Guidelines for Grant Applicants

Please carefully read the instructions below before you start filling in the application. The next application round will be organized 9.5.–31.5.2024 .

It is possible to create and submit applications in the online grant service only during the application period. The Online grant service closes 31st May at 4.00 PM local Finnish Time.

The Foundation will only process applications that have been sent during the application period. Applications sent via email will not be processed nor will applications submitted outside the application period. A printed version of the application should not be sent to the Foundation.

Some general principles

  • Grants are awarded for a maximum of one year at a time.
  • Grants are mainly intended for expenses that occur after the grants have been awarded (9th October).

The office of the Foundation answers questions concerning grants from Monday to Friday during office hours (9-16): tel +358 9 4542 400 or toimisto@wihurinrahasto.fi. For technical support please send an email to hakemustuki@datalink.fi.

If you prefer to read the Guidelines for grant applicants in pdf format, you can find them here during the application period.

It is possible to create and submit applications in the online grant service only during the application period. The office of the Foundation answers questions concerning grants from Monday to Friday during office hours (9-16): tel +358 9 4542 400 or toimisto(at)wihurinrahasto.fi. For technical support please send an email to hakemustuki(at)datalink.fi. Submit your application in time!

Registering and logging in to the online grant service

  • Log in by using your online banking personal user ID of a Finnish bank or mobile credentials.
  • Alternatively you can log in to the online grant service by giving your username and password by choosing “I want to log in using a username and password”. If it is your first time using the service, create a user account by choosing “Register”.
  • Grant applications are user-specific, so if you want to edit an existing grant application, you must log in with the same username and password that were used to create the application.
  • Please note that logging in with your bank ID and mobile credentials is a feature that was introduced in 2021 in the online grant service. If you have used the username and password earlier, your previous applications, payment requests or reports are not visible to you when logging in to the service with your bank ID or mobile credentials. Log in to the service with the username and password that you have used when creating the documents if you wish to view them. It is possible to transfer the documents to the logging in with your bank ID and mobile credentials.
  • Please also note that if a grant is awarded, a request for payment of a grant on the Online grant service may only be made with the same codes as the grant application was made.
  • In particular, when an organization is the applicant, one needs to make sure who is managing the user credentials, so that the grant application process and possible grant can be processed smoothly on the online grant service, regardless of possible changes in personel of the organization.
  • Hang on to your username and password – they will be of use if you are awarded a grant. If you lose your password, a new one will be sent to the email address you have created the user credentials with.

Creating, editing and sending an application

  • It is possible to create and send applications only during the application period. On the first day of the application period, the option of creating a “Grant application” will appear on the “Create new” drop-down menu.
  • You don’t have to finish your application at one go after creating it. When your application is ready, submit it in the online grant service. Once submitted, the application can be reverted to the draft status and edited by choosing “Revert back to draft mode for editing”. This must be done before the application round ends. Remember to send the application again if you wish it to be processed by the Foundation.
  • You can’t edit the information on your application after the application period has ended. For more information, see “Can I edit my application after the application period has ended?”:
    e.g. after the application period has ended you must inform the Foundation about other funding you have received.
  • When in preview mode, make sure that all text fits into the given space. Check that your text is readable.
  • There are some mandatory fields that need to be filled in the application. If you haven’t filled them in, it is not possible for you to submit the application.
  • When you have filled in the information on all the pages of the grant application, submit the application online during application period in May. The status of an application that hasn’t been sent will show as “Draft”. A successfully sent application will show as “Sent”. After the application period has ended, the status will show as “Received”.

The application consists of the following pages:

  1. Applicant
  2. Grant
  3. Plan
  4. Other funding
  5. Attachments
  6. Commitment
  7. Send

You can fill in the pages in your choice of order. It is not necessary to complete the application at one go. It will remain as a draft and can therefore be edited until you submit it. Remember to submit your application within the application period. Only fill in the appropriate sections: you do not need to write something in every field. Some of the required information is mandatory though and the system will not let you submit the application without filling in these parts. There is a question mark next to some of the answer fields. By clicking on it, you are given a tip for filling in the field.

