Development projects in basic arts education can receive grants for one to three years between 2023 and 2025. An annual appropriation of EUR 300,000 has been earmarked for the grants. The call for applications is directed at Helsinki-based art operators that are not included in the central government subsidies system (VOS) in the field of basic art education.
The development grants are intended to:
- Strengthen the regional availability of basic arts education and a diverse offering of different forms of art
- Enable the testing and implementation of new operating models and cooperation between operators
The application period for 2023–2025 has ended. The development grants are confirmed once a year for the next year based on an application.
Quality and implementation of activity
- Permit for providing basic art education
- Professional activities
- Coherence of the whole created by the objectives, plan and implementation of the activities
- Feasibility and realism of the activities presented in the application, and the manner in which networking and communal practices will be utilised in and boosted by the activities
- How necessary the grant is for the realisation of the activity
- Diversification of project resources
- Financial risks of the project
Effectiveness of activities
- How the activity complements the provision of basic arts education or provides content that would not otherwise be available in the city
- How the activities play their part in ensuring that the provision of basic arts education reflects the diversity of Helsinki
- Attractiveness and impact of the project in the field of basic art education
- Creative potential of the project
- Pedagogical objectives of the project or activity, and how these are reflected in the planned activities
Accessibility and availability
- How the activities will be made more accessible to participants from the social, cultural and financial perspective
- How the activities will broaden the participant base in basic arts education and encourage a broader discussion about art and its development
- How the target groups have been defined and what measures will be used to reach different groups
- How the activities are divided regionally
In the case of each project, the extent to which the project meets the set criteria will be assessed, taking into account the limited resources available for grants. The preparation of the proposal will take into account proper balance between regional accessibility, operational content and art forms, as well as the impact of the projects in relation to the amount of the grant awarded. Agreements will be prepared with the operators for the implementation of the projects, and a reporting obligation will be part of the agreement.
Grants cannot be awarded for activities for which full funding is requested by means of said grant.
It is possible to apply for a basic arts education grant once a year for the following year. Applications for 2024 should be submitted by 16.00 on Thursday, 28 September 2023 and are decided on at a meeting of the Culture and Library Sub-committee in November 2023.
Familiarise yourself with the application instructions and obtain the necessary background information and attachments for submitting the application. You can apply for a grant in the City of Helsinki e-services. You can save your application as a draft and return to complete it later. Your application will be saved in your personal folder. Submit your application by 16:00 on the application period closing date. Grants will not be awarded for applications submitted after the deadline. We recommend that you submit your application before the closing date of the application period, as the service may experience high traffic.
If an application is incomplete, we will ask you to complete it. If the incomplete application is not completed by the deadline given by City of Helsinki, the application will be processed based on the information provided and rejected if the conditions for awarding the application are not met.
For more information about grants for basic art education, please contact Special Planning Officer Nina Gran, tel. +358 9 3103 7006, nina.gran@hel.fi (Link opens default mail program)
Attachments required for development grants for basic art education:
- A project plan for the applied period
- A budget for the applied period
- A bank statement or similar document indicating the account holder’s name and the account number (for new applicants, or if the bank details have changed)
Submit the necessary attachments via the e-services. Registered associations/entities, private persons and registered representatives of working groups are required to attach a bank statement or a corresponding report by the bank on the account holder (for new applicants, or if the bank details have changed), which must include both the account holder and the account number. If you attach a bank statement to the application, you may hide the transactions if you wish. An awarded grant cannot be paid in the absence of such a document.
The application will be processed by the City of Helsinki Culture and Leisure Division Cultural Services and Support partner unit. The length of the processing time depends on the applied grant. Decisions on grants are made by the Culture and Library Sub-committee of the Culture and Leisure Committee(Link leads to external service). Applicants will be informed of the decision once the committee has made its decision. Applicants will be notified by post.
Read the latest decision (in Finnish).(Link leads to external service)
Development grants for basic arts education are paid in two instalments in accordance with the decision.
If the recipient owes money to the city, the city’s recoverable claim from the recipient will be deducted from the awarded grant.
Grants will be paid into a bank account in the name of the recipient. If the recipient does not have a bank account, they must open one. To verify the bank details, a bank statement (for new applicants, or if the bank details have changed) or a corresponding document indicating the name of the account holder and the account number must be attached to the application. If said statement is not submitted, the grant will not be paid.
Conditions for the use of the grant
All cultural grants are governed by the general grant allocation guidelines of the City of Helsinki.(Link leads to external service)
The grant can only be used for the purpose stated in the grant decision. If the grant decision does not specify the purpose, the grant must be used for the purpose stated in the application. The city has the right to reclaim the grant in part or in full in accordance with the terms and conditions.
The recipient is not allowed to use the grant for fundraising or for business and investment expenditure, or to increase its financial assets or any other long-term investments.
The recipient must arrange an audit in the manner stipulated by the Auditing Act. The recipient must arrange the audit even if this is not required by the Auditing Act. In such a case, the audit may also be performed by a lay auditor. An audit report must be submitted for an audit performed by a lay auditor, referred to as a ‘performance audit report’.
The recipient must provide the City of Helsinki with the information the city deems necessary for processing the grant application, awarding the grant and monitoring its use, free of charge. The party awarding the grant has the right to audit the accounts and administration of the applicant/recipient and perform other audits regarding its activities as necessary.
The recipient must notify the City of Helsinki without delay of any significant changes affecting the use of the grant.
The recipient undertakes to investigate the background of all suppliers used in the activities and to purchase services only from responsible operators who meet their social obligations.
Reporting on the use of the grant
Reports must be submitted on the use of all grants awarded by the city.
An annual report on the use of the development grant must be submitted, and a final report must be submitted at the end of the project period. The annual reporting deadline for development grants granted for 2023 is the end of September, and the second instalment will be paid once the report has been submitted.
Using the Helsinki logo
Whenever possible, grant recipients must include the City of Helsinki logo in their information and marketing materials. There is a Finnish and Swedish version, as well as a bilingual version of the logo. In any case, the recipient must mention the City of Helsinki as a sponsor of the event.
Download the logo of the City of Helsinki.
- Annual development grant report(Link leads to external service) (a Questback form)
- Development grant final report(Link leads to external service) (a Questback form)
See the general instructions in the Guidance and support section and contact the grant coordinators as necessary.
For more information on grants for basic art education, please contact Special Planning Officer Nina Gran, tel. +358 9 3103 7006, nina.gran@hel.fi (Link opens default mail program)