Instructions for Applicants

Before submitting your application, please read carefully the instructions for grant applicants, and the descriptions for each application round.

January
Major Cultural Projects | Call Description
City Funds and Dedicated Funds | Call Description

August
Science Grants | Call Description
Art Grants | Call Description
Public Education Grants | Call Description

Other
“Uudet klassikot” Fund Grants | Read more
Foundations’ Post Doc Pool Grants | Read more

How and when to apply?

Grants from the Alfred Kordelin Foundation are available during two annual application periods: January 1–31 and August 15–31. Applications cannot be submitted outside these periods. The application periods and details for the “Uudet klassikot” Fund and the Foundations’ Post Doc Pool are available on the websites of the respective organizers.

Applications are submitted through the Foundation’s online grant system. Applications can only be prepared and submitted during the official application periods.

The Foundation will only process applications submitted through the grant system within the deadline. Submit your application well in advance — late or emailed applications will not be considered.

General Terms

A new grant cannot be awarded if previous grants from the Kordelin Foundation are unreported or not yet paid out. Before applying, check the grant system or contact the Foundation offices to ensure you have submitted the usage report for any previously awarded grants.
The Foundation’s purpose is to promote Finnish science, art, literature, and public education. Grants can be applied for by Finnish citizens and by non-citizens who have a solid connection to Finland through e.g. residence or work.

Grant or salary?

We award personal, full-time working grants to individuals. Grants awarded to organizations are considered expense grants.

A working grant

A working grant is for individuals for full-time professional work as a main occupation, covering ordinary living expenses and work-related costs during a specific period. A working grant may include a cost component related to the work financed by the grant, such as material expenses or purchased services. Personal grants are not awarded solely for expenses.

Science, Art, and Public Education working grants: A personal grant of €45,000 is intended to cover the work and expenses during a period of 12 to 18 months, as defined in the applicant’s proposal. This grant of €45,000 includes both the working component and an optional cost component. When making the application, applicants can flexibly decide, based on their working plan, whether they will use all of the grant for work, or also include a cost component for expenses.

Example:
An applicant requests a €45,000 grant for 12 months of work and expenses. They allocate €36,000 to the working component and €9,000 to expenses. This means the monthly working grant is €3,000 (€36,000 / 12 months), and €9,000 is included in the application for project-related costs.

You cannot simultaneously receive similar full-time compensation, such as a full-time salary, another working grant, adult education allowance, or unemployment benefits, while on a full-time working grant. Part-time work is, however, allowed during the grant period. See Grantee Guidelines for more information about part-time work.

Expense grants

Expense grants are intended for registered organizations. They cover project-related expenses such as materials, purchased services, or salaries and fees. Payments for work made by a registered organization are considered salary, and subject to employer payments and obligations.

Working groups

A working group may apply for [Art or Public education] grants only if an existing registered organization (e.g., association, cooperative, company) acts as the applicant and partner. The registered organization applies on behalf of the working group members for both the personal working grants and any cost-related grant components. The organization will bear full responsibility for the implementation and reporting of the project. See [FAQ] for more information.

Grant usage period

Grants must be used for work performed and/or expenses accrued after the grant decision date. Grants cannot be applied for retroactively. The grant must be used within two (2) years from the date of approval and for the specific purpose for which it was awarded.

More usage terms can be found on the Grantee Guidelines page.

Grant application system

Applications must be submitted using the electronic form in the Foundation’s grant system. Applications can be created, edited, and submitted only while the application period is open. The application form closes on the final day of the application period at 4:00 p.m. (Finnish time), unless otherwise stated.