1. Applicant

Choose language = Choose in which language you wish to receive information concerning your grant application

The applicant is = Choose the type for which the grant is applied for (choose correct type of applicant). “The applicant is” type you choose defines the fields to be filled in on the Applicant page:

  • Private person = Individual
    OR
  • Working group (has at least two members/individuals). The members of the group must elect a leader to submit the application in his/her/their own name. If the grant is supposed to be used by only one member of a working group, he/she/they should apply for a grant as an individual applicant.
    OR
  • Organization

“The applicant is” type you choose defines the fields to be filled in on the Applicant page:

Last name = Fill in your last name if the applicant is you as a private person (individual) or the last name of the leader of the working group if the applicant is a working group.
or
Name of organization = If you’re filling in the form for an organization, write the name of the organization.

First name = Fill in if your applicant type is an Individual or working group (name of the leader).

Degree =  Private person (individual) or working group’s leader’s academic degree in full form, not using abbreviations (e.g. Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy). Please fill in your current (latest) degree.

Finnish personal ID, date of birth = In the form ddmmyy-(xxxx). Date of birth is also sufficient (in the form: ddmmyy, e.g. 8 May 1991 = 080591). If the applicant is a working group, fill in the date of birth or personal ID of the leader of the working group.
or
Business code = If the applicant is an organization, fill in its business code.

We ask for your personal identity number, because submitting it in the application phase speeds up the process if you will be awarded a grant. We need your personal identity number for the annual notification to the tax authorities and for the notification to the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution MELA if the grant is awarded and paid to you.

Gender = For statistics (individual or working group -applicant).

Nationality = Please choose from the options given or fill in the “Other/What?” section.

Location of work/study = Choose a Finnish university from the given options OR choose “Other, what?” and write the full name of the institution where the project will be executed on the line below, e.g. 1. you are doing research in a foreign university (the full name of the university in question) 2. you can name the place where you will be working with the grant. Choose “Freelance artist/researcher”, if the purpose for the grant is not connected to any organization.

Faculty = Applicants working in universities or research institutes should fill in the name of the faculty/department. E.g. “The Faculty of Mathematics”. Other applicants are not required to fill in this field.

Place of residence = If you are is e.g. temporarily living in another city for your studies, you should fill in your actual hometown (not using abbreviations).

Contact person of your organization = Fill in if you are submitting an application in behalf of an organization.

Address = In the form: street address (line break)
postal code and city

E.g.Kalliolinnantie 4
00140 Helsinki

Phone = Fill in the phone number of the applicant

Email = Fill in an email address to which you would like to receive information concerning the application.

Working group = If you are applying for a grant as a working group, please fill in the information concerning those members of the working group to whom you are applying a grant for (except for leader’s whose information has already been given as a main applicant). If you are applying for a grant for more than six members, you should list some of the members in a separate attachment, so that the text of the working group field remains readable (Preview your application).

As members of the group list only those members of your working group to whom you are applying a working grant for or who a certain expenditure regards or who are otherwise key members. Fill in the personal id or date of birth/ member.

If you do not yet know the name of a member, identify the part of this person with the initials N. N. Note, however, that the working grant is, primarily, intended to be applied for on the person’s own merits.

A working grant can only be awarded for scientific or artistic work. All other work is either paid auxiliary labour or outsourcing service for which you can apply for an expenditure grant. Do not name paid auxiliary personnel or outsourcing service providers as members of the working group.

2. Grant

Type of grant = Choose the primary use for the applied grant from the given options

  • doctoral studies
  • post-doctoral studies: up to 5 years after dissertation, otherwise research
  • research
  • homing: research following post doc, for researchers returning to Finland; must be applied within one year of returning to Finland
  • writing work
  • artistic work
  • purchasing a musical instrument or other implement
  • basic studies: of art, not science
  • organizing an event
  • other purpose

Field of specialization = The field of specialization you choose tells Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation the field of expertise you would like the evaluators of your application to represent. In your application please choose one of the existing categories. Only in case none of the given categories fit the field of your project choose the category ‘’Other causes’’.

