Green Transition Fund
Climate change and biodiversity loss are progressing too rapidly, while the transformation of research projects into practical applications can take up to 10 years. The goal of the Green Transition Fund is to accelerate the journey of promising research projects toward real-world implementation. The fund focuses on developing and piloting solutions that support the sustainability transition. The foundation for solutions of the 2030s must be built now.
What do we fund?
We award grants to research groups developing solutions to challenges caused by climate change or biodiversity loss. Funding is primarily targeted at projects in the later stages of the research pipeline that are approaching commercialization readiness (TRL 3–6). The evaluation considers, among other factors, the scientific background of the project, its expected impact, and its business potential.
The awarded grants may cover salary costs, research expenses, equipment purchases, and other justified costs necessary for the progress of the project. The duration of funded projects ranges from six months to two years, and the grant size is €20,000–€100,000 per project. Projects may also have other concurrent funding.
Funded projects will participate in joint meetings twice a year. These meetings will involve external experts and cover topics such as funding, industrial collaboration, and other themes relevant to the projects, while also offering opportunities for peer support and sparring.
Applying for a grant
The application period is from 11 September to 9 October 2026.
Grants will be available for application over three consecutive years (2026, 2027, 2028). Each year, €150,000–€200,000 will be distributed from the funds of the KAUTE Foundation.
Grants are applied for as a research group. The application process has two stages.
- In the first stage, the research team or principal investigator is asked to submit a free-form concept note of no more than five pages. The concept note must include a concise description of the project, its background and objectives, a justified assessment of commercialization potential, expected impact, timeline, total budget, and the amount requested from the KAUTE Foundation.
- In the second stage, the steering committee invites the most promising projects to give an oral presentation.
Funding decisions are made by the Board of the KAUTE Foundation based on the proposals of the steering committee. Decisions will be made in November 2026.
Steering Committee of the Fund
The steering committee evaluates the applications and proposes the projects to be funded to the Board of the KAUTE Foundation. It also monitors the progress of the projects.
Do you have questions? Please contact us at info@kaute.fi.
FAQ
Here you can find answers to frequently asked questions.
Who can be a PI?
The research group application is submitted by the responsible leader of the group, i.e., the PI (Principal Investigator). The PI must have an affiliation with a Finnish university or research institute. There is no binding requirement for the PI’s career level in this call.
Does the entire group have to be at the same or a Finnish university?
The PI is responsible for the overall project. Group members can also work at other Finnish universities or research institutes. If the group includes international researchers, they must be affiliated with a Finnish university during the grant period, for example, as visiting researchers.
What information should be included in the application?
In the application, the PI names the group members and their grant periods. The background and goals of the project for both the grant period and the longer term must be described in the application. In addition, the following must be described:
- estimated impact
- group members and their roles in the project,
- partners,
- funding plan showing the total budget of the project and the portion requested from KAUTE
- assessment of the project’s commercialization potential
Are CVs requested for everyone?
Yes. The CVs of the PI and all group members working on the grant must be submitted as a single PDF file.
Other funding
The project may have other funding. Already secured funding and planned funding to be applied for elsewhere must be declared in the application as part of the project’s funding plan.
Is the grant paid to the university or to the researchers?
The application can include a working grant, an expense grant, or both. Working grants for researcher members are paid directly to the researchers as personal grants. In the application, the PI specifies the researchers, their working months, and their grant shares.
Any shared group expenses included in the application can be paid to the university and allocated to the project. Percentage-based overheads cannot be included in the application.
Can overhead costs be included in the application?
Shared group expenses can be paid to the university. Percentage-based overheads are not accepted.
How large are the grants that can be applied for?
Grants between 20,000 and 100,000 euros can be awarded to a single project to be used over a maximum period of two years. Working grants follow KAUTE’s grant levels, which in 2027 are €27,000 for doctoral researchers and €32,000 for postdoctoral researchers. If the working period is shorter than 12 months, the share is scaled accordingly based on the working months.
Expense grants included in the application must be itemized as precisely as possible in the project’s funding plan.
Can a research group grant include expenses?
Yes. Expense grants included in the application must be itemized as precisely as possible in the project’s funding plan.