The aim of the Helsinki Model is to boost a sense of community and positive profiling of the districts and cultural inclusion of residents. The focus of the projects is to diversify the artistic and cultural offerings of the Helsinki districts.
Culture is made more accessible by creating new operating models with the local operators and art institutions. Residents and communities are encouraged to evolve from viewers to active agents in creating art and culture. Helsinki Model development grants for culture can be awarded for registered art and culture institutions and communities, mainly for three-year projects.
Grants cannot be awarded for activities for which full funding is requested by means of said grant. As a general principle, grants will not be awarded for activities that the city buys or already supports with a grant. Furthermore, grants will not be awarded for activities that fall under the city’s own operations.
The projects for the Helsinki Model 2025–27 have now been selected. The application period begun on Wednesday, June 5th, 2024 and ended on Monday, September 2nd, 2024 at 16:00. However, the The Helsinki Model grants for this three-year period are confirmed annually upon application. Renewal applications for the year 2026 must be submitted by 1 September 2025 at 16:00.
- Read the general grant terms of the City of Helsinki(Link leads to external service)
- Read the shared grant allocation principles of the Culture and Leisure Division(Link leads to external service) (pdf, in Finnish)
Helsinki Model project period 2025−27
For the fourth project period, 2025–2027, EUR 600,000 per year from the funds available for arts and culture development grants has been earmarked for Helsinki model development projects. The priority areas for the project period are Malmi, Kontula, Meri-Rastila ja Kannelmäki-Malminkartano. The selected areas are also pilot areas in the City of Helsinki's new, cross-administrative Suburban regeneration model. Read more about the Suburban regeneration model(Link leads to external service) .
The Helsinki model is strongly linked to the city-wide objectives for preventing segregation, which have been taken into account in the evaluation criteria for the period 2025–27. We hope that projects will strive to increase positive interactions between different population groups in urban renewal areas. If the project involves working with young people, the projects are expected to aim at reducing differences in the capabilities and future prospects of young people from different population groups.
Learn about the networks and possible co-operation on each area. (Link leads to external service) (In Finnish)
Helsinki Model projects 2025–27
- Helsinki Urban Art, Kannelmäki–Malminkartano (urban culture, street art)
- Red Nose Company, Kannelmäki–Malminkartano (theatre, clownery)
- Suomalainen barokkiorkesteri (FiBO), Kannelmäki–Malminkartano (music)
- Afabi ry (KAS! Kontula Art School), Kontula (street art, urban culture)
- Dokumenta ry, Kontula (photography)
- Helsingin tanssiopisto, Kontula (dance)
- Voimauttavan taiteen äärellä ry, Kontula (multidisciplinary art)
- Helsingin kaupunginteatteri, Malmi (theatre)
- Q-teatteri, Malmi (theatre)
- TIUKU ry, Malmi (media art)
- Lasten ja nuorten arkkitehtikoulu Arkki, Meri-Rastila (multidisciplinary art)
- Sirkus Magenta, Meri-Rastila (circus)
- Universum ry, Meri-Rastila (theatre, multidisciplinary art)
The Helsinki Model on the Helsinki channel: Watch the video(Link leads to external service) .
In the processing of project grants in accordance with the Helsinki Model, the following special criteria are taken into account for the period 2025–27:
Artistic quality
- Artistic vision and professional approach
- The operator being capable of working with new target groups and developing new operating models (e.g. pedagogical and community art skills)
Effectiveness
- The activities align with the city-wide objectives for preventing segregation.
- Activities in the area and with the target group being systematic and persistent
- The operator being capable of utilising local themes in the content of the project
- Dialogue with residents and operators during the planning and implementation of the project
Production and economic quality
- A clear action plan and schedule
- Adequate production resources
- A realistic budget and self-financing share
All cultural grants are subject to the strategic guidelines and the general grant terms of the City of Helsinki, as well as the grant allocation principles of the Culture and Leisure Division.
