Nominate an arts and culture expert to be a member of the new Pool of Experts of the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency
The new structure consists of a Council of Arts and Culture, a Pool of Experts and Grant Assessment Panels, which will review grant applications received by the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency. The Council of Arts and Culture will decide on the awarding of grants and prizes to artists and working groups on the basis of peer reviews made within Grant Assessment Panels. The awarding of grants to communities will be decided by the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency.
The new structure maintains the principles of peer reviews, autonomy and regional equality in the arts in decision-making and replaces the current national and regional arts councils.
The Finnish Arts and Culture Agency is now requesting nominations for the Pool of Experts. Members of the Pool of Experts will serve a term of three years, beginning in September 2026. Approximately 300 members will be appointed to the Pool of Experts.
Nominations must be submitted to the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency by 24 April 2026 at the latest using the link below. Nominations may also be made on behalf of a community, and individuals may express their own interest in serving on the Pool of Experts using a separate online form.
I am submitting a nomination on behalf of a community
I am expressing my own interest in serving on the Pool of Experts (Form is in Finnish)
You may nominate yourself even if you have not been nominated by a community. Your CV is required to fill in the form.
The Finnish Arts and Culture Agency has requested nominations from key actors in the arts and culture sector. In addition, any community in the arts and culture sector may nominate members.
Broad range of expertise in the arts and culture required within the Pool of Experts
Members should represent the different sub-genres and professional groups within each field of the arts, as well as the diversity of the arts and culture sector. It is hoped that the nominees will represent different age groups, living in different parts of Finland and representing different genders, as well as linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
We encourage communities to nominate multiple candidates to ensure that the expertise of the Pool of Experts in all the fields of the arts and regions is as diverse as possible. A separate form should be filled out for each candidate.
Pool of Experts improves flexibility for reviewing applications
The Council of Arts and Culture will select the members for Pool of Experts after consulting key parties in the arts and culture sector. The Finnish Arts and Culture Agency will assemble the Grant Assessment Panels from among the members appointed to the Pool of Experts.
The new Pool of Experts will improve flexibility for reviewing applications: Grant Assessment Panels will be assembled from the Pool of Experts for each call for applications, and each member of the Pool of Experts will be able to influence how many applications they review and how often.
Members of the Pool of Experts are eligible to apply for a grant from the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency, provided they disqualify themselves from serving on the Grant Assessment Panel for the same call for applications.
The Council of Arts and Culture appoints the members of the Pool of Experts for a three-year term. Current and former members of arts councils can also be nominated for the Pool of Experts. Members of the Pool of Experts may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.
Memberships of the Pool of Experts and Grant Assessment Panels are public information.
Applications to be reviewed within Grant Assessment Panels
The primary task of the Grant Assessment Panels is to review applications received by the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency. Members can access applications from the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency’s online application system on their own computer. Each member of the Pool of Experts must therefore have access to their own computer and sufficient proficiency in using it.
Applications will be processed at Grant Assessment Panel meetings. The assessment of applications will be based on an opinion formed jointly by the Grant Assessment Panel at the meeting. Opinions reached on applications represent the joint opinions of the Grant Assessment Panels.
The meeting language of the Grant Assessment Panels is Finnish, so all members of the Pool of Experts must have sufficient knowledge of Finnish. Most applications are in Finnish, but some applications are in Swedish or English. Accordingly, the Pool of Experts needs members who are fluent in Finnish, as well as in Swedish or English.
A meeting fee is paid for the meetings of the Grant Assessment Panels. Currently, the fee paid to the chair is 110 euros / meeting and the fee paid to each member is 70 euros / meeting. In addition, a fee is paid for reviewing applications, which is currently 1.50 euros / application. The amount of the fees will be decided when the Pool of Experts is appointed in September 2026.
Any travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with the Government Travel Regulations.
The Finnish Arts and Culture Agency complies with the Administrative Procedure Act and the principles of good governance. Evaluations must not be influenced by the members’ own interests or those of their close relatives, political interests or other irrelevant factors. Their activities must also appear impartial to an outsider. Members who are disqualified may not participate in the activities of the Grant Assessment Panel. Disqualification is provided for in Sections 27 and 28 of the Administrative Procedure Act (2003/434).
Next steps in assembling the Pool of Experts
The Finnish Arts and Culture Agency is accepting nominations for members of the Pool of Experts between 16 March and 24 April 2026. Nominations are being requested from key parties in the arts and culture sector. In addition, other parties may nominate members using the online form. Also, individuals may express their own interest in serving on the Pool of Experts using a separate online form. Link
Nominated individuals will receive an e-mail upon being nominated and will be able to fill in their own information in the system.
The Finnish Arts and Culture Agency will review all nominations and form an opinion on the composition of the Pool of Experts. The Council of Arts and Culture, which will begin operating in July 2026, will decide on the final composition of the Pool of Experts by 30 September 2026.
The work of the first Grant Assessment Panels will begin in autumn 2026.
Further information and enquiries:
Hanna Susitaival, Head of Unit
[email protected]
t. +358 295 249 106