Applying for a personal assistant grant
Who can apply for a grant?
We welcome grant applications from sports clubs and associations that organise activities for those in need of special support.
Physical activity groups for individuals in need of special support are designed for those who cannot participate in public sports activities without a personal assistant due to a disability, illness, or impaired functional capacity. These activities require adaptations and specialised expertise. The reasons can include physical or developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, muscular diseases, ADHD, autism or dysphasia.
When to apply for the grant?
The grant application period runs from 2 October to 15 November each year. Apply for the grant retroactively, based on the data for the current calendar year.
What kind of activities are supported?
We support clubs and associations in organising new guided physical activities and/or in integrating children, young people and adults in need of special support into their existing programmes.
For regular sports activities, we take into account the time periods when municipal sports facilities are available and can be used for these activities. We do not support exercise activities that are instructed or coached remotely via streaming, email, or other communication media.
A grant may be awarded if the group meets the established minimum requirements.
- The activities to be supported must last at least three months and be regular (at least one exercise session per week).
- The group must have at least five participants. Integrated groups are also eligible for all grant categories. An integrated group refers to situations where a person in need of special support participates in a general sports group, accompanied by a personal assistant. The participation is impossible without a personal assistant.
How is the grant amount determined?
The grant amount is based on the grant category and the total annual budget available. The sum is not affected by the size of the group or the number of exercise sessions. We have defined the maximum grant amount per group for each grant category. You can apply for a grant for the spring, summer and autumn periods, provided the group meets the minimum requirements.
| Grant category | Amount of grant |
|---|---|
| I. In addition to the instructor, the group has at least one personal assistant | max 100 €/group |
| II. In addition to the instructor, the group has more than one personal assistant | max 200 €/group |
| III. In addition to the instructor, the group must have at least three personal assistants, assigned to at least every other participant | max 300 €/group |
How to apply for a personal assistant grant
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1Fill in the application form online
Fill in the electronic application form: Grant application service (in Finnish)
We recommend using the Mozilla or Chrome browser. The form requires identification.
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2Submit the required attachments
Submit the following attachments for the current period with your application:
- Cost estimate for the group
- The association’s rules and regulations (new applicants and clubs whose rules have been updated)
- A report on the measures taken to prevent the use of tobacco and nicotine products (new applicants who organise activities for children and young people)
You can add attachments to the application after the application period has ended.
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3Wait for the grant decision
The Sports Committee reviews the grant applications at its meeting in December.
To the grant recipient
Payment of the grant
We will pay the grant to the recipient’s bank account once the required attachments have been submitted to the electronic grant system and the grant decision is final. You can expect the grant to be paid into the account during January or February.