Choose one of the following

  • Economic Sciences/Business
  • Economics
  • Engineering Sciences
  • Mathematics and statistics
  • Architecture
  • Natural Sciences
  • Agriculture and Forestry
  • Food Science
  • Biology
  • Health Sciences
  • Education
  • Psychology
  • Law
  • Political science
  • Social sciences
  • Media and Communication science
  • Art history, visual arts and applied art (research)
  • History and Archaeology
  • Theology and study of religions
  • Philosophy
  • Linguistics
  • Fiction Literature
  • Non-fiction Literature
  • Music – Folk music
  • Music – Pop/rock
  • Music – Jazz
  • Music – Classical singing, opera
  • Music – Choral singing, choral conducting, orchestral conducting
  • Music – Classical instrumental music
  • Music – Composing classical music
  • Music, other (only if other music categories are not suitable)
  • Musicology and research in music
  • Dance
  • Theatre
  • National Defence
  • Youth Work
  • Cultural projects
  • Other causes

In principle, we do not award grants in the fields of medicine and biomedicine, since they are furthered through funding the Wihuri Research Institute. Nor do we award working grants in the field of visual arts or grants for organizing art exhibitions. We support visual arts mainly by making art acquisitions to the Wihuri Foundation Art Collection in Rovaniemi Art Museum, and by maintaining visual arts residency programs.

Grant description = State the purpose of the application briefly and clearly.

Examples of grant descriptions:

  • Post-doctoral research “The name of the research”
  • Attending cello studies led by Professor X in the city of Y
  • Writing a screenplay about dancers in the 19th century
  • Covering expenses of performance “Name of performance”

Applied amount = Announce the applied amount by the euro. Do not use commas or periods in the amount. See “How much can I apply for?”.

The applied amount is to be categorized: personal working grant, paid staff or helping workforce, material, travel and/or other expenses. “Total” stands for the total amount you are applying for from the Wihuri Foundation.

  • Personal working grant is the working share of the applied grant. A working grant is meant to allow the grant receiver to work on the project full time or part-time free from salaried work. It is meant to be used to cover living expenses. The amount you enter includes possible statutory insurance premiums (www.mela.fi). See “Conditions of a working grant”.
    Working groups fill in the total amount that the group members apply from the Wihuri Foundation to cover their working.
    Please note that an organization cannot apply for a personal working grant, but a grant for hiring personnel under the title “Assisting work”.
  • Assisting work can be hired or purchased labor essential for the project. If the grant is used to hire labor, the grant receiver is obliged to take care of the payroll taxes and other legal obligations of an employer.
  • Material and equipment expenses can be big purchases e.g. instruments and grand equipment purchases for working groups.
  • Travel grants can be applied for travel expenses relating to the project. Separate travel grants are not usually awarded.
  • Other can be e.g. space rents.

Duration of the work in months during the grant period = Please fill in, if you are applying for a full-time or part-time working grant. If you are applying for a grant for a working group, fill in the total time the working group will work with the grant in months.

Starting year of the project = Fill in, when you originally started the project/studies or when are you intending to start it. For example: if you are writing a dissertation, what year did you start your doctoral studies.

Work carried out with a grant from the Wihuri Foundation?

If you are applying a grant for an individual or working group, this question concerns you. If you are applying a grant for working group, this question concerns those members of the group who intend to use the grant for working. A full-time working grant cannot be applied to be used concurrently with another corresponding type of funding or salary. A full-time working grant cannot be applied to be used concurrently with another corresponding type of funding (e.g. salary or another working grant).

Choose the option for which you primary apply for a grant:
Full-time work / Part-time work/ Incentive grant / Expenditure grant

Will you be working as a paid postgraduate during the grant period?

If the question doesn’t concern your project choose “No”.

Are you applying for a grant for full-time doctoral thesis work for one year from Wihuri Foundation?

If you haven’t received a one-year (12 months) fulltime working grant specifically from the Wihuri Foundation before and you’re applying for one now, select “First year”. Choose this even if you’ve worked on your thesis for several years with funding from other foundations.

If you’ve received a one-year (12 months) fulltime working grant before from the Wihuri Foundation and you are applying for a one-year continuation grant, choose “Continuation application”.

If the question doesn’t concern your project choose “No”.

Is the grant meant for a one-year (12 months) full-time doctoral level grant for the research work?

