This article is a translation of the original Finnish article: Energia-avustus 2026–2027 – Varken uusi avustus taloyhtiöiden energiaremontteihin
Energy grant 2026–2027 – Varke's new grant for housing company energy renovations
State funding is once again available for energy renovations of residential buildings. On 10.9.2026 the Finnish Government issued a decree on energy grants for residential buildings in 2026–2027, and applications opened on 28.9.2026 in the online service of Varke (the Housing Construction Centre of the Finnish State; until 1.3.2025 known as ARA). A total of €110 million has been allocated for the grants and their administration in 2026–2027, of which about €25 million for 2026. Applications are processed in order of arrival for as long as the appropriation lasts – so it pays to act early. The information in this article is based on Varke’s application guide dated 10.9.2026.
Who is the grant intended for?
The grant can be applied for by
- housing companies (asunto-osakeyhtiö) and
- entities owning state-subsidised rental or right-of-occupancy housing (the grant is awarded as SGEI support).
The grant is not awarded to private individuals, so the owner of a detached house cannot apply for it themselves. However, a housing company made up of several small houses can apply, and it is assessed under the requirements for small houses. The housing company may not engage in economic activity, and no more than half of its shares may be owned by an entity engaged in economic activity.
In addition, it is required, among other things, that at least half of the building’s floor area is in year-round residential use, that the measures are appropriate considering the building’s expected remaining period of residential use, and that no other public energy efficiency grant has been awarded for the same building.
How much can you receive?
The grant is at most €4,000 per apartment, but no more than 50 per cent of the approved and realised costs – whichever gives the smaller amount applies. The grant is calculated measure by measure: 20–100 per cent of each measure’s costs are accepted as eligible, and the grant is half of this eligible share. Examples from the application guide’s list of measures:
| Measure | Grant share of the measure's costs |
|---|---|
| Design costs, including E-value calculations and energy certificates | 50 % |
| Giving up oil or gas heating | 50 % |
| Airtightness improvement of the building (verified with airtightness measurements) | 30 % |
| Ventilation heat recovery, incl. an exhaust air heat pump | 25 % |
| Replacing windows and external doors (at least 30 % better than the requirements of decree 4/13) | 20 % |
| Heat pumps and solar energy equipment | 20 % |
| Additional thermal insulation of the facade in connection with its renewal | 10 % |
What does the grant require of the E-value?
Receiving the grant requires that the building’s E-value improves to a level at least 10 per cent better than the renovation minimum laid down in section 7 of Ministry of the Environment decree 4/13. The total required improvement compared with the E-value at the time of construction is:
| Building type | Total required improvement | Target E-value |
|---|---|---|
| Block of flats | 23 % | at most 0,77 × the baseline |
| Small, semi-detached and terraced houses | 28 % | at most 0,72 × the baseline |
The improvement is verified with E-value calculations: the application must include a calculation of the E-value at the time of construction (or of the year of a change of use) and of the E-value targeted after the repairs. The calculation follows the rules of decree 1010/2017. An existing energy certificate can also be used as the baseline calculation, if it has been calculated according to energy certificate decree 1048/2017 and reflects the building’s original solutions. Varke recommends that the calculations are prepared by a qualified energy certificate assessor – the basic level of qualification is sufficient.
How and when to apply?
The grant is applied for in Varke’s online service. On behalf of a housing company, the application is usually handled by the property manager, who needs the Suomi.fi authorisation “Asuinrakennusten korjausavustusten hakeminen” (applying for renovation grants for residential buildings). The housing company must have a legally valid decision to undertake the project and on its financing, in practice a decision of the general meeting.
As a rule, the repair work may only start once the application with its attachments has been submitted. There are two exceptions: design costs incurred after 20.4.2026 can be covered retroactively, and the costs of repair works started on 1.6.2026 or later can be taken into account if the application is submitted by 31.12.2026 at the latest.
The grant is paid in one instalment after the works are completed. The payment application must include an E-value calculation describing the situation after the repairs and a new energy certificate. Payment must be applied for by 31 October of the final payment year; the grant can be paid during the year it was awarded and the two following calendar years.
It pays to combine the energy renovation with other repair projects
Improving energy efficiency is at its most affordable when it is carried out as part of another repair project – for example a renovation based on the housing company’s long-term maintenance plan (PTS): the design work, scaffolding and site are then already part of the project. The grant’s list of measures supports the same thinking, as support is available for example for additional thermal insulation of the facade during a facade renovation, additional insulation of the top floor structure when the roof is renewed, and pipe insulation during a pipe renovation. So if your housing company is planning a repair project, it is worth finding out whether the renovation could qualify for the grant by including measures that improve energy efficiency at the same time. We help you identify the measures that suit your property best and meet the grant’s conditions.
How we can help
We prepare the E-value calculations the grant requires, both for the baseline and for the situation after the repairs, as well as the energy certificates – our energy certificate assessors are professionals holding the advanced-level qualification certified by FISE. Grant projects are familiar to us from the previous round: when ARA awarded largely similar energy grants in 2020–2023, we prepared the reports for dozens of subsidy projects – see our subsidy project references. We also assess which measures achieve the required E-value improvement in the most economically viable way. It is worth noting that design costs, including E-value calculations and energy certificates, are covered by the grant at a 50 per cent grant share. Take a look at our services or submit a request for a quote, and we will help your housing company apply for the grant and carry out the energy renovation profitably.
Sources: