The City of Turku Cultural Committee awards cultural grants and subsidies for individual work, as well as for the activities of associations and working groups. All grants are discretionary.
Types of grants
More detailed information on eligibility, assessment criteria and specific terms and conditions is available on the page for each type of grant.
- Operating grants for professional arts organisations
- Operating grants for arts and cultural institutions (multi-year cooperation)
- Operating grants for arts and cultural organisations
- Grants for professional artists
- Individual working grants
- Aboa Grant
- Grants for project-based activities
- Project grants
- Fuuga venue grants
- Grants for cultural activities
- Operating grant for recreational activities in the cultural sector
- Operating grants for basic education in the arts
Applying for cultural grants
You can apply for cultural grants every year in October. Applications are submitted through the online system.
In addition to the main application period in October, there is a supplementary application period for Fuuga venue grants in March–April. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
The application period for 2027 grants is 1 October–2 November 2026, until 16.00.
Grant information sessions
Cultural grants information session (23 September 2026)
Link to the recording
Grant clinics on Teams, Tuesday 20 October
13.00–14.00 in Finnish: Link to the session
14.30–15.30 in Swedish: Link to the session
16.00–17.00 in English: Link to the session
Who can apply for a grant?
The following can apply for grants:
- Non-profit associations, foundations, or non-profit organisations based in Turku
- Working groups based in Turku
- Private persons based in Turku
- Providers of basic education in the arts operating in Turku
Some grants are restricted to professional artists, contractual partners of the City, or actors within the city organisation. Please check the detailed guidelines for each type of grant.
What can the grant be used for?
You can apply for a grant to produce artistic content on a regular basis or for a specific project.
- Organising cultural activities
- Project-based activities
- Developing cultural activities
- Organising basic education in the arts
- Organising recreational activities
- Artistic work
- As a general rule, a grant will not be awarded to an association, working group or artist already receiving a City of Turku grant under another grant category.
- Grants are not awarded for equipment purchases, publishing activities, recordings, training, travel or clothing.
- Grants for individual artists are not awarded to cover expenses or for studies.
- A grant cannot be awarded if the applicant has not submitted a report on the use of the previous year’s grant or if the report is incomplete.
- Grants are not awarded to sole traders or profit-making companies.
- Personal grants and project grants are not awarded for venue rental costs.
- Premises costs may be included in operating grant applications.
The Culture Committee decides on multi-year operating grants for arts and cultural institutions and on the recipient of the annual Aboa Grant in December of the application year.
The Committee decides on other grants in February of the year for which the grant is awarded.
Decisions on Fuuga venue grants are made by the Director of Cultural Services.
When grants are awarded, state aid regulations and the effects of the grant on competition and trade are taken into account. Applicants are required to declare, as part of their grant application, any other de minimis aid and state aid they have received during the current tax year and the two previous tax years, such as aid granted under the General Block Exemption Regulation.
All applicants will be notified of the decisions
Apply for a grant
Fill in the application form online
Fill in the electronic application form: Grant application service (in Finnish or Swedish).
We recommend using the Mozilla or Chrome browser. The form requires identification.
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