Proposal for Stea funding criteria to be finalised early next week

A draft proposal for the criteria governing Stea funding for social and healthcare NGOs will be completed early next week and submitted for political consideration the following week, according to Veli-Mikko Niemi, the permanent secretary at Finland’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Niemi, who leads the working group of permanent secretaries updating the regulation, told Finnish news agency STT that the group has been asked to clarify one section of the Stea regulation—Section 3, titled “Special Conditions.”

He said the current wording does not exclude any organisations but instead sets priorities for funding. The section is now broadly phrased to imply that, for example, motor sports clubs would not receive Stea funding. The aim is to refine it to make clear that the funding is specifically intended for social and healthcare NGOs.

The current regulation took effect in 2023 following reforms to Finland’s gambling laws. Previously, there had been no specific legislation governing funding for social and healthcare NGOs.

Niemi noted that the NGO sector had initially supported leaving the criteria open. However, with funding now being significantly reduced, there is a need to define the criteria more precisely.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo tasked the permanent secretaries with revising the criteria after Social Affairs and Health Minister Wille Rydman’s proposals faced opposition from coalition partners, the National Coalition Party and the Swedish People’s Party.

Niemi added that preliminary guidance for the next year’s funding applications has typically been issued in spring to help NGOs prepare for the autumn application round. In past years, this was handled purely through Stea and civil service preparations, but this year, Rydman’s influence has been more visible than in previous years.