Application periods, 2024:

1. On-going call for applications between € 500 – € 5 000! *

   • *Please note that applications are not processed during common holidays in Finland
   • *Sustainability Action Booster has funding secured until the end of 2024, so we're currently primarily looking for actions that are implemented and ready before the end of 2024.

2. Call for grant applications between € 5 001 – € 10 000:   

   • 26.2.2024–10.3.2024 
   • 26.8.2024–15.9.2024

For smaller grants (up to €5,000) we will aim to get back to you within 7 working days! 

For the bigger grants (€5,001–€10,000) you can expect to hear from us within 2 weeks after the application period has ended. 

You can expect the grant money either on the 15th or the last day of the month, depending on the Aalto payment policy.

The sooner you have filled in the required payment info – the sooner you can expect the payment! 

If the project gets funding, the main applicant needs to consider that: 

• The grant will be paid to their personal bank account as a one-time payment 
• They are responsible for the correct usage of the grant and should inform the Sustainability Action Booster -team on any changes to the initial plan
• They're responsible for submitting the final report after the project 
• They're responsible for keeping copies of the receipts
• They should check their pre-completed tax return and make corrections if necessary 

Although the main applicant has these formal responsibilities, we recommend that the labor should be shared equally among the team members. Read tips on teamwork!

The Sustainability Action Booster offers the grant for sustainability actions. Employer cannot give a grant to an employee as that could be interpreted as tax evasion. Therefore, if Aalto University paid this kind of money to an employee, it would be considered as taxable income. 

Although an employee cannot be the main applicant, they can be part of an applying team! 

Please see the application criteria and what your action might look like! You can also find inspiration and example cases from our previous actions! 

Sustainability Action Booster is an expense grant intended to reimburse expenses incurred in the implementation of applied action. The grant is intended to cover only the approved expenses that were stated in the budget plan. 

These expenses can be for example: 

• Expenses related to event production 
• Tools and materials 
  • Please note! The Sustainability Action Booster carefully evaluates all expenses associated with new procurements. We strongly encourage you to explore the possibility of obtaining the required equipment through loans or second-hand acquisitions before considering new purchases. If acquiring new tools or materials is imperative for your project, it should be thoroughly justified and integrated into your application, ensuring that the procurement brings long-lasting value and enjoyment to many.
• Costs of communication efforts
• Purchasing a service from a company (note: the VAT is not deductible) 
• Travel expenses that are essentially related to the implementation of the action (e.g., bus tickets, van rental, or reimbursement of visitor's travel expenses)
  • Please note, that Booster typically does not fund any international trips, as they do not meet our criteria for accessibility and sustainability.
• Honorarium of visiting speakers if they can invoice it as a service 

All purchases must have a receipt as proof and must be distributed to the Sustainability Action Booster in accordance with the agreed operating procedure.

Activities not supported by the grant:

• Annual or recurring activities of businesses, clubs, guilds or associations
• Seed money for opening a business or a political club or association.
• Any activity that is or is targeted to become commercial or profit-seeking 
• Actions directly organised by student guilds, clubs or associations targeted for their members only
• Foreign trips
• Research

Expenses that the grant cannot cover: 

• Salary, fee, or other compensation for working time 
• Meal expenses for the team (refreshments for a wider audience in an event are okay)
• Living expenses 
• Gift cards 
• Any alcoholic refreshments 

The grant is fixed-termed and decided upon the application. The implementation of a project could range for example from a few weeks up to several months in duration. 

Sustainability Action Booster has funding secured until the end of 2024, so we're currently looking for actions that are implemented and ready before the end of 2024!

Please note that if you cannot use the grant in the time planned in your application, you're required to notify the Sustainability Action Booster -team. 

Unfortunately, we cannot assign credits as we're not a course or a programme. However, some projects could be combined with studies or as individual project courses. 

In all questions related to credits, always contact the study advisor of your own study programme to discuss the possibilities. 

The grant is coordinated by a team within the Solutions for Sustainability. In addition, the Steering Group of Sustainability Action Booster consisting of student, academic, and specialist advisors, participate in the decision-making.

Sustainability Action Booster is a develpoment project with funding until the end of 2024.

If anything is unclear, please drop us a message via email [email protected] or DM us on Instagram @sustainability_action_booster. We're more than happy to hear from you! 

Grant recipients own the copyrights for their own ideas. However, the Sustainability Action Booster is entitled to advertise and communicate the granted actions – we will give full credit to the project team wherever appropriate! 

In addition, the grant receivers need to state in their communications that the action is funded by the Sustainability Action Booster -grant. 

The action can take place anywhere that is suitable for its purpose! The location should be accessible to all participants. 

We highly recommend utilising our beautiful campus as a venue for your action, so if you wish to implement it there – just check the properties of Aalto University!

The proposal cannot require building permits or extensive construction measures, such as the laying of foundations. However, smaller building projects, prototypes, temporary structures etc. are fine! 

The actions are all about the students and for the students! We hope that the initiatives will inspire others to participate, and to implement ideas, experiments, and solutions for a sustainable future. By communicating about the initiatives new audiences will hear about it and have the possibility to join! 

As long as the grant you receive is tax-exempt and used as intended, it is not considered as income, and therefore do not affect the amount of your study support (Kansaneläkelaitos, 2022). 

NOTE: These are generic comments, Aalto University does not give tax guidance and takes no responsibility for individuals' taxation matters. We always advice checking current instructions directly from the Tax Administration's website and turning to them for all tax-related questions. 

• If the total amount of grants received annually from any private entity doesn't exceed the annual amount of tax-exempt grants, the Aalto Sustainability Action Booster grant is also tax-exempt 
• For example, in 2023 the grant is taxable income if the amount received annually exceeds 24,965 € 

• If you receive any other grants or scholarships during the tax year, we ask you to pay attention to the tax-exempt maximum and read more from the Tax Administration's webpage.

The received grant should appear automatically on the applicants pre-completed tax return as Aalto University as the grant provider is responsible for informing the Tax Administration. 

The recipient of the grant is obligated to check that the grant appears correctly on the pre-completed tax return and correct the information if necessary. Check the instructions for filing if needed. 

All receipts should be saved in electronic form as they can be requested by the Tax Administration if necessary. In addition, they state that the grant is used to cover expenses applied for. 

We will help you by offering a way to collect and store all your receipts easily!