General grants for district-level activities

Registered associations that have been operating for at least one year and whose main activities focus on strengthening community spirit and local identity in residential areas in Tampere are eligible to apply for grant.

Grants can be awarded for district-level activities that promote participation and community spirit, and that reach a wide range of residents in the area. 

Grants can only be awarded for activities that comply with the general principles for grants of the City of Tampere. 

Grants are not awarded for: 

• Detached house associations.
• Expenses related to excursions or publishing activities.
• Activities that are not open to everyone, not regular, or not continuous.  

The application period for general grants is once a year (in January). Applications are submitted via an electronic application form. 

The applicant must submit the grant application and the following documents by the end of the application period: 

• An action plan for the year for which the grant is being applied
• A budget for the year for which the grant is being applied
• The most recent signed financial statement of organization including the profit and loss account and balance sheet with notes, as well as the annual report. The profit and loss account must include account and sub-account as well as cost centre-specific calculation. *
• The most recent auditor’s and/or operational inspector’s statement (audit/inspection report) *
• The organization’s rules (unless previously submitted or if the rules have changed) * 

*The “most recent documents” refer to those approved by the association’s general meeting. Associations whose financial year differs from the calendar year must submit the most recent approved documents for their own financial period. 

Did your community receive a grant last year? 

The use of general grants must be reported in connection with the next grant application. The grant recipient must submit the information and documents that allow the grantor to monitor the proper use of the grant. 

If the association has activities other than those for which the grant has been awarded, the documents must clearly show the content and costs of the activities for which the grant has been awarded.

When awarding a grant, the need for support by the organization is taken into account. Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

Relevance of activities to the objectives of the grant 

• The activities align with the goals of the grant.
• The activities contribute to the well-being of city residents.
• The activities support the city’s goal of reducing well-being disparities between different areas and population groups and help prevent social exclusion.
• Ecological sustainability is considered in the activities.
• The activities promote equality and a sense of safety.
• The activities strengthen community spirit and participation.
• The activities encourage networking and collaboration with other actors. 

Scope of activities 

• The activities are well-established and regular.
• The activities reach a wide group within the organization’s target population.
• The activities are open to everyone. 

Planning and goal orientation of activities 

• There are clear plans and descriptions of the activities and their objectives
• The activities are evaluated and developed according to needs 

Financing of activities 

• The organization needs the grant, but its overall financial situation is stable
• The organization’s own fundraising is balanced in relation to its expenses and received grants.
• A disproportionately large share of administrative costs in the previous financial year will negatively affect the grant amount. 

The grant decision is made by the Culture and Leisure Committee. The applicant will be notified of the decision by email. The city may set specific conditions for the use of the grant, which will be communicated to the recipient at the time of awarding. The grant may only be used for the purpose specified in the grant decision. If the decision does not specify the purpose in detail, the grant must be used for the purpose stated in the application.  

Grants are paid once the decision becomes legally binding, unless the decision specifies a different payment schedule or sets conditions for the payment of the grant. 

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 the Tampere.Finland logo 

As part of the grant community’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. You can download the logos from the Tampere brand page. 

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 connection with the next grant application. If necessary, additional clarifications regarding the use of the grant may be requested from recipients. 

The grant recipient must provide information and documents that allow the grantor to monitor the proper use of the grant. If the association has activities other than those for which the grant has been awarded, the documents must clearly show the content and costs of the activities for which the grant has been awarded.

The grant recipient must organize their accounting and auditing in accordance with legal requirements. 

If a grant is not applied for the following year, the use of the grant must be reported according to the schedule specified in the decision. 

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

• signed financial statement of organization including the profit and loss account and balance sheet with notes, as well as the annual report. The profit and loss account must include account and sub-account as well as cost centre-specific calculation
• statement of the financial auditors and/or operational auditors (account/operational audit report)