Instructions for applicants

Lead-in paragraph

This page contains information about the grant application process and the grants awarded.

Content cannot be displayed

Table of contents requires JavaScript. Your browser doesn't support JavaScript or it is disabled. Please check your browser settings and try again.

Learn more about the available grants

The "Application search" page contains information about all the grants that are available. Among other things, it outlines the different application criteria and timetables for the different grant types. Grant applications are judged by the application criteria. For this reason, it is a good idea to study carefully the criteria that affect the grant decision-making.

The City of Helsinki Divisions awards grants for the following activities:

The City Board awards grants for the promotion of health and wellbeing, resident participation, employment, integration and general assistance.

The Education Division awards grants for afternoon activities for children that comply with the definition found in Finland's Basic Education Act.

The Urban Environment Division awards grants for general assistance for environmental activities.

The Culture and Leisure Division awards grants for the promotion of youth activities, sports and fitness, as well as art and culture.

The Social Services, Healthcare and Rescue Services Division awards grants for organisations and actors that supplement and support statutory activities.

General information about grants

Some of the grants can be applied for just once a year, while others may have several application periods throughout the year or the application period is open year-round. The different grant timeframes can be found on the "Application search" page, which contains information on each grant type's specific application periods and criteria.

Grants from the City of Helsinki can be awarded to legal entities, such as registered associations, foundations and limited companies, whose activities can be considered to contribute to the common good. City grants can also be awarded to unregistered associations, private individuals and action groups. The pages explaining each grant type contain information on the allocation of grants to different target groups. For each type of grant, there is a separate definition of whom the grant is intended for.

Activities receiving grants should primarily target Helsinki residents. The number of residents that will be within the scope of the activities is also considered important when making the grant decision.

The activity receiving a grant must support and complement the activities and goals of the City of Helsinki Division awarding the specific grant. The grants are intended to support activities that diversify the city's own service offering. When grant decisions are made, importance is given to the planning, scope and results of the activity, the quality of the services and organisation's expertise, the applicant's own financial contribution, the promotion of civic engagement and sense of community, and successful implementation of the intended purpose of grants awarded by the city in previous years. Grants are not awarded for the same purpose from two or more separate grant allocations.

The awarding of grants always follows the city's general principles and terms and conditions for grants, as well as possible separate instructions and clarifications given by the City Board or the body in the Division awarding the grant. The intended purpose of the grant is defined separately for each grant type and can be found on the pages explaining the different grant types. General instructions for the city's grants can be found here (pdf, in Finnish)(Link leads to external service).

A step-by-step process of preparing a grant application

Authorization

Check that your organisation has authorised you to act as its representative in the Suomi.fi e-service.
Create a profile

Create an applicant profile in the Suomi.fi e-service(Link leads to external service) (requires a form of strong identification such as bank codes or Mobile ID) by filling in the required information.
Read the information and choose a suitable grant

Familiarize yourself with the different types of grants as well as their criteria and application instructions. You can find more detailed information on the "Application search" and "Information about grants" pages.
Gather the materials

Make the necessary preparations for filling out the application by collecting the required information and attachments.

Filling out the grant application

Fill out the application by describing the activity the grant is being applied for and listing the expenses that will be incurred. All of the necessary attachments must be added to the application for a grant to be awarded. The necessary attachments are listed on the application form and on the page describing the different grant types.

Application processing and grant decisions

Applications that have been submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Applications received within the application period are processed after the application period has ended and are prepared for consideration by the authority that decides on the grant in question, either the City Board or a Division body. Grant decisions are sent to every grant applicant, along with instructions for making a possible appeal.

Grant payment

The grant decision may set preconditions for grant payment or outline how the grant payment will be broken up into installments. For example, the grant decision may require that the grant is paid according to the actual expenses incurred, after a report on the use of the grant has been submitted.

If the grant decision has not outlined otherwise, the grant payments will be awarded as follows:

grants under EUR 8,000 are paid all at once,

grants between EUR 8,000 and 40,000 are paid in two installments, and

grants over EUR 40,000 are paid in four installments.

Grant money that is not used must be returned to the City of Helsinki.

Grant use and report

Grants can only be used for the intended purpose referenced in the grant decision. If the grants decision does not more specifically describe the intended use, the grant must be used for the intended purpose mentioned in the grant application. The grant recipient must inform the City of Helsinki about any significant changes affecting the use of the grant without delay.

When applying for a new grant from the City of Helsinki, the grant applicant must submit a report on the use of any grants previously granted by the City, to the extent so required. Instructions for how and when to write the report can be found on the e-services' pages describing the different types of grants.