Large grants over EUR 5,000

This spring, applications are particularly encouraged in the fields of science and research as well as forest nature projects. The Finnish Forest Foundation emphasizes these themes in the spring application round, but will also consider applications addressing other themes that align with the Foundation’s purpose.

The Finnish Forest Foundation aims to particularly promote research addressing the following themes:

• the national economic significance of forestry and the wood‑processing industry
• forestry, security of supply, and strategic geopolitical independencethe ecological sustainability of forestry and timber procurement, including soil and water issues
• foresight on the future of the forest sector and its international competitiveness
• forest ownership and incentive systems for future forestry
• wood construction and its promotion

In addition, the Finnish Forest Foundation seeks to promote the practical application and dissemination of research knowledge related to the forest sector, as well as science communication.

The Foundation encourages researchers to apply for grants within the themes listed above or for other projects related to the forest sector.

The Finnish Forest Foundation welcomes grant applications for projects that promote forest biodiversity or support climate action related to forests. The aim of this grant round is to fund concrete projects that enhance forest biodiversity across different parts of Finland.

A project should aim to promote forest biodiversity, improve the resilience of forest nature to climate change, or deliver other climate‑related benefits connected to forests. Projects may focus, for example, on the restoration of sun‑exposed habitats or herb‑rich forests, stream restoration, or the implementation of fire‑continuum measures.

Collaboration between multiple partners within a project is considered an advantage. In this way, the Finnish Forest Foundation seeks to encourage cooperation among different actors for the benefit of biodiversity and the climate. Projects may have additional sources of funding, but this is not a requirement.

Under the Foundations Act, all foundations are required to report in their annual report any financial transactions carried out with related parties. Financial transactions with related parties are not prohibited, but they must always be conducted on the same terms as with other parties and reported transparently.

The Finnish Forest Foundation requires grant applicants to declare whether they belong to the Foundation’s related parties.

In the case of the Finnish Forest Foundation, the following parties are considered related parties:

Communities and foundations that are under the control (ownership exceeding 50%) of the persons referred to in sections 1–3, either individually or jointly.

1. Members and deputy members of the Foundation’s Board and Administrative Council, as well as the Managing Director and the auditor.
2. Family members of the persons referred to above include:
   -spouse and cohabiting partner
   -the person’s own children and the children of their spouse, as well as their descendants
   -the person’s own parents and grandparents, the parents and grandparents of their spouse, and the parents of those grandparents
3. Other close relatives of the persons referred to above include:
   -siblings, including half‑siblings
   -their spouses and cohabiting partners
   -their children, the descendants of those children, as well as their parents and grandparents

These funding terms apply to all grants awarded by the Board of the Finnish Forest Foundation.

If there are any delays, changes in project personnel, or other significant changes in the implementation of the project, these must be reported without delay to the Finnish Forest Foundation. If the content of the project changes substantially, the Board of the Foundation may review and amend its decision. The Foundation has the right to reclaim the grant already paid if the conditions for the grant are no longer met.

The grant recipient commits to clearly acknowledging the Finnish Forest Foundation in the implementation of the project and in its final outputs. The Foundation’s logos must be used to the agreed extent and are available for download at metsasaatio.fi/yhteystiedot. The grant recipient also commits to acknowledging the Finnish Forest Foundation as a funder in social media and other communications, using the Foundation’s hashtags #metsäsäätiö and #metsäelinkeino.

The scope and methods of visibility will be agreed on a project‑by‑project basis between the grant recipient and the Foundation’s Managing Director after the grant decision has been made. If the Finnish Forest Foundation is not acknowledged as agreed, the Foundation has the right to withhold payment of the final instalment of the grant.

The grant recipient commits to submitting a final report on the project within one month of the project’s completion. The final report must be uploaded to the grant system and include the implementer’s self‑assessment of the project’s progress and the achievement of its objectives. The Foundation may publish the report on its website and use it in other communications.

The grant recipient accepts that the Finnish Forest Foundation may commission an audit to verify that the grant has been used appropriately and in accordance with the application. The Foundation will appoint the auditor and cover the costs of the audit.