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Youth well-being is the key to building a sustainable and successful society. Although according to many studies and indicators, the majority of young people in Finland are satisfied with their lives, the signs of deteriorating well-being among young people, growing differences in well-being and declining faith in the future raise concerns.
The majority of young people have a positive view of the future, but according to the Youth Barometer, young people’s faith in the future has weakened significantly in ten years: only 61 per cent are optimistic about their own future instead of the previous 83 per cent.
Sitra opens a funding call for projects that develop solutions that improve young people’s well-being and everyday agency. The call is carried out in cooperation with Itla, the Children’s Foundation.
The funding call is aimed at solutions that improve young people’s everyday lives. The solutions to be funded must be in the implementation phase or transferred to it during the project. The aim of the funding is to accelerate the establishment and dissemination of the solution regionally or nationally.
“We want to support and strengthen practical and long-term preventive operating models and solutions that respond to the everyday challenges of young people and families and support well-being even before problems start to accumulate,” says Katri Vataja, CEO of Itla.
Young people should be strongly involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of solutions to be funded in the funding application.
“It is important that the development takes into account young people’s diverse life situations and strengthens young people’s agency and cooperation in youth services and growth environments,” Vataja continues.
Funding can be applied for by consortia formed by two or more organisations. At least one funding applicant in the applicant consortium must be a wellbeing services county, municipality, joint municipal authority or central government organisation.
“The best information about the problems to be solved and the necessary solutions can be found from those already working with young people. We want to support solutions developed by different actors in society that genuinely improve the everyday lives of young people. We hope for bold applications from different actors,” says Saara Rimon, Leading Specialist at Sitra.
In the funding call, approximately 1–3 projects are funded, so that the total amount of funding for the projects can be approximately EUR 500,000. Sitra’s contribution may not exceed 70 per cent of the project’s total costs.
Information on applying for funding is available on the application page, where you can also find more detailed application instructions. Applications must be submitted no later than Friday 30.5.2025 at 12:00 noon in Sitra’s e-service.
