The memorial year of the Great Fire of Turku will be in 2027, marking 200 years since the fire. The Great Fire of Turku was the largest urban fire in Nordic history, destroying as much as three quarters of the city. Programme is now being sought for the memorial year.
Almost every Finn has heard of the Great Fire of Turku. In the memorial year of the great fire of Turku in 2027, new perspectives will be explored on the fire that profoundly shook the city 200 years ago.
Are you preparing a project or event related to the anniversary year? Submit your programme details through the registration system, and your implementation will become part of the memorial year’s coordinated communication and marketing.
Grants will also be awarded for programme implementations as part of the memorial year of the Great Fire of Turku. A total of €300,000 in grants will be distributed. The criteria for awarding grants are provided below, and grants are applied for by completing an online application form.
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- The Turku 2029 Foundation has allocated €300,000 to support programme projects for the memorial year of the Great Fire of Turku.
- Applications to join the programme can be submitted until 31 March 2027. Funding applications must be submitted by 15 August 2026 at 4:00 PM. Programme and funding applications are submitted through an electronic application system. Paper applications will not be accepted. Late applications will not be processed.
- The Board of the Turku 2029 Foundation will make its decisions in autumn 2026.
- The main responsible party for the project is a legal entity whose statutory obligations have been properly fulfilled.
- The main responsible party for the project must not have any payment default entries and their operations must be financially balanced.
- The project complies with laws, regulations, and good practices.
- The project implementer commits to the principles of equality and non-discrimination, and to acting transparently, honestly and fairly in the implementation of the project. The project or its communications may not contain any racist, xenophobic or otherwise discriminatory messages. The project is mainly carried out or culminates in 2027.
- The project will be realised in Turku or have a strong connection with Turku.
- The project addresses historical themes related to the Great Fire of Turku and its memorial year, as well as themes connected to the present and the future — from citizens’ stories to the development of urban planning, rescue services, and construction technology, urban resilience, and fire as a phenomenon.
- In terms of content, the project is based on historical themes related to the Great Fire of Turku and its memorial year, as well as themes connected to the present and future — from citizens’ stories to the development of urban planning, rescue services, and construction technology, urban resilience, and fire as a phenomenon.
To receive funding for implementing a programme project, the project must, in addition to fulfilling the criteria for inclusion in the programme, also meet the following funding criteria:
- The project is particularly important to the overall programme of the memorial year of the Great Fire of Turku, for example in terms of its target groups or impact.
- The project implementer has sufficient and appropriate experience in carrying out similar projects.
- The project plan is realistic, credible, and of high quality.
- Funding is discretionary.
- Funding will not be granted for the organisation’s basic operations, individual investments, or solely for marketing expenses (marketing costs as part of the project are permitted).
- The funding period is the year 2027. No extension will be granted for the use of the funding.
- The recipient of the funding must determine their obligation to tender procurements in accordance with the applicable procurement legislation.
- The use of the funding must be managed through a bank account controlled by the main responsible organisation. This means that the funding, or any part of it, may not be transferred to another organisation’s or private individual’s account without an invoice attached to the bookkeeping records.
- The Turku 2029 Foundation recommends entering into a written agreement between project partners implementing the project.
- The Turku 2029 Foundation complies with sanctions against Russia imposed by the EU, the UN, and Finnish authorities.
- The terms and conditions for the use of the funding are defined in detail in the decision letter. Please follow the conditions carefully and contact the Programme Manager if anything is unclear or if other questions arise.
- All programme projects of the memorial year of the Great Fire of Turku must complete a final survey at the end of the project. Programme projects that have received funding must also report on the use of the funding. Separate instructions will be provided for the survey and reporting. The report will be submitted through an electronic questionnaire using the same login credentials as the application. The report will include questions on the project’s impact, numbers of participants, contributors and audiences, and financial outcomes. If necessary, the Turku 2029 Foundation may request financial statements and receipts related to the project. It is recommended that project finances be monitored by cost centre if the project includes funding granted by the Turku 2029 Foundation.
- Further information and application guidance: Programme Manager Salla Mistola, +358 44 7586 040, salla.mistola@turku.fi