What is it about?

At this time of uncertainty, Finnish society must improve its preparedness for different futures beyond the current level. The public debate on the future of economic growth would also benefit from new perspectives and open-minded examination of different developments.

In Spring 2025, Sitra opened a funding call for studies identifying new opportunities and challenges related to economic growth and ideas for required solutions. We looked for proposals that challenge prevailing assumptions about futures and build alternative views on the developments of growth.

It is important for Finland to find new and creative ways of thinking about the future of the economy and its growth so that we can, on the one hand, promote sustainable growth and, on the other, cope with the sudden crises and long-term challenges shaping society, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, an ageing population and the declining well-being services, the technological transformation and the increasingly tense situation in global politics.

The funding call was aimed at organisations willing and able to boldly challenge the prevailing conditions or assumptions and reflect on alternatives for them while also identifying needs for solutions and starting points for developing them. The future scenarios must be based on research information, trends, scenarios, weak signals or other similar justifications.

Funding amounting to EUR 25,000–80,000 per application can be granted, depending on the objectives of the project and the project plan. The total sum available for funding in this call is EUR 300,000.

The projects financed will be implemented by 31 December 2025.

More detailed information can be found on the application page (in Finnish).