The application period for the Helsinki Model development grants ended on Monday, September 2nd, 2024 at 16:00 and the projects for the period 2025–27 have now been selected. The Helsinki Model grants for the three-year period are confirmed annually upon application. Renewal applications for the year 2026 must be submitted by 1 September 2025 at 16:00. In addition to the continuation application, an interim report (self-assessment) on the past project year must be submitted. The report is to be completed using a separate Webropol form (see "Using the grant and reporting on its use" below). The deadline for interim report is the same, September 1, 2025.
The Helsinki model grant is applied for using two forms: the general development grant form and the supplementary information form (Webropol). You can proceed to fill in the the general development grant form from the Create new application link found on the left panel of this page when you are logged in to the e-service. You will find the Log in -link from the upper right corner of the page. Please remember to select 'Helsinki Model development grant' in the general development grant form.
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Note! Applicants for the Helsinki Model Development Grant should leave page 5 of the general development grant form blank. Detailed information about the project should be provided on the separate Webropol additional information form. Proceed to fill in the Webropol form(Link leads to external service) . |
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. Please note that the answers at the Webropol form cannot be saved as a draft, which is why it is recommended to write down the answers also f. ex. on a separate text file.
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.
Please remember to report the passing year with an interim report (self-assesment), if you're making a continuation application. See instructions for this in "Using the grant and reporting on its use" below.
Attachments required for Helsinki Model grants:
- A project plan for the applied period (a more detailed plan for the applied year and outlines for the upcoming years)
- A budget for the applied period (a more detailed budget for the applied year and outlines for the upcoming years)
Submit the necessary attachments with the application via the City of Helsinki e-service. 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.
Helsinki Model grants 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 not be paid abroad.
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.
For more information about payment matters, please contact administrative secretary Minna Leino, tel. +358 9 3108 9044, minna.leino@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program)
Conditions for the use of the grant
All cultural grants are subject to the general grant terms of the City of Helsinki, as well as the grant allocation principles of the Culture and Leisure Division.
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Read the general grant terms of the City of Helsinki (Link leads to external service)
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Read the shared grant allocation principles of the Culture and Leisure Division (Link leads to external service) (pdf, in Finnish)
The person or entity to whom the grant is paid is responsible for the use and reporting of the use of the grant.
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 grant application, in accordance with the guidelines and criteria of the specific grant type. 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. Grants may generally not be used for the purchase of fixed assets. Fixed assets are defined as items such as machinery, equipment, buildings, and investments that can be resold.
The recipient of a grant must arrange its accounting in the manner required by law and so that the use of the grant can be monitored based on the accounts. The grant recipient must arrange an audit in accordance with the requirements of the Auditing Act.
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 grant recipient must promptly notify the city of Helsinki of any significant changes that affect the use of the grant and must consult with the grant administrators to agree on the continued use of the grant or its repayment. Go to the contact page for cultural grants.(Link leads to external service)
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.
Grants are not awarded for the purpose of redistribution to other entities, and the grant recipient is not permitted to distribute the grant further in the form of money or gifts.
Reporting on the use of the grant
Reports must be submitted on the use of all grants awarded by the city.
When the project is ongoing, activities are reported once a year using a self-assessment form. The deadline for self-assesment for the year 2025 is 1st September 2025.
The grants for the Helsinki Model period 2025–2027 will be reported at the end of the three-year period on a separate reporting form in the autumn 2027.
For projects that started in 2025 or later, revenues and expenses must be tracked with a separate cost center report. The cost center report will be sent as an attachment to the final report in autumn 2027.
Collecting information on the impact of grants is important to us, which is why, in addition to reporting on their own activities, grant recipients must regularly collect feedback from participants. Feedback is collected using a separate feedback form, for which grant recipients will receive detailed instructions.
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.(Link leads to external service)
If you are planning a Helsinki Model project or want to know more, please contact Special Planning Officer Katri Tenhola, tel. +358 9 3102 7249, katri.tenhola@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program) .