If the question doesn’t concern your project choose “No”.

Names and phone numbers or emails of referees giving a reference letter =

Fill in the names and phone numbers or emails of the referees whom you have asked to submit a reference. On the Foundation website there is a link to the Online Reference service (or Lausuntolomake in Finnish). Please advise your referee to use it. Once digitally submitted through the online reference system, the reference doesn’t have to be sent in paper form.  If the reference letter has been sent straight to you, add the reference to the application as an attachment (pdf).

3. Plan

When evaluating the applications, the evaluators take into consideration the scientific or artistic value, societal significance or topicality of the project. They also assess the applicant’s ability to execute the presented project successfully. The evaluators are supposed to be able to make an initial evaluation about your project based on the information given on this page. In this section present your plan even if a more detailed research or work plan is attached. Referring to attachments is not sufficient.

Work plan and timetable for the execution

Describe concisely and in general terms the purpose to which you are applying a grant for. Also describe how and in what time you are intending to carry out your plan. You may also describe why it is important for you to receive funding. (Maximum 4000 characters including spaces.)

A presentation of the main expenses of the project

Present the expenses of the project. If you are applying for a working grant meant to cover living expenses, you can present your living expenses as a single figure. (Maximum 1500 characters including spaces.)

A financial plan

In your financial plan, present how you intend to organize the full financing of the project. The evaluator of the application should get an overall picture of the actual and planned funding of the project. (Maximum 1500 characters.)

If your project is multi-year and you are applying for one year’s share from Wihuri Foundation, roughly present the entire project schedule as well as the expenses and financing plan.

4. Other funding

Awarded grants and other funding

List the grants awarded to you for the same purpose you are now applying as well as other significant funding within the last three years (max. 10 grants). Remember to list all grants you have previously received for the same purpose from the Wihuri Foundation regardless of the year of awarding.

Pending applications

Make sure to include in your application other open applications for the same or other purpose. If your financial situation changes after the application period has ended, e.g. you receive another grant, salary or adult education subsidy, let the Foundation know immediately.

5. Attachments

All attachments must be pdf-documents. The maximum size of each document is 3 MB. See “Attachments”.

6. Commitment

The application form includes a Commitment page.  The application cannot be submitted without accepting its terms and conditions. The Foundation requires you to verify that the information you have given on the application form is correct and that you agree to your information and documents being used in the application evaluation and decision-making process. The Foundation also requires you to comply with grantee guidelines, should a grant be awarded. The Foundation is also allowed to publish information about the grant even if the awarded amount is less than what was originally applied for.

Read the commitment carefully and then choose “I understand and accept the stated above” (bottom of the Commitment-page).

7. Submit

Remember to preview your application before sending it to make sure that all information fits into the given space and is readable.

The online grant service will ask you if you want to submit the application. To submit it choose “Yes”.

After submitting the application, the following text should appear on the screen: “Your application has now been successfully submitted!”

You will not receive a separate email about the submission. On the landing page, the status of a successfully submitted application will show as “Sent”. After the application period has ended, the status will show as “Received”.

Once submitted, the application can be reverted back to draft status and edited by choosing “Revert back to draft mode for editing”. However, this must be done before the application round ends. Don’t forget to send the application again during application period if you wish it to be processed by the Foundation.

  • a private Individual
  • a Working group (at least two private individuals as applicants)
  • a registered legal entity/Organization (such as association or cooperative) for expenditures of a project

In principle, the grant applicant seeking funding should be Finnish or the project should take place in Finland or it should have a strong link to Finland.

The applications of those under 15 years of age must be filled in by their legal guardians under the applicant’s name.

If the applicant is a working group: Please present all members of the working group who are applying for funding (the group of people participating in the project can be larger than the working group applying for a grant). The person responsible of the group “main applicant” is liable for the possible grant to Wihuri Foundation and authorities, such as the Farmer’s Social Insurance Institution (MELA) and the Finnish Tax Administration, and the other members of the working group. If you do not yet know the name of one member, identify the part of this person with the initials N. N. Note, however, that the working grant is, primarily, intended to be applied for on the person’s own merits and it is not recommended to apply for a grant to an anonymous person.

