The Nessling Foundation provides Small Funding to support the work of civil society in the sustainability transformation. The aim of this funding is to strengthen especially the opportunities of smaller actors to participate in the sustainability transformation, thereby enhancing diversity and inclusion across the field of actors. The call is open to Finnish organisations with a Business ID. Applicants may apply for a maximum of €10,000.
Through the Small Funding call, we provide funding to support civil society activities in the sustainability transformation. Funding may be granted for science-based activities lasting up to one year and carried out within one year of receiving the funding.
Applications must be submitted via the Nesslink grant system. Please note that when registering in Nesslink, applicants must select organisation as the applicant type. Only applications submitted through Nesslink during the application period will be considered.
The application period for the 2026 Small Funding call opens on Monday 9 March and closes on Friday 20 March at 23:59. Funding decisions will be announced by the end of April.
In 2026, we will organise only this single round of Small Funding call.
Applicants who are not awarded funding through the Small Funding call may also apply for funding for a science-based action project in the general funding call in the autumn. Please note, however, that the criteria and funding amounts in the general funding call differ from those of the Small Funding call.
What kind of work is the Nessling Foundation supporting in the Small Funding call?
All funding granted by the Nessling Foundation is directed to projects that enable or support the sustainability transformation that protects natural systems. Through the Small Funding call, we support the work of civil society in the sustainability transformation.
The sustainability transformation is a response to the ecological crisis. In the midst of this crisis, society and all its sectors must change to respect the limits of the planet and acknowledge humanity’s dependence on natural systems. This is referred to as a sustainability transformation that protects natural systems (Finnish Expert Panel for Sustainable Development).
We understand the sustainability transformation as a comprehensive process of societal change grounded in strong sustainability, which aims to align human activities with the ecological limits of the planet. It goes beyond technological solutions, demanding a far-reaching transformation across all areas of life – changes in the structures and functions of culture and society such as the economy, governance, production and consumption and our values and mindsets. A key aspect of the transformation is also the recognition of human dependence on nature.
The sustainability transformation is realised through active and purposeful human action across the society: in political decision-making, administrative regulation, the activites of businesses and other organisations, as well as in civil society initiatives and everyday choices. At the heart of the transformation is a coherent and long-term policymaking that ensures fairness and inclusiveness throughout the transformation (Luontopaneeli, in Finnish).
Sustainability transformation will not happen without broad participation. That is why the role of civil society is essential. Civil society can draw attention to injustices, challenge existing structures, promote new thinking and support actions that foster sustainability from the grassroots level up.
Through the Small Funding, we fund projects and activities that strengthen the role of civil society in advancing sustainability transformation. The activities must be science-based and aim for societal impact – that knowledge moves from words into actions and values.
Funding may be applied for, for example:
- workshops, co-creation or training
- communications activities such as a campaign, event, publication or learning materials
- art and cultural activities
- an experiment, pilot project or the development of a new operating model.
For inspiration, you may also explore projects previously funded through the Small Funding here. We welcome as wide a range of ideas as possible, so please feel free to apply for funding also for activities that are not included in the list above or among previously funded projects.
Terms and conditions of the funding
Please read the terms and conditions carefully before submitting your application. If any of the conditions are not met, or if funding is applied for in a way that is not in line with these terms, the application will be rejected.
- The project supports civil society activities in the sustainability transformation.
- The project may be awarded a maximum of €10,000 in funding.
- Funding may be applied for a project with multiple funders. The application must clearly specify which part of the project would be financed by the Nessling Foundation and from where, how and when the remaining funding will be secured.
- The project must be carried out within one year of the funding being granted. The project must be implemented in Finland by a Finnish organisational actor (the organisation must have a Business ID). The application must be submitted in the Nesslink grant system by the project’s responsible leader.
- The project is science-based. Activities are science-based when their content, objectives or implementation are grounded in previously produced, peer-reviewed and documented scientific knowledge. This knowledge may guide project planning, form the basis of the content, or be reflected in implementation and impact objectives. The science base must be justified in the project plan, for example by referring to relevant source materials. In addition to scientific articles, these may include accessible reports intended for wider audiences.
- We do not grant funding for a new project if the applicant currently has an ongoing project funded by the Nessling Foundation.
Only applications submitted through the Nesslink grant system during the application period will be considered.
In the Small Funding call, you CAN NOT APPLY for funding for:
- research work, research costs, conference and seminar travel or similar, or other research-related work
- co-funding or self-financing shares
- developing or financing business activities
- or applications submitted by private individuals.
Key criteria for funding decisions
- The project’s connection to the sustainability transformation and protecting natural systems
- The project strengthens the role of civil society in the sustainability transformation
- The project is science-based
- The societal impact of the activities
- Engagement of target groups and outreach
- The feasibility and realism of the project
All applications will be assessed according to the criteria listed above. When considering the final overall selection of funded projects, we also place emphasis on diversity: we aim for projects to be distributed across Finland and to vary in terms of their forms of activity and target groups. These aspects may also serve as final selection criteria when comparing two equally strong projects.
The Small Funding call is coordinated by the Foundation’s Science and Executive Director, and applications are assessed by the Foundation’s experts.
How to apply for funding
- Register and log in to Nesslink using the applicant type “organisation“. The application must always be submitted by the project’s responsible leader.
- Complete all sections of the application form.
The most important part of the application is the project plan, which must be attached as a PDF file. The maximum length of the project plan is 4,000 characters including spaces (approximately one page). Any text exceeding 4,000 characters will not be read. In addition, the file may include one extra page for references or a bibliography.
You may upload only one PDF attachment of up to two pages. The maximum file size is 10 MB.
The project plan must include the following information:
- Purpose of the project
- How the project supports sustainability transformation that protects natural systems
- Objectives and the intended impact of the project
- Roles and responsibilities of the project implementers
- Which target groups the project reaches or engages, and how
- Project timeline
- How the project is science-based (this will be assessed, among other things, on the basis of the sources cited in the application).
Decisions
The projects to be funded will be announced by the end of April 2026. We will fund 6–8 projects through this call. Unfortunately, we can’t provide feedback on funding decisions.
More information
If you need more information about applying through the Small Funding call, you can email us at . Please write “Small Funding” in the subject line of your message.
Please note that we do not assess project ideas in advance. Funding decisions are made on the basis of the submitted applications and an overall evaluation of the call.