From piloting to partnerships – New channels for collaboration with international organisations

12.05.2026

International organisations are increasingly seeking solutions from the private sector, and Finnish companies now have even better opportunities to get involved in this collaboration. Finnpartnership supports companies in launching international partnerships by bringing companies and organisations together around the same table and supporting initial joint pilot projects.

A keyway to promote this collaboration is the financial grant offered by Finnpartnership for piloting with ODA-eligible international organisations. Piloting gives companies the opportunity to test and localise their solutions in a real-world operating environment and lay the groundwork for further collaboration. Support for piloting ranges from 15,000 to 400,000 euros, with a funding percentage of 30–70 percent depending on the company’s size and the target country.

On 26 May, this will take shape in a webinar organised in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). At the event, Finnish companies will have the opportunity to hear about the UNDP’s current needs for sustainable infrastructure in Ethiopia and to pitch their solutions directly to UNDP representatives. Companies will get direct contacts with the organisation, information on UNDP’s needs, and the opportunity to move forward with concrete pilot projects and further cooperation. Registration is open for Finnish companies.

Finnpartnership has previously organised similar cooperation-focused webinars, for example with UNHCR, and this type of activity will continue in the future. Our goal is to lower the threshold for international cooperation and make cooperation opportunities more accessible to companies.

To support the identification of cooperation opportunities, Finnpartnership has also renewed its agreement for the DevelopmentAid service. The service offers Finnish SMEs a practical tool for monitoring projects and tenders by international organisations and other development actors. DevelopmentAid is particularly useful for companies that want to understand the scope of international actors’ activities and find opportunities that match their own expertise. If you represent a Finnish SME and would like to have access to DevelopmentAid’s services, please contact us.

I am happy to assist companies in identifying piloting opportunities and with the steps towards cooperation with international organisations. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.