Only people engaged in research or artistic work can qualify as members of a working group. All other work is either paid auxiliary labour or outsourcing service for which you can apply for an expenditure grant “Assisting work”. A research assistant, for example, does not perform research in the legal sense. Hence, he/she/they is regarded as a salaried assistant.

Grant-receiving organizations are typically ones of non-profit nature. Technically also a company (Ltd.) can apply for a grant to cover specific costs of a project within the fields of research, art and societal activities.

Grants are mainly intended for expenses and working that occur after the grants have been awarded (9th October).

Grants are awarded for a maximum of one year at a time. Personal working grants should, as a rule, be used for continuous work.

Grants for science

Grants for science are primarily awarded for research work (for 1-12 months at a time). Grants are awarded broadly to different fields of science to both basic and applied research. However, we do not award grants in the fields of medicine and biomedicine, since they are furthered through funding the Wihuri Research Institute.

Doctoral thesis work

The grant intended for one-year full-time work is 30 000 euros (including expenses).

The Foundation aims to ensure the continuation of work for doctoral theses it has already supported with a one-year full-time grant. Grantees who have been awarded a one-year full-time grant for doctoral thesis work by the Wihuri Foundation, have a better chance of being awarded funding for second and third year too. When applying for follow-up funding in May the Foundation requires that the applicant can show that the doctoral thesis work has progressed. Also a reference from the supervisor of the project is required.

Post doctoral research

Post doctoral research is research conducted by someone who has received their doctoral thesis within five years. The grant intended for one-year full-time work is 34 000 euros (including expenses).

Other research

Doctors who have received their PhD longer than five years ago can also apply funding for research. The grant intended for one-year full-time work is 34 000 euros (including expenses).

Homing grant

In addition, it is possible to apply for a homing grant which is research funding for a person returning to Finland after post-doctoral research abroad. The homing grant is intended for establishing a research group of one’s own. The amount of the grant is 75 000 euros. It is also possible to partially use the grant as a working grant for the main applicant. If the other members of the group are doctors or doctoral researchers to whom a working grant is to be paid, the grant must be applied for as a working group.

Funding for research groups

Research groups can apply for part-funding of their research projects.

Other activities that further the appreciation and impact of science

Grants may also be applied for other activities that further research or the appreciation and impact of science in the society.

Grants for art

Grants in the fields of art are intended to create prerequisites for artistic work and for encountering and experiencing art in the society.

For example, you can apply for a working grant for artistic work in the fields of music, literature, dance or theater, as well as grants for instrument purchases or organizing performances and events. It is also possible to apply for grants for initiatives and development projects in the fields of art and culture.

We support visual arts mainly by making art acquisitions to the Wihuri Foundation Collection in Rovaniemi Art Museum, and by maintaining visual arts residency programs. Therefore in principle, we do not award working grants in the field of visual arts or grants for organizing exhibitions.

One-year grant for full-time artistic or writing work is 30 000 euros. Calculate the amount of grant you are applying for based on the guideline amount for full-time one year work. Always round numbers to the nearest hundred.

Grants for societal activities

Societal activities is all such work that builds an active and inclusive civil society. Societal activities include, for example, youth work, voluntary national defense work, cultural activities, and promotion of entrepreneurial skills. However, societal activities may include other themes, too.

  • Proof reading costs nor printing costs of doctoral theses or research work
  • Overhead costs of equipment
  • Undergraduate studies in the field of science
  •  Travel grants
  • Post-doctoral research abroad that lasts for one academic year or more (The Foundations’ Post Doc Pool)

In principle, we do not award grants in the fields of medicine and biomedicine, since they are furthered through funding the Wihuri Research Institute. Similarly, we do not award working grants in the field of visual arts or grants for organizing art exhibitions. We support visual arts mainly by making art acquisitions to the Wihuri Foundation Art Collection in Rovaniemi Art Museum, and by maintaining visual arts residency programs.

Grants to be applied from the foundations’ joint grant pools

The Foundations’ Post Doc Pool, which the Wihuri Foundation is a member of, funds post-doctoral research abroad (that lasts for at least one academic year). You can find more information here.

Post Docs in Companies -program is aimed for young doctors who have recently completed or will soon complete their doctