U-landshjälp från Folk till Folk i Finland

What U-landshjälp från Folk till Folk i Finland does

UFF (U-landshjälp från Folk till Folk i Finland sr) is a Helsinki-based Finnish non-profit foundation founded in 1987 that operates a circular textile economy as its funding mechanism for climate action and development cooperation. The foundation runs a 24/7 nationwide clothing collection service via containers placed throughout nearly all of Finland, collecting approximately 12 million kg of textiles per year (11.9 million kg in 2024) from a population base of 5.5 million residents.

Collected clothing is sorted and routed through three channels: roughly 9% is sold in UFF's own network of 25 second-hand retail stores (15 in Helsinki, plus locations in Tampere, Espoo, Vantaa, Turku, Jyväskylä and Oulu), 85% is sold wholesale to buyers in Finland, the Baltic countries, other European markets, Africa and Asia, and the remainder goes to recycling or energy recovery (94% reuse rate overall in 2024). The organization also operates a digital loyalty platform (UFFIS, launched January 2025), a sorting-assistance web tool (Lajitteluapuri), and gift cards across all shops.

The retail and wholesale revenue — over €9.5 million directed to societal purposes in 2025 — funds climate work (€7.2M) and development cooperation projects (€2.1M) supporting education, healthcare, food security and economic livelihood in sub-Saharan Africa and India. In 2025 UFF financed 38 projects reaching approximately 450,000 beneficiaries through implementing partners including DAPP Malawi and ADPP Mozambique, with co-funding from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The foundation is a founding member of the international Humana People to People federation, holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications, and operates with a headcount of approximately 320 across sales, production, logistics, administration, communications and development cooperation.

Name

U-landshjälp från Folk till Folk i Finland

Legal name

U-landshjälp från Folk till Folk i Finland sr

Website

https://uff.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

UFF is a Finnish non-profit foundation operating a nationwide clothing collection service, 25 second-hand retail stores, and wholesale distribution channels, with proceeds funding climate action and development cooperation projects in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Second-hand Retail and Charitable Textile Reuse

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110)

SIC

Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Textile & Apparel Recycling and Sorting (Non-E-waste) (BPALADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Textile & Apparel Sorting/Recovery Facilities (EUAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Second-hand clothing retail
• Textile collection services
• Clothing reuse recycling
• Development cooperation funding
• Charitable foundation retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Klaukkala

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales of Donated Clothes: UFF sells donated, usable clothing through its 25 retail stores across Finland. About 10% of all collected clothes are sold in UFF's own shops in Finland. The sales income forms the financing for climate and global development actions.
2. Wholesale Sales of Donated Clothes: The majority of collected clothes (85% in 2024) are sold through wholesale to customers in Finland, Baltic countries, Europe, Africa and Asia. Wholesale customers include retailers who sell the clothes in their own shops or markets.
3. Donations and Fundraising: UFF raises funds through private donations for development projects in Africa and India. Donations are sent in full to the target country, with only bank charges deducted. Collection permit RA/2020/1599.
4. Gift Cards: Gift cards can be purchased at all UFF shops for any desired amount. The card is valid for one year from purchase at all shops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

UFF operates a national clothing collection and reuse service: it collects unwanted textiles through containers across Finland, sorts them, and sells reusable garments through its own network of 25 second-hand retail stores and through wholesale channels. Proceeds from sales fund climate action and development cooperation projects in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Supporting offerings include the UFFIS loyalty program, gift cards, a sorting-assistant web tool, and monetary donations targeted to specific overseas projects.

Product overview

UFF (U-landshjälp från Folk till Folk i Finland sr) is a Finnish non-profit foundation operating in climate action and development cooperation. The organization runs a clothing collection and recycling service as its primary offering, supplemented by a retail network of second-hand shops and wholesale distribution channels. The product portfolio centers on the clothing collection service (core), which feeds into UFF Second Hand Shops (retail) and wholesale operations, with proceeds funding development cooperation projects in Africa and Asia. Supporting digital products include the UFFIS loyalty program (mobile/web app), Lajitteluapuri sorting assistant tool, and gift cards. Promotional events like Tasarahapäivät drive retail engagement, while monetary donation options support targeted development projects. All operations are financed through clothing sales revenue, not government funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UFFIS: UFF's loyalty customer program that offers special offers, personal benefits and accumulates points for all purchases made at UFF.

