Guidelines for grant applicants (communities)
The Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike) and the National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI) will merge to form the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency as of 1 January 2026. Taike is the statutory government grant authority until 31 December 2025. Decisions on grants to be awarded in 2026 will be made by the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency.
Submit applications on time
Applications can be submitted online using the Applyforgrants.fi service.
Applications must be received no later than 16:00 (4pm) on the last day of the application period. Applications that arrive after this time shall be deemed late and rejected.
It is recommended to send applications using the Applyforgrants.fi service in good time due to possible congestion in the system and our customer service on the last day of the application period.
General grant or project grant?
Taike grants are awarded either as general grants for ongoing operations or as project grants for specific projects. Changes have been made to calls for applications in 2025. Further information is available here.
General grants
General grants for the arts
General grants for festivals
General grants for cultural magazines and online publications
General grants for culture
Project grants
Internationalisation grants for the arts
Project grants for culture
Project grants for "Percent for Art" projects
How do you plan to use the grant?
- Write in your application a clear project plan or operational plan that summarises the main points.
- Answer concisely the questions what, how, when, where, why, with whom and for whom.
- Explain why your project is good and feasible. Convince the decision-maker of your community’s ability to implement the proposed plan.
- Explain the value that your project or operations would have for a wider audience.
- Remember to specify the precise schedule for your project.
How much should you apply for?
Apply for a realistic amount. Remember to always check the minimum amount to be awarded on the call for applications. If you apply for less than the minimum amount, the grant cannot be awarded.
Grants may cover only a portion of the total funding of the project or operations, so they may not be used to cover all costs. If the project generates a profit, you may be asked to repay the project grant in full or in part. The call for applications for grants usually specifies the percentage of eligible costs that the grant awarded by Taike may be used to cover.
If you are applying for support for your project from several different parties, remember to specify this in your application.
Budget
Prepare a budget for your application that includes a cost estimate and financing plan. A good budget is one that is realistic and includes the anticipated revenue and costs for your project or operations. In addition to the grant that you are applying for, the budget should also include other financing, for example:
- Grants awarded by other parties
- Self-financing (from membership fees, ticket sales, rental income, etc. The amount of self-financing must be actual and not include, for example, volunteer work).
If your project is particularly big, you should apply for support from as many parties as possible; the bigger the project for which you are applying for a grant, the bigger the role played by other financing.
The percentage of eligible costs that the support awarded by Taike may be used to cover is specified for grants in the call for applications. Check the call for applications to see the percentage of eligible costs that the grant may cover.
When awarding grants, Taike takes into consideration other State support received by the applicant, as well as the necessity of the grant.
Grants are discretionary and are awarded on an annual basis on condition that Parliament allocates the required appropriations in its annual State budget.
How to prepare a budget
- Itemise clearly all the expected costs (cost estimate) and revenue (financing plan), which must tally in the budget.
- Group costs according to their purpose; the total sum alone is not enough.
- Report any revenue from the project, as well as other grants that have been applied for and awarded for the project, along with previously secured revenue.
- Indicate the overall project budget even if you are only applying for partial funding. This will give the decision-maker an overall picture of your project.
What to include with your application
Always check the call for applications to see what you should include with your application. The maximum permitted file size for each attachment is 25 MB. Attachments may not be sent by e-mail. Applications and attachments will not be returned.
De minimis aid
Taike's grants are awarded as de minimis aid. Information about other de minimis aid received during the current tax year and the two previous tax years must be included in the application. Taike may also award the grant in accordance with the General Block Exemption Regulation if the conditions for de minimis aid do not allow the grant to be awarded.
Read more www.tem.fi
Applications are public documents
Applications submitted to Taike are public documents, about which everyone is entitled to receive information according to Finnish law (Act on the Openness of Government Activities 621/1999). For example, the media can request to view applications. The project plans of communities are confidential to the extent that they contain information considered to be business secrets, such as artistic ideas or information about private individuals. Taike does not disclose confidential information. Information about grants awarded to communities is published on the Taike website.
Taike submits information about all government grant decisions for publication on the tutkiavustuksia.fi website (Act on Discretionary Government Transfers 688/2001 and Government Decree 1394/2022).