The stipends for the Valio Akatemia® programme for 2025 have been published. Valio Akatemia® supports Finnish children’s and young people’s sports activities with monetary, nutrition, product and event stipends. The stipends for 2025 were awarded to 307 of the more than 3,200 applicants, and the total value of the stipends is approximately 124,000. The recipients include those who focus on sports competitively and those who share the joy of sports with a low barrier to entry.
“Valio Akatemia® provides very extensive support to active children and young people all over Finland, enabling a wide range of hobbies for both individuals and teams. This year, the number of applications grew to record levels, which indicates the need for support in different sports and hobby levels. It is important to us that the support reaches the widest possible range of communities, as we want to help everyone find the joy of exercise, regardless of hobby fees,” says Nina Wahlström, Marketing Manager of the Valio Akatemia® programme.
A wide range of stipend recipients and impacts
“Valio Akatemia® diversely supports both individuals and groups – whether they are school classes, sports teams, groups of friends or individual hobbyists. We want to encourage physical activity by offering opportunities for a wide range of sports and forms of exercise at different levels, so that every child and young person can exercise on their own terms,” says Nina Wahlström.
Valio Akatemia® provides extensive support to active children and young people all over Finland – a support programme that is unparalleled in Finland. The programme provides support in 160 municipalities in Finland. Once again, this year’s applications and stipend recipients included a variety of different forms of exercise. The stipends were awarded not only for traditional sports such as skiing and hockey but also for less common sports such as equestrian archery and freestyle scootering.
This year, monetary stipends will enable equipment purchases, travel costs to competitions and coaching expenses, for example. Nutrition stipends support the holistic well-being of active children and young people by offering nutrition coaching, as well as cooking courses implemented in cooperation with the Martha Association.
Valio Akatemia® – supporting physical activity for young people
The selections of stipend recipients were supported by long-term programme ambassadors Kerttu Niskanen, Joel Pohjanpalo, Topi Raitanen and the Real Skifi skiing YouTuber group. In addition, the programme’s junior athlete ambassadors alpine ski racer Rosa Pohjolainen, basketball player Miro Little and diver Lauren Hallaselkä actively participate in the activities of the Valio Akatemia® programme.
All stipend recipients for 2025 have been notified of the selection personally. The stipends can be applied for by individual athletes under the age of 18, teams, school classes and organisations from all over Finland. The stipends awarded through the Valio Akatemia® programme aim to provide children and young people with the opportunity to realise their own goals and dreams through physical activity. The programme diversely supports physical activity and sports at all levels: it enables the joy of physical activity with a low barrier to entry, exercising in groups, as well as achieving goals at the competitive level of various sports.
Stipend recipients and awarding events
See all the stipend recipients for 2025 and learn more about the Valio Academy® programme Valio Academy® programme – Valio
