Gofore partners with Kela on single application model

One of the currently most significant projects in the Finnish digital society space, making Kela’s application processes smoother, will soon move forward in collaboration between Kela and Gofore. The single application model is written in Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government’s programme. In practice, the model means that in the future, a customer can apply for several benefits with one application.

”The meaning of Goforeans’ work shines through the most in projects like this with great societal impact. The single application model is an important step towards a real reform of the Finnish social security system by harnessing the possibilities of digital technology. It’s on par with groundbreaking Finnish digitalisation reforms like the Suomi.fi national identification system or the OmaVero tax portal”, says Gofore’s CEO Mikael Nylund.

The single application model development is part of Kela’s strategic development programme called Eepos, and part of the larger social security reformation aligned by Orpo’s government. It entails e.g. a reform of basic social security, targeting to improve profitability of work, make social security more accessible and simplify benefits. The reform is meant to create a universal benefit that includes a basic support for living, a housing support and a discretionary part for last-resort assistance. Transition to the universal benefit model will take place gradually by combining benefits and taking into account the national economy’s current state.

Combining the benefits will now kick off with the single application model creation by the government’s mid-term budget framework negotiations. On 28 August 2024, Kela announced it has chosen Gofore as its partner. The way of procurement has been a negotiation tendering procedure. Kela’s estimate value for the procurement is 10-15 million euros for the entire agreement period, and Gofore’s reference price according to the request for quotation has been 5.5 million euros. The project is estimated to last for three years. Gofore’s resource subcontractor and technology platform supplier in the project is Magnolia.  

”This was an especially great win for us and goes to show that Gofore is a desirable partner for big, challenging aggregate development where the supplier carries significant responsibility of the success of the project. We successfully convinced the customer of our versatile expertise and comprehensive offering in the negotiating phase of the procurement”, Nylund says.

Kela’s programme director Miikka Saarteinen says in Kela’s press release that the single application service is intended to first have in use for unemployment benefit customers by the summer of 2025. In the first phase, the service will also entail an estimation of housing benefit needs. It is intended for the service to expand to also gradually concern other benefits.

More information: 

Mikael Nylund, CEO, Gofore Plc
tel. +358 40 540 2280
mikael.nylund@gofore.com