General grants for cultural minorities

Financial support can be applied for by associations or non-profit organizations of ethnic and linguistic minorities of Tampere. Associations or non-profit organizations must be registered in Finland. They also must have operated for at least one year.

Grants can be awarded for the basic functions of associations / non-profit organizations.

Grants can be obtained only for operations that comply with the City of Tampere’s general principles of grants.

Grants are not issued for: 

• operations that are not regular and continuous
• small associations (as a general rule, the activity must involve at least 25 active participants).
• activities which are considered to be covered by Project grants
• student organizations within educational institutions
• the practice of religious or political activities

The application period for awards is once a year in January. Grants should be applied for via the electronic application form.

In addition to the application form, the following documents must be submitted:

• strategy regarding the year for which the grant is being applied for
• budget for the year the grant is being applied for
• the most recent signed financial statement of applying association / non-profit organization, including the profit and loss account and balance sheet with accompanying information, as well as the annual report. The profit and loss account must include account and sub-account as well as cost centre-specific calculations.
• the most recent statement of the financial auditors and/or operational auditors (account/operational audit report)
• the rules of the community/society (unless previously submitted or the rules have changed)

The most recent documents refer to the period whose particular documents have been approved by the association's annual meeting.

Did your community/society receive a grant during the previous year?

The use of general grants is reported in connection with the next grant application. The grant recipient must submit the information and documents on the basis of which the issuer of the grant can monitor the appropriate use of the grant.

If the association's activities are wide-ranging, its documents must be able to verify, in particular, the content and costs of the cultural activity to be assisted.

The grant is awarded on the basis of an assessment of the applicant's need for the grant. The need is assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

Correspondence of operations with the goals of the grant

• diversification of local cultural offering
• the activities promote the participation and wellbeing of the municipal residents, accessibility of culture, equality, and cultural interaction
• ecological sustainability has been taken into account in operations
• networking is promoted in the activities as well as in collaboration with other actors 

Total number of participants in the activities and scope of operations

• the operations are well-established and regular
• the operations reach a comprehensive group of people
• total number of regular participants
• the total number of regular members of the applicant association or non-profit organization
• the total number of events arranged in Tampere with their total quantity and visitors
• integration activities organised in Tampere in co-operation with other associations and the number of participants

Continuous planning and development of operations

• there are clear plans and descriptions available of the activity and its aims
• the operations are assessed and developed as needed

Financing of operations

• the association/non-profit organization has a need for funding aid, but its overall financial situation is stable
• its own fundraising is in balance in relation to operational costs and received subsidies (a grant can cover 80% of the applicant’s acceptable expenditure at maximum) 
• the disproportionately large share of administrative expenses in the total expenses of the previous fiscal year exerts a negative impact on the grant

Quality and influence of operations

• cultivation of own culture and identity (in particular, promotion effort on behalf of the cultural identity of children and youth)
• integrating activities and promoting connections with the majority population

Grants are decided on by the Culture and Leisure Committee during the March–April period. The applicant is informed of the decision by email. Remittance, use and reporting of the grant are explained in the positive decision. The grant can be used only for the purpose described in the decision. If the purpose of use is not specified in more detail in the grant decision, the grant must be used for the purpose stated in the application.

Unless otherwise noted in the decision, grants are paid after the decision has come into force, usually during the May–June period.

Grants can be applied to expenditure that is needed for the financed operations and is moderate in amount. Grants cannot be used for business or investment activities. The acquisition of fixed assets is supported with a grant only for a justified reason.

The grant must be used during the year in which it has been awarded. If the grant remains unused, it must either be returned or an extension to its period of use must be applied for.

It is required of the grant recipient that purchases are made responsibly. If salaries or compensation are paid from the grant issued, the recipient of the grant must take care of the withholding tax and other statutory payments.

Use of Tampere.Finland logo

As part of the grant community/society’s own marketing, the Tampere.Finland logo is recommended for use. In situations where the funding of operations is publicly communicated, Tampere’s coat of arms is always used in referring to the City of Tampere.

No cooperation with the Russian state

As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, associations and communities receiving general or premises grants from the City of Tampere are not allowed to cooperate with the Russian state or its official representatives. If this is deemed to have happened, the full amount of the general grant will be recovered and any premises grant will be refused, and no further grant or other support from the City of Tampere will be awarded to the organisation. This condition is based on the policy that the Finnish state has towards Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The City of Tampere will comply with the Finnish Government's policy.

The use of general grants is reported in the next grant application. If necessary, other reports on the use of the grant may also be requested from the beneficiaries.

The beneficiary must provide information and documentation enabling the grantor to monitor the correct use of the grant. If the activities of the association/non-profit organisation are large-scale, the beneficiary's documents must make it possible to verify in particular the content and costs of the activities for which the grant is intended.

The beneficiary must organise its accounting and auditing in accordance with the law.

If the grant is not applied for in the following year, a report on the use of the grant must be submitted in accordance with the timetable set out in the decision.

Reports on the use of the grant will be submitted by submitting the following documents:

• the most recent signed financial statement of applying association / non-profit organization, including the profit and loss account and balance sheet with accompanying information, as well as the annual report. The profit and loss account must include account and sub-account as well as cost centre-specific calculations.
• the most recent statement of the financial auditors and/or operational auditors (account/operational audit report)