Applying for grants and funding for arts and culture is possible from public bodies (various ministries, the Arts Promotion Center, regions, cities) as well as from state-subsidized and private foundations and funds.
Grants in Finland: A Comprehensive Guide for Artists & Creatives
Finland offers a rich ecosystem of grants designed to support artists, cultural practitioners, and creative professionals at different stages of their projects and careers. Whether you’re developing new work, seeking international mobility, or strengthening your professional practice, a wide range of funding opportunities can help you bring your ideas to life.
This guide outlines what types of activities are funded, who the key funders are, and how to prepare a strong application.
What Do Grants in Finland Fund?
Creative and cultural funding in Finland generally supports the following areas:
1. Working Grants
These grants support the artistic work of individuals or groups, allowing creators to focus fully on developing their craft, research, or creative process.
2. Project / Production Support
Funding for implementing cultural or artistic projects. This can cover production costs, collaboration fees, content creation, or public events.
3. Travel & Mobility
Designed for artists and cultural workers seeking international exposure—tours, exhibitions, conferences, networking visits, residencies, or partnership building.
4. Residencies
Support for participating in artist-in-residence programmes in Finland or abroad. These grants may cover accommodation, workspace, travel, and materials.
5. Equipment & Materials
Funding for essential tools, materials, instruments, software, and technology needed for creative production.
Key Funders in Finland
Finland is home to several influential cultural funders that support hundreds of artists and organisations each year. Here are the primary institutions to know:
Finnish Arts and Culture Agency (Formerly Taike)
Next application window: 7.1 – 2.2.2026
A major national body offering working grants, project grants, mobility funding, and residency support for professionals across all art fields.
Finnish Cultural Foundation
Application period: 21.1 – 6.2.2026
One of the largest private funders. It supports cultural initiatives, research, artistic work, and long-term projects.
Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)
Calls valid until 30.4.2026
Provides funding for international mobility, education-related cultural activities, and cross-border collaboration.
Nordic Culture Point
Supports cultural collaboration within the Nordic and Baltic region, including mobility grants, network-building, and larger-scale cultural projects.
Kone Foundation
Known for supporting bold, experimental, and research-based cultural work. Encourages multidisciplinary and socially engaged projects.
Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland
Promotes arts and culture within Finland’s Swedish-speaking communities but is often open to wider audiences depending on the call.
How to Apply for Grants in Finland
Applying for funding requires clarity, planning, and strong documentation. Here are the essential steps:
1. Build a Strong Portfolio & Creative Samples
Funders want to see your artistic track record. Include high-quality works, documentation, and proof of past achievements.
2. Present a Clear Proposal & Objectives
Explain what you plan to create, why it matters, who it serves, and what outcomes you expect. Funders look for purpose and impact.
3. Prepare a Realistic Timeline & Budget
Break down your project into achievable phases, showing how funds will be used responsibly and effectively.
4. Check Eligibility Criteria & Deadlines
Each funder has specific requirements and call periods. Always read the guidelines carefully and prepare ahead of time.
Ready to Get Started?
A well-prepared application increases your chance of success significantly. Explore the funders, gather your materials, and begin crafting a compelling proposal that highlights your artistic voice and the value of your work.
You can find information on current grants in these databases:
• Taidejakulttuuri.fi (in Finnish for now) offers a collection of statistical reports with conceptual descriptions, a grant directory and news on information publications in the field. The website is the result of cooperation and sharing of information. The Ministry of Education and Culture provides and maintains the distribution platform, but the information content is mainly produced by operators in the field. The website is still in the development with the English version coming at the end of this year.
• TINFO Grand Guard (in Finnish only) is a service provided by TINFO: Theatre Info Finland that helps you stay on top of the application deadlines for grants and grants. The bursary watchdog notifies you by e-mail about the start of the application period. It also tells if a grant application has been updated or if a new grant has been added to the list. All you have to do is enter your email address!
• Research.fi is the national funding database for science and art. The database lists funding of over 400 organisations and new funding opportunities are constantly added on to keep the database up to date.
Developed by the University of Turku, the database is part of a large national online service, Research.fi, managed by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Fyrk.fi (in Swedish only) has been launched and maintained by Luckan Helsinki since 2003.
The website lists information about private funds and foundations, state and regional subsidies, as well as Nordic forms of support and EU funding.
On the home page, the grant sources are listed chronologically according to application time. You can do a text search in the search field, or click on the “Filter” link and search for grant sources using keywords. Here you can also choose to list the grant sources that have continuous or varying application times, those that are otherwise listed by the grant sources with an exact date. In the search results, only the grant sources that have an application period defined in the future are listed.
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You can apply for grants as a private individual, a working group or through an organisation (association, co-operative, company etc.).
The number and conditions of grants from different granters vary annually. Grants are considered as tax-free income.
The recipient of the grant must pay out the pension and insurance costs. The insurance must be applied for within three months of the start of the grant. The application is submitted to the Farmers’ Pensions Institution Mela.
The insurance covers all those grant recipients living in Finland whose grant is intended for at least four months of artistic work in Finland. Also, some of the foreign grants are covered by the insurance. A person over 68 years of age or a retirement pension cannot take out insurance.
If a grant is applied to the work of the members of the working group, the signatory of the application will be responsible for the grant to the granting authority and, where appropriate, to the pension institution (appellate) and the taxpayer.
If the grantee is an association or other community with legal status any remuneration paid by it to an artist is regarded as salary, for which the income tax and statutory social contributions must be paid. This should be taken into consideration when planning a budget. There are some free internet programs to be used in calculating and administrating salary payments to artists such as e.g. Palkka.fi.