Fixed-term state support for the delivery of newspapers is being introduced in October 2023. The purpose of the support is to make it possible to deliver newspapers five weekdays a week in areas with no commercially implemented early-morning delivery network and no fully comprehensive five-day early-morning delivery. The support is granted for the delivery of newspapers on Tuesdays and Thursdays in these areas.
The delivery support will be tendered, and the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom will be responsible for the preparation and implementation of the tendering. The state support is paid to the delivery company and can cover the net costs of newspaper delivery and a reasonable profit.
Posti won tenders in 35 regions
This year there are a total of 42 areas receiving support, largely following the regional borders, with the exception of Lapland, where the areas receiving support mainly follow the municipal borders. Posti applied for delivery support to 37 regions.
The delivery support was granted to Posti everywhere else except in North Ostrobothnia southern region and Ylitornio, i.e. to a total of 35 areas.
There were no applications for the four areas (Enontekiö, Inari, Pello and Utsjoki) in Lapland. For these areas, Traficom obligates Posti Distribution Ltd a public service obligation in accordance with the Postal Act.
The delivery support applies to postal codes that fall outside comprehensive early-morning delivery, which means roughly half of all postal codes. The support will be allocated to the delivery of subscription-based, paid newspapers published at least three weekdays a week, and it will apply to Tuesday and Thursday delivery days. In the areas receiving the delivery support, universal service products, i.e. stamped letters, will be delivered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, which means that the number of delivery days will increase to five.