Registration and Login

Login is primarily done via personal online banking credentials or mobile certificate. These replace the previously used username-based login. If you cannot use these methods, contact the Foundation at toimisto(at)kordelin.fi.
The person responsible of an organization or group must log in with their own banking credentials in order to complete an application. Multiple user rights cannot be assigned during the application process.
Applications, payment requests and reports made with old credentials will not appear in your account after switching to banking credentials or a mobile certificate. If you wish, you may transfer your data in the online system from the username to the bank credential or mobile certificate account.
If you have any problems with login or registration, please contact technical support at hakemustuki(at)datalink.fi

Creating, editing, and submitting an application

Choosing the Application Form:

You can create and submit applications only during the application period. The application form and questions will be visible to applicants once the application period begins.
A “Create New Application or Report” dropdown will appear on the start page on the first day of the application period.
Select “Create new application or report “from the “Grant Application” dropdown menu to create a new application.
Choose the appropriate form, and review the criteria relevant to your field and the specific call prior to submitting an application.

Filling Out the Application:

After creating an application, you may return to edit it later.
Some fields are mandatory. The system will not allow submission until these are completed.
Avoid using special characters. Enter monetary amounts as whole numbers (e.g. 45000 or 100000), without dots or commas.

Application status and submitting the application

An unsent application is marked as “Incomplete.” The Foundation does not process applications with this status.
Once all fields are completed, submit your application. This must be done within the application period. Use the “Submit Application to the Alfred Kordelin Foundation” button in the start page. After successful submission, the application status will show as “Sent” on the main page of the online service. After the deadline for applications has passed, the status of a successfully submitted application will update to “Received.”

Editing a submitted application

Following the steps described below, you may cancel and return a submitted application to “Incomplete” during the application period:

Log in to the system.
Find your application (status: “Sent”).
Click “Open.”
At the bottom of the form there is the option to “Cancel sending the application to the Alfred Kordelin Foundation.” Click this option.
The form asks you to confirm that you want to unsend the application. Continue as instructed.
The application is now editable in “Incomplete” status. Make and save your changes.
Resubmit the application by clicking “Send the application to the Alfred Kordelin Foundation”.
The application has been submitted successfully when its status has been changed from “Incomplete” to “Sent”.

To ensure that your application is reviewed by the Foundation, remember to resend it within the application period. Applications cannot be edited after the application period has ended.

Language of the application

You may complete the application in Finnish or English. Questions are available in both languages. For clarity, it is recommended to use the same language throughout the application and its attachments.

Commitment and Terms of Grant Use

The Kordelin Foundation requires all grant applicants and recipients to adhere to the following guidelines and commit to the following terms and conditions:

by submitting an application, the applicant agrees to comply with Alfred Kordelin Foundation’s applicant instructions, notify the Foundation of any other overlapping funding, and to follow the plan presented in the application. The application must be prepared by the applicant or a person representing the applicant entity and reflect their own thinking.

Applicants also commit to informing the Foundation without delay of any changes related to the application.

If awarded a grant, the grantee agrees to:

Follow Grant Recipient Instructions.
Submit a usage report after the project ends.
Act according to Finnish laws and regulations.

The grantee accepts that a grant may be canceled if the project is not carried out. Misuse of the grant may lead to repayment.

Provided personal data will be processed to enable the Foundation’s operations. This processing is based on legitimate interest. Personal data will be used for processing applications to the Foundation, awarded grants and usage reports, grant administration, and for research use, if any, such as statistics.

When grants are awarded, details (such as name, topic, amount) will be published on the Foundation’s website and annual report. Applicant data may be shared with other funders to avoid duplicate funding. Anonymized data may be used for statistical purposes.

Applicants must ensure that all project partners and stakeholders mentioned in the application have consented to the project, the application, and to sharing their information with the Foundation.

More information: Privacy Statement

Frequently Asked Questions

See the FAQ for science, art, and public education grants, available in August 2025.

Grant advisory and technical support

The Foundation’s office responds to inquiries about grants and applications on weekdays (Mon–Fri) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. by phone at +358 50 439 3661 or by email: toimisto(at)kordelin.fi.

Check for exceptions and extended hours on the Contact Information page.

For technical issues (e.g. login problems) with the online service, contact technical support at: hakemustuki(at)datalink.fi