Quick guide for grant applicants 

Familiarise yourself with the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s grants, eligibility criteria and application deadlines. Select a grant based on the purpose for which you are applying for funding and whether you are applying as a private individual, a working group or a registered organisation. 

Before starting your application, we recommend you check at least the following points: 

• for what purpose can you apply for a grant 
• who can apply for a grant 
• what is the application deadline 
• what attachments will you need for your application 
• in what capacity are you applying for a grant: as a private individual, a working group or an organisation. 

 If you are not sure which grant is suitable for your specific purpose, take a look at the grant filter and the grant descriptions on the webpage ‘For the grant applicant’. 

Prepare your application well in advance of the deadline. A good application clearly sets out what you intend to do, why you think your work or project should receive funding, and how and within what timeframe you intend to carry it out. 

Make sure you set aside time for the following in particular: 

• draw up a plan for carrying out the work or project
• write a summary of your plan
• write an introduction about the applicant or the working group
• compile the required attachments in PDF format
• check whether you need a reference to support your application
• prepare a realistic budget if applying for an expenditure grant. 

Our detailed application guidelines provide further information on the plan, attachments, references and budget. 

When the application period begins, log in to the Grant Service for Applicants and start filling in the application form. Your application will be saved as a draft until you submit it. 

Whilst completing your application: 

• fill in the mandatory fields on the application form
• attach the mandatory supporting documents
• provide the reference number to the referee if your application requires a reference or you wish to request a voluntary reference
• check your application carefully before submitting it
• submit your application well in advance of the application deadline. 

The application deadline is 4 pm Finnish time (EET) on the last day of the application period. References must also be submitted by this deadline.  

We process and evaluate all applications in confidence. We will notify applicants by email in early February whether or not their application has been successful and will publish our decisions on our website at the end of February. Mobility and Residency Grants, as well as Musical Instrument Loans, follow their own schedules. 

Please keep us informed if, whilst your application is being processed, you receive any other funding for the same or similar purpose or for the same period of work. You can report changes to your circumstances or withdraw your application in the Grant Service for Applicants. 

Other amendments to the application are not possible after the application deadline, except specified attachments relating to a degree, permission to defend a dissertation, or the right to pursue postgraduate studies. 

If you are awarded a grant, please familiarise yourself with the guidelines for grantees immediately after receiving notification that your application has been successful. You do not need to notify us that you accept the grant or when you intend to start using it, but please contact us as soon as possible if you do not require the grant awarded to you.

Activate the grant and withdraw the first instalment within the specified timeframe. You can begin the work for which the working grant was awarded or start using the expenditure grant at the beginning of February at the earliest, unless the specific guidelines on the grant you applied for state otherwise. 

Carry out your plan and report on the use of the grant once it has been fully used. Please note that large grants may require a progress report.