References must be submitted to the Online Reference Service within the application period. The online service will remain open until 4.00 pm Finnish time (Eastern European Time) on the deadline day. References cannot be submitted after the online service has closed.

The application deadline dates can be checked on Grants open for application: October, January, March, and August rounds of applications.

The applicant has a reference number for their application, which the referee should use. This automatically links the reference to the right application.

Using the Online Reference Service requires using personal Finnish online banking IDs or registering as a user of the service.

No online banking IDs nor any bank account information from the banking system will be transmitted to the Finnish Cultural Foundation under any circumstances. A reference cannot be submitted by using corporate online banking IDs. References will be treated in confidence.


References sent by mail, fax, or email, delivered to the office, or arriving late will not be processed.

This page was last updated on September 7, 2023.