Apply now for Baltic Sea Project 2019!

The funding call for the Bank of Åland’s Baltic Sea Project is open now. This year, we are giving out more money than ever before, up to €500,000, to support projects that improve the state of the Baltic Sea.

It is the fifth funding call for the Baltic Sea Project. In previous years, the Bank of Åland’s support has enabled the launch and development of a number of startups.

“The Baltic Sea Project has had applications from some incredible initiatives and projects in previous years that are already bearing fruit. We’re very proud to watch the growth of the projects that we’ve funded,” says the chair of the jury for the Baltic Sea Project, Anne-Mari Salonius.

The Baltic Sea Project has provided funding for, among others, the Espoo-based startup Solar Foods, which makes protein out of air; Sulapac, which is replacing plastic packaging with biodegradable materials; Johannes Myllykoski, who developed a device for collecting marine plastics and founded the company Clewat Oy to develop it further; and Wapulec Oy, which is removing pharmaceutical traces and other harmful substances from waste water.

Funding from the Baltic Sea Project has been used for designing factories, product design, multi-year projects and pilot initiatives.

Funding available for big and small players alike

In addition to supporting startups, the Baltic Sea Project has funded several large Finnish organizations that work to improve the health of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea Project has supported, among others, WWF Finland, BSAG, The John Nurminen Foundation and the Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association. Research organizations like the Finnish Environment Institute and the University of Helsinki have also received funding from the Baltic Sea Project.

“We’re funding a variety of projects that help the Baltic Sea, because we all have the same goal: to improve the state of Baltic Sea and increase awareness of it,” says Salonius.

The Baltic Sea Project welcomes applications from, for instance, companies, foundations and research projects aiming for concrete results. Applicants do not need to be established names in the field.

“We’re not just looking for projects that are already under way. If you have an idea that could help the Baltic Sea, the Baltic Sea Project could help you make it a reality,” Salonius confirms.

Record pot for the Baltic Sea

Last year, the Baltic Sea Project received 128 applications and gave out a total of €300,000 in funding. This year, the amount of funding is increased to as much as €500,000.

The is made possible by the increase in savings on Baltic Sea Accounts, a product of the Bank of Åland. The Bank of Åland donates to environmental protection a sum equaling 0.2% of all the savings on Baltic Sea Accounts.

The Bank of Åland, which is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year, has so far spent nearly €2,300,000 supporting the important environmental work done by big and small organizations alike.

“We want to be involved in improving the health of the Baltic Sea, and the Baltic Sea Project is one way of doing that. We also have the Baltic Sea Card. It’s the world’s first payment card that’s made of environmentally friendly materials, and it’s coupled to the Åland Index, which shows the environmental impact of your purchases,” says Salonius.

Read more about the funding call and apply now on the Baltic Sea Project’s website. Applications close on September 30. The projects selected for funding will be announced at the start 2020.