staff training, and business planning. Currently active sectors in Ukraine include construction and reconstruction, ICT, healthcare, and education. Applications are accepted year-round through the online e-service; decisions are made on a rolling basis. The Finnish side is responsible for the application and all reporting. A Ukrainian partner must be identified and their involvement clearly described in the application.

Funding rate: 70% of eligible costs for SMEs, 50% for large companies (in Ukraine)
Grant size: min. EUR 15,000 – max. EUR 400,000
Lead applicant: Finnish company or organisation + Ukrainian partner
Deadline: Open / rolling (applications accepted throughout the year)

Finnpartnership Ukraine page

For business and entrepreneurs: Finnpartnership is one of several mechanisms supporting Finnish-Ukrainian business partnerships. A full overview of international and bilateral programmes for business recovery and development in Ukraine is available in the GetGrant article “Ukraine Recovery Grants 2026: Full Overview”.

Summary Table: Seven Finnish-Ukrainian Grants 2026

Programme Amount Deadline For whom
TFK Ukraine Call (EDUFI) up to EUR 80,000 27 Apr 2026 Finnish + Ukrainian universities
LUKE Joint Call (RCF / NRFU) up to EUR 500K (RCF) + NRFU 15 May 2026 Research institutions, universities, SMEs
Kone Foundation (annual grant call) EUR 2,700–3,800/month 15 Sep 2026 Researchers, artists (Finland connection required)
Saari Residence (Kone Foundation) EUR 2,700–3,800/month + housing March 2027 Artists of all nationalities (no restriction)
Finnish Cultural Foundation (SKR) Various (from several thousand EUR) Aug 2026 / 30 Oct 2026 Finns + non-Finns with Finland ties
EDUFI Fellowship EUR 1,900/month Rolling (≥5 months ahead) Ukrainian doctoral researchers at Finnish universities
Finnpartnership (BPS Ukraine) EUR 15K–400K (70% SMEs) Open / rolling Finnish companies + Ukrainian partners

How to choose the programme that best fits your profile? Check the 10 key selection criteria in the GetGrant article “How to Choose a Grant: 10 Criteria and a Checklist”. A full directory of current international opportunities is in the Grants and Funding section.

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