FAQ | Grants – January

Major Cultural Projects
Bridge Funding
City Funds
General Technical Questions

 

Major Cultural Projects

What is a Major Cultural Project?

Major cultural projects are two-year initiatives funded by the Alfred Kordelin Foundation. The projects selected for funding are ambitious and offer solutions to societal challenges from the perspectives of art, science or public enlightenment — or combinations thereof. The projects are far-reaching: their impacts extend widely and diffuse broadly through society. The funding granted by the foundation must be able to show both its effect and added value for the project. The project may be local in its orientation, but in that case the above criteria must still be met. Funding is intended for organizations and registered associations; the amount of funding depends on the project and ranges from €100,000 to €300,000.

Has the Foundation defined a minimum for the applicant’s self-financing share?

No minimum has been set for the applicant’s own funding share. However, a clearly defined self-financing indicates the organization’s own commitment to the project.

What kind of long-term planning and continuity is expected of projects?

Applicants should look several years ahead and set clear goals and frameworks for the future. What will the project achieve and why is it important? Will the activity require follow-up funding after the grant period and how will that be arranged? Who will be responsible for the activity after the funding period ends? Be prepared to answer these questions already at the application stage.

Can a newly established association apply for a grant?

A newly founded association can apply for a grant. If, at the time of application, you do not have an activity report and financial statements confirmed by auditors, please attach another comprehensive, free-form explanation of your organization’s finances and operations.

What is the “confirmation of interest” mentioned in the call?

With the confirmation of interest, you confirm that the partners you mentioned in the application commit to the project. The confirmation should clearly indicate the parties involved and the nature of the cooperation. If there are several partners, attach all confirmation of interest in one attachment file (pdf). The content format of the document is free (e.g. e-mail as a pdf-file). Do not submit contracts.

What things should be included in a good work plan?

Take time to consider the basic questions: Why is the project being done, what added value will the activity produce, who will benefit and how will the activity radiate into its environment? The work plan is typically about five pages long. Use clear, general language.

Can a foreign organisation, for example a university, apply?

No. Grants can only be applied for by organisations that have a Finnish business ID (Y-tunnus).

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Bridge Funding

Who can apply for Bridge Funding?

Only projects that have previously been granted support from the “Major Cultural Projects” programme may apply for Bridge Funding. Funding may be awarded to projects in order to support their continuity and impact. The projects must still be active.

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City Funds

Who can apply for city fund grants?

Grants can be applied for by private individuals and registered collectives that hold a business identifier. Applicants need to be Finnish or operate in Finland. Working groups may apply if the official applicant for a grant is a collective, e.g. an association, cooperative, or a company. City Funds do not award personal working grants.

What changes have been made to the city fund grants?

The city fund grants of the Foundation are now larger than previously and will in future be available every other year – next time in 2026. With the larger grants the Foundation wants to enable larger project entities and longer-term work and operations. The change stems from the Foundation’s new strategy: the Foundation’s funding supports long-term and goal-oriented work and responds to societal challenges.

The grants support projects that promote the common good, build dialogue and create new forms of activity and cooperation. The outcome of the project may for example consist of a public event, performance, concert series or public artwork. What is central is that the project and its outcome are made visible and experienced by the area’s residents.

What is the “confirmation of interest” mentioned in the call?

The Foundation requires the applicant to show already at the application stage that a project partner has expressed interest in the project. This can be done by attaching a PDF document such as an email received from the partner. Conformation of interest may for example be requested from a producer, distributor or publisher. The document should clearly indicate the parties involved, the nature of the cooperation and the partner’s interest to collaborate with the applicant. Contracts should not be submitted.

Can I submit more than one application?

There is no prohibition on submitting more than one application, but we encourage applicants to prioritise and submit only one application per applicant.

Can I apply grant for writing a book or purchasing an instrument?

No. The city fund grants are meant to support local art and cultural activities in which as many people as possible may participate.

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General Technical Questions Concerning All January Grants

I can´t send the application. The service states that I´m missing an attachment.

Sending the application requires that you have attached all the mandatory attachments required in your application on the “Attachments” tab. Make sure all attachments are included and that you have selected the correct attachment type for each file.

The system does not accept my attachment. What should I do?

Check that the attachment is in .pdf format, and that it does not exceed the maximum size of 3MB. Make the file smaller and/or create the .pdf file again if necessary.

Can attachments be submitted after the application period?

No they can’t. The application and all its attachments must be submitted by the end of the application period through the grant online service. We do not accept late attachments.

I had already sent my application when I noticed an error in it. How can I edit my application?

You can edit your application within the application period by following these instructions:

1. Log in to the service.
2. The status of your application is “Submitted”.
3. Select “Open” next to your application.
4. At the bottom of the application form, you will see the option “Cancel the submission of your application to the Alfred Kordelin Foundation”. Click this option.
5. The form asks if you want to cancel the submission. Proceed as instructed.
6. The application now has the status ”Incomplete”, and can be edited. Make your changes and save.
7. Finally, resubmit the application by clicking “Send application to the Alfred Kordelin Foundation”.
8. An application has been successfully submitted when its status is “Submitted”.

 

In which language can I apply?

The application form can be filled in Finnish or English. The questions in the application form are available in these languages.