General grants for sports

Grant can be applied for by sports and physical activity clubs operating in Tampere that are registered and have been active for at least one year. The club must offer recreational and competitive activities for children and young people under the age of 20. 

Grants are awarded for: 

• The association’s regular guided activities, in which at least 30 children or young people under the age of 20 actively participate. 
  (An active participant is someone who has taken part in regular activities for at least 6 months and is a member of the association. One-time event attendees are not counted as active participants.)
• Health-promoting physical activity and sports, related civic engagement, and significant development work in the field of physical activity
• Associations that have a need for financial support, but whose overall financial situation is stable and whose own fundraising is balanced in relation to operational costs and received grants 

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

Grants are generally not awarded to: 

• Associations that do not offer recreational activities for children or young people
• Associations with fewer than 30 active participants
• Student organizations
• National or regional umbrella organizations

The application period for grants is once a year. Applications are submitted via an electronic application form. 

The applicant must submit the following documents in addition to the application form: 

• 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 annual meeting. 

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.

The allocation of grants is determined approximately using a scoring system, where quantitative criteria account for 80% and qualitative criteria for 20%. 

Quantitative Criteria (80%) 

Number of active members under the age of 20: 60% 

• Number of participants (boys/girls) by age group: 0–12, 13–19
• Number of participants involved for at least 6 months
• Membership numbers must be evident from the attachments 

Costs related to the use of private facilities for under-20 participants: 20% 

• Rent paid to private facilities (euros per calendar year) 

Qualitative Criteria (20%) 

Quality and impact of activities 

• Sporting achievements, significant events, promotion of an active lifestyle, reaching new participants and challenging target groups, planning and goal setting of activities, and the association’s social and ecological responsibility 

Note: Grant recipients may not pay salaries or fees that are unreasonably high. A disproportionately large share of administrative costs in the previous financial year’s total expenses will reduce the amount of the grant. 

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. If the grant decision does not specify the payment schedule, grants are paid as follows: 

• grants under 10 000 euros are paid in one instalment
• grants of 10 000 - 49 999 euros are paid in two instalments
• grants of 50 000 - 99 999 euros are paid in four instalments 

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 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 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 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:

• 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)