MuniFin has today opened an opportunity for its customers to apply for a grant to support initiatives that enhance local happiness in Finland. Each year, MuniFin will allocate EUR 100,000 through its Happiness Grant to a project that best promotes communal happiness among Finns.
The purpose of the Happiness Grant is to gather ideas at the local level for projects that strengthen communal happiness in Finland. At the same time, MuniFin aims to spark a broader conversation about Finnish happiness.
The Happiness Grant invests in Finland’s communal happiness in a world increasingly coloured by bad news and uncertainty about the future. Finland has ranked first in the UN’s World Happiness Report eight year in a row and with the grant MuniFin aims to inspire concrete actions to maintain and strengthen the foundations of our happiness.
“Through its core mission, MuniFin finances the very foundations of happiness – schools, daycare centres, rail transport and affordable housing. We hope the Happiness Grant will inspire people to think positively about the future and to co-create bold and creative local projects with the potential to support Finland’s growth and development,” says Mari Tyster, Executive Vice President, Legal and Communications at MuniFin.
Criteria reflect the foundations of Finnish happiness
The Happiness Grant will select the supported project based on research-driven criteria. Proposals should take into account community spirit, inclusion and safety. In addition, they are expected to have a long-term impact, promote ecological sustainability and highlight inventive ways to improve well-being. Projects can be small or large, but they must have a tangible effect on everyday life at the community level. The selected project must also provide its own share of funding.
“The UN’s World Happiness Report offers one measure of Finnish happiness. Finland has impressively topped this ranking for eight consecutive years. However, Finnish happiness is built on all the factors mentioned above as a whole. While the sources of happiness vary greatly at an individual level, our evaluation criteria summarise the core elements of Finnish communal happiness,” says happiness researcher Dr Jennifer De Paola from the Universities of Helsinki and Eastern Finland.
Application process and selection
Applications for the Happiness Grant are open immediately and will close at the end of November 2025. In addition to municipalities, wellbeing services counties and non-profit housing organisations are eligible to apply for the EUR 100,000 grant. The grant cannot be allocated to activities operating in a competitive market. The selected project will be announced in January 2026. Detailed application instructions are available on MuniFin’s website at kuntarahoitus.fi/onnellisuusrahasto (only in Finnish).
Project proposals will be evaluated by an independent panel of experts, which includes representatives from MuniFin as well as Creative Director Jani Halme, innovation policy expert Jayla Tammiharju and author and social media professional Julia Thurén. Dr Jennifer De Paola will serve as the panel’s scientific advisor.