Products and services

• Clothing Collection Service 24/7 nationwide clothing and textile collection service with containers placed throughout nearly all of Finland, serving over 5.5 million Finnish residents. Donated textiles are sorted for reuse, recycling or energy recovery.
• UFF Second Hand Shops Network of 25 second-hand retail stores across Finland (Helsinki, Tampere, Espoo, Vantaa, Turku, Jyväskylä, Oulu) selling donated, sorted and quality-checked clothing, vintage items, accessories, shoes and home textiles. Some shops specialize in vintage-only collections. Over one million customers visited annually.
• Wholesale Clothing Sales

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of collected clothes directed to reuse in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FrendieminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 February 2026Finnish social enterprise developing digital services for reducing loneliness and supporting friendship. All UFF shops have been designated as official Frendie meeting places, offering low-threshold environments for people to meet through the app.
• DAPP MalawicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Development cooperation partner implementing education and livelihood projects in Malawi. UFF funded projects in Dowa and Balaka regions in 2025, including teacher training for basic education and small-scale farming projects.
• ADPP MosambikcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Development cooperation partner implementing education and community development projects in Mozambique. UFF funded projects in Namacurra and Mocuba regions in 2025 focusing on basic education and rural livelihood improvement.
• Humana People to PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFF is one of the founding members of the international Humana People to People federation of humanitarian organizations. The network enables sharing of best practices in development cooperation, clothing recycling and communications. Member organizations operate independently and locally while benefiting from the collaborative network.
• Vammaiskumppanuus rycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish disability partnership organization collaborating with UFF on development projects to ensure disability perspectives are included in all four projects starting in 2025.
• Helsingin seudun kauppakamari ryminorOthersMember of the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce
• Kaupan liitto ryminorOthersMember of the Finnish Commerce Federation
• Muoti- ja urheilukauppa ryminorOthersMember of the Fashion and Sports Trade Association
• RENET Uudelleenkäyttöverkosto ryminorOthersMember of the RENET Reuse Network
• Suomalaiset kehitysjärjestöt – Fingo ryminorOthersMember of the Finnish Development NGOs Fingo umbrella organization
• Suomen Jäte- ja Materiaalikierron Osaajat ryminorOthersMember of the Finnish Waste and Materials Cycling Experts association
• Klädinsamling för miljö och global utveckling srminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner organization for clothing collection operations in Finland. Collection is implemented in collaboration between U-landshjälp från Folk till Folk i Finland sr and Klädinsamling för miljö och global utveckling sr.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Myrorna (Stockholms Stadsmission): Swedish second-hand retail chain owned by the Stockholm City Mission, operating thrift stores nationwide with proceeds funding social programs. Mirrors UFF's charity-funded second-hand retail model and is a direct Nordic counterpart.
• Humana People to People: International federation of humanitarian organizations of which UFF is a founding member. Operates a global network of clothing collection and second-hand retail with parallel development cooperation programs, making it the closest organizational and strategic peer to UFF.
• Fretex: Norway's leading charitable textile reuse organization, combining nationwide clothing collection, second-hand retail stores, and wholesale export with employment programs. Operates the same integrated collection-retail-wholesale-charity model as UFF, making it the most directly comparable Nordic peer.
• Kirkens Korshær Genbrug: Denmark's largest charitable second-hand chain operated by the Danish Church Aid, with retail stores across Denmark funded by donations and volunteer work. Combines a comparable thrift retail footprint with a humanitarian funding mission similar to UFF.
• Helsingin Kierrätyskeskus: Finnish reuse organization based in the Helsinki region, operating second-hand retail and donation acceptance with a charitable and environmental mission. A direct domestic peer operating in the same Finnish market and same product category as UFF.

Others

• Renet Uudelleenkäyttöverkosto ry: Finnish reuse network of which UFF is a member. Functions as an industry association promoting reuse in Finland rather than a direct competitor, making it a relevant ecosystem peer for understanding the broader reuse landscape in which UFF operates.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army Family Stores: Global charity operating one of the world's largest thrift retail networks, with donation-driven second-hand stores in many countries. A broader incumbent sharing the charity-funded thrift retail concept but with much wider geographic and product scope than UFF.
• Oxfam Shops: UK-headquartered charity running extensive second-hand shop networks across multiple European countries with proceeds funding international development. A broader incumbent sharing the charity-thrift model but operating with a much larger retail footprint than UFF.
• Finnish Red Cross second-hand shops (Spr-kierrätys): Finnish Red Cross operates second-hand retail in Finland with a charitable funding model parallel to UFF. A broader domestic incumbent sharing the charity-funded second-hand concept and competing for the same donor and shopper pool in Finland.
• I:CO (SOEX Group): Global textile collection and reuse infrastructure provider operating take-back programs for apparel brands and retailers. Provides industrial-scale collection and sorting services comparable to UFF's logistics backbone, but operates B2B rather than as a retail-first charity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvvsusZ3S7UEccyhef3zuJA?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/UffFinland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uff-finland
• Instagraminstagram.com/uff_fi
• Xx.com/ufffinland

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about U-landshjälp från Folk till Folk i Finland