Funding Programmes
We provide funding for a wide range of projects in science, the arts, and social initiatives. On this page, you can explore our grant calls and other funding programs we take part in.
- Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation awards grants for projects in science, the arts, and societal activities through a general grant call open each spring.
- In addition, we participate in several joint grant pools with other foundations.
- In the field of visual arts, we organise residency calls and funding opportunities targeted at art museums through our Partner Museum Programme.
- We also engage in other forms of funding collaboration.
General Grant Call
The next grant application period will be held from May 9 to May 31, 2026.
During the spring general call, funding can be applied for work, new initiatives, and the development of activities in the fields of science, the arts, and civil society activities.
Applications are open to individuals, working groups made up of individuals, and registered organizations. We primarily award working grants to individuals and expense grants to organizations.
As a general principle, the funded project must be carried out by a Finnish applicant, take place mainly in Finland, or have a strong connection to Finnish society.
Funding can be sought for a wide range of projects, both in scope and scale — from grants for purchasing a single instrument to funding for multi-year research projects.
Grant recipients Ilona Korhonen (left), Mari Pääkkönen, Maari Kallberg, and Anna-Kaisa Liedes have performed and compiled Kalevala poems into an audiobook.
Photo: Miikka Pirinen
Visual Arts Funding
As part of the ”Kummimuseo” programme, art museums can apply for funding either for an entirely new project or to deepen an existing one in development.
The Partner Museum Programme is a form of visual arts support launched by Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation in 2017. Within the programme, art museums can apply for funding for a variety of contemporary art projects.
The aim is to support small and mid-sized museums, and joint projects between multiple museums are also eligible. Applications are submitted via the Wihuri Foundation’s online grant service, and the foundation announces the application period in advance through its own channels.
Visual artists can apply for a 6–12 month residency at the Temppelikatu Artist Studio in Central Helsinki.
The Temppelikatu Artist Studio is an artist apartment owned by Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, located in the Töölö district of Helsinki. It is intended for visual artists living outside the Helsinki metropolitan area, offering both working and living space for a period of 6 to 12 months. Applications are submitted via the Wihuri Foundation’s online grant service, and the foundation announces the application period in advance through its own channels.
Read more about the residency
Julkiseen taiteeseen ja kaupunkitilaan erikoistunut taiteilija Denise Ziegler vietti työskentelyjakson Rovaniemellä vuonna 2023. Kuvat: Miikka Pirinen
Joint Funding Pools
Wihuri Foundation participates in a joint grant program run by Finnish foundations that offers flexible funding for young researchers heading abroad from Finland.
The Foundations’ Post Doc Pool is a grant initiative established by member foundations of the Association of Finnish Foundations. Its aim is to promote the internationalization of Finnish science by providing centralized funding for postdoctoral work abroad.
Researchers can apply for funding for international research periods lasting from 6 to 24 months. The Pool accepts applications twice a year: the spring call runs from January 1 to 31, and the autumn call from August 15 to September 15.
Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation was among the founding members of the Pool and is participating in its sixth three-year cycle (2025–2027), together with 12 other foundations.
Wihuri Foundation also takes part in the Post Docs in Companies (PoDoCo) collaboration program, which supports the employment of PhDs in the private sector and strengthens the long-term renewal capacity of Finnish business and industry.
Within the PoDoCo programme, a PhD and a company partner can jointly design a research project and apply for funding from the participating foundations.
A PoDoCo project lasts from one to two years and consists of two phases, each lasting 6 to 12 months. The first is a foundation-funded research phase, followed by a company-funded applied research phase of the same length. Any company, regardless of industry, can take part in PoDoCo, and any recent or soon-to-be PhD graduate is eligible to apply.
The PoDoCo programme organises two application rounds each year and involves a total of seven funding foundations.
We participate in the New Classics Fund, which provides support to performing arts organisations and visual arts actors.
Established jointly by the State and four foundations: the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Svenska kulturfonden, the Alfred Kordelin Foundation and Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, New Classics Fund supports the working conditions and growth of established actors in the arts sector.
Funding is available in alternating years to performing arts organizations and visual arts actors—such as galleries and art lending services—that organise exhibitions and sell artworks. The fund’s application round is held once a year in the autumn.
The Wihuri Foundation is part of a scholarship initiative launched in 2026 by four Finnish foundations in Washington, D.C. Collaboration with the Atlantic Council think tank provides Finnish experts with access to an influential international network and a high-level forum where solutions to global challenges are explored and transatlantic ties are strengthened.
The Atlantic Council, founded in 1961, is a nonpartisan research institution and think tank focused on international relations and transatlantic cooperation. Finnish fellows will work either with the Transatlantic Security Initiative (TSI) team or the Europe Center team.
The program promotes dialogue between Finland and the United States, particularly on security policy issues. The six-month research periods offer Finnish experts a unique opportunity to deepen their expertise and build valuable connections in Washington, D.C.
The program is funded by:
- Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation
- Helsingin Sanomat Foundation
- Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation
- Saara and Björn Wahlroos Foundation
These same foundations have previously funded a similar program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, which was shut down in spring 2025.
For the first round of the Atlantic Council program, there will be no open call for applications. Some of the fellowships will be offered directly to top-ranked applicants from the Woodrow Wilson Center program’s spring 2025 open call, whose fellowship periods were canceled due to the center’s closure.