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.

Grants are not awarded the following types of costs, for example:

Depreciation
Fundraising costs
Business and investment costs
Reservations
Deferred items that are not based on actual realised expenses
Loan instalments
Interest on loans
Non-statutory supplementary pension contributions
Severance pay or non-compulsory pay for the period of notice
Performance-based bonuses
Legal costs or damages
Penalties, such as fines or interest on late payment

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.

Sustainable development

What does sustainable development refer to on the call for applications?

Finland is committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Agenda. The goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are to care for the environment, increase social justice and improve economic sustainability. The Finland we want by 2050 ─ Society’s commitment to sustainable development sets targets for the national implementation of these commitments.

Sustainable development refers to the pursuit of ecological, economic, social and cultural sustainability. The aim is to ensure good living opportunities for present and future generations. This also means that the environment, citizens and the economy are taken into account equally in decision-making and activities.

Ecological sustainability aims to maintain the viability of our planet also for future generations by adapting human activity to its natural resources and nature’s carrying capacity.

Economic sustainability aims to achieve balanced growth without indebtedness or destruction of resources, as well as activities that take into consideration the carrying capacity of the environment and future generations. Economic growth should be based on the most eco-effective consumption of natural resources, and wellbeing should be distributed equally.

Social sustainability aims to eliminate inequalities between people and to ensure that everyone has access to a sufficient livelihood, proper healthcare and educational opportunities, as well as to safeguard basic rights.

Cultural sustainability aims to reinforce our cultural identity and increase awareness and appreciation of different cultures. Culturally sustainable development promotes the wellbeing of people and regions while fostering the preservation and development of different cultures. Sustainable culture is not stagnant but rather one that is active and changes through interaction with people and the environment.

Further information: kestavakehitys.fi

What do non-discrimination and equality refer to on the call for applications?

Non-discrimination and equality mean that all people are treated equally. No one shall be discriminated against on the grounds of gender, gender identity, age, origin, nationality, language, religion, beliefs, opinions, political activity, trade union activities, family relationships, health, disabilities, sexual orientation or any other personal reason. Sexual harassment and other types of harassment are also considered discrimination and thereby prohibited.

Non-discrimination and equality are fundamental rights that are upheld by law. Inclusion and participation in culture are one of the strategic objectives of the cultural policy of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland.

Equal opportunities in terms of participation are promoted, for example, by ensuring that cultural activities are accessible and that social diversity is taken into account in these activities. Equal opportunities to participate in artistic and cultural life, as well as to access artistic and cultural services – also for professionals and other creators of art and culture – are safeguarded by means of concrete measures.

To promote non-discrimination and equality, it is important to include equality and gender considerations in all activities, ensure equality opportunities for participating in decision-making, for example by having all population groups and genders equally represented as decision-makers, identify and eliminate any barriers to participation (such as stereotypes and prejudices), and reserve sufficient resources for the promotion of all aspects of non-discrimination, equality and accessibility.

Further information:

Non-discrimination Act 1325/2014

Act on Equality between Women and Men 609/1986

Culture for All Service

Equality and Accessibility Info Card (Cupore) (pdf – in Finnish)

Obligation to comply with EU sanctions regulations (Russia and Belarus)

The grant recipient shall ensure that the grant is not used to make procurements from such an entity or directly or indirectly support such persons or entities that are listed in the consolidated sanctions list of the UN Security Council or in EU sanctions regulations.

Each grant recipient is responsible for their own part for investigating the effects of EU sanctions on their own procurements. The grant recipient shall notify the Arts Promotion Centre Finland immediately if the grant has been used in violation of sanctions.

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).