Business Finland R&D funding now covers market preparation, up to 20% of a project, and intangible development

Business Finland R&D funding now covers market preparation, up to 20% of a project, and intangible development

22 September 2026: Business Finland, the Finnish government's innovation funding agency, announced on 22 September 2026 that it has revised the criteria of its research, development and piloting funding. The agency says this is not a new funding service. It is a change to what the existing one will pay for. Two changes matter most to software and digital-services companies: work that prepares a product for market can now sit inside an R&D project, and development of intangible solutions such as services, business models and user experience can be funded as R&D in its own right.

What can now be funded

Within an R&D project, Business Finland says it can fund:

• analysing customer needs and assessing the market situation;
• planning market-entry strategies;
• surveying distribution channels, target-market legislation and the IPR landscape;
• test marketing, meaning testing the project's results with real customers, provided the campaign is limited in duration and audience and what is learned feeds back into development.

These activities must relate directly to the solution being developed and meet the normal conditions for R&D costs. The agency states the limit plainly: activities that promote utilisation "may account for up to 20% of the approved cost estimate" of the project.

The second change widens what counts as the product. R&D funding may now go to developing services, business models, management, work organisation and other intangible elements, as long as the work qualifies as research and development. The agency gives usability and customer experience as examples, and says intangible development may be part of a project or its main or sole focus.

What is still excluded

EU state-aid rules still apply. Business Finland says it cannot fund building a distribution network, sales and marketing, or costs of commercial activity such as contract negotiations and raising finance. Marketing a finished product is not test marketing. Preparing an EU grant application is also not funded, although preparing partnerships to extend a project into international cooperation can be.

The Sprint Grant for small companies

The change sits alongside the Sprint Grant, a continuous call open since 1 September 2026. It is for small Finnish companies (fewer than 50 staff and turnover or balance sheet of no more than 10 million euros). Companies under five years old must not have had Business Finland funding before; older companies must be making a significant, innovation-based change of direction. At least two-thirds of costs must be R&D, and the company needs at least 50,000 euros of equity financing on its balance sheet. The page states that funding covers 75% of eligible costs on a project of 100,000 to 133,334 euros, so a grant of 75,000 to 100,000 euros, awarded as de minimis aid that is not repaid. Applicants register in the agency's online service and meet one of its experts before submitting.

What to do

• Finnish software and SaaS companies planning an R&D project can now budget customer research, market-entry planning and a limited paid pilot inside it, up to a fifth of the approved cost.
• Service design, onboarding and user-experience work can be framed as R&D if it genuinely involves research and development; say so in the plan.
• Keep sales, advertising and launch marketing out of the cost estimate: they remain ineligible.
• Small companies weighing the Sprint Grant should check the equity requirement and the funding-history rule before booking the expert meeting.

Sources

• Business Finland: Business Finland renews its funding service for company research and development - 22 September 2026
• Business Finland: Sprint Grant for small companies seeking rapid international growth starting 1.9.2026 (page updated 21.8.2026) - 21 August 2026