Central Ostrobothnia Grants

The next Central Ostrobothnia Regional Fund grant application period takes place from 22 Jan to 9 Feb 2024 until 4 pm local Finnish time (Eastern European Time).

Eligible Applicants

When making grant decisions, the Fund gives precedence to applicants born or currently residing in the region, scientific or artistic work taking place or focusing on the region, as well as cultural and development projects. The Fund will award a total of 510,000 euros in the January 2024 round of applications.

Applying for a Grant

You may apply for a grant on the Online Application Service and provide a reference on the Online Reference Service. All applications and references must be submitted to the online service before 4 pm local Finnish time (EET) on the deadline date. Applications and references submitted in any other way will not be considered. The applicant should familiarise themselves carefully with the application guidelines and make sure they have appended all requested attachments in their application. More information on the January round of applications can be found here.

Grant Focus Areas

The Central Ostrobothnia Fund awards grants in all areas of culture. The Fund promotes cultural undertakings from professionally implemented ones to those conducted by amateurs, as well as children and the youth.

We appreciate applications that address the following themes:

Cultural activities for children, youth and young adults
Promoting diversity and well-being
Cooperation across municipal, linguistic and cultural boundaries
Strengthening multidisciplinary scientific research

Regional Fund Special Purpose Grants

Spearhead Projects

Spearhead projects requiring larger-than-usual funding will receive a minimum of 40,000 euros in the form of one or two grants. Such projects require fresh or exceptional points of view, content, quality, or design.

Art for Everyone Grant

20,000 euros have been earmarked for Art for Everyone projects in the January round of applications. The aim of this form of support is to promote the equal realisation of cultural rights and to improve the quality of life of people in need of special support or care, through art. The work or project may take place in welfare and nursing institutions or other environments, the residents or users of which may otherwise have limited access to art. Possible institutions include sheltered homes, day centres, and homes of the elderly, hospitals, prisons, reception centres, care units for substance abusers, and child welfare institutions.

Local Culture Projects

A grant may be applied, for example, for projects focusing on local culture of the region and cultural heritage projects, such as documenting cultural heritage, showcasing of cultural environment, promoting urban and neighbourhood culture, and histories of local communities and societies, exhibitions, and events. Local Culture Projects grants may also be related to multi-location or independent-of-place local heritage projects, for home region may be taken to mean a natural environment, a built-up environment, social and mental environment, as well as a virtual home region, which a person themselves finds meaningful. Scientific research into a local culture is not considered a local culture project. Note that applicants for the local culture projects grants must choose the field of science or art that their work most closely relates to.

Donor Funds

The grants are awarded from a general fund and those donor funds open for application in the next round:

Esko Aho Fund
Antti Chydenius Fund
Elsa and Kusti Eskola Fund
Fanny, Ilmi and Toivo Hietavuori Fund
Kyösti Kallio Fund
Hilja and Viljami Kalliokoski Fund
Esko Lankila Fund
Raija Sämpi Fund
Väinö Tanner Fund
Oskari Tokoi Fund
Liisa and Kustaa Vilkuna Fund

Grant Guidance

Grant-related enquiries should be sent to keski-pohjanmaa@skr.fi. Enquiries may also be directed to Regional Director Mika Virkkala and Coordinator Piia Hietanen.

The Central Ostrobothnia Fund is holding a Grant info online in Finnish on Teams on Tuesday 30 Jan 2024 from 6 to 7 pm. You can join the info session at the beginning of the event via the link below.

Join the event

Grant Decisions

The grant decisions are made by an administrative committee consisting of regional experts from various fields. If necessary, outside experts can be called upon to evaluate applications. The grant decisions of the January round of applications 2024 will be announced on April 10th. Both favourable and unfavourable grant decisions will be sent to grant applicants by email approximately two weeks before that. The 2024 grants can be withdrawn from 22 May 2024.

If you need the logo of the Central Ostrobothnia Fund for your website, newsletter, social media or brochures, you can download it from the link below. If you share information about your grant on social media, we would be especially appreciate it if you use the tags #kulttuurirahastontuella or #skr2024 (grant year).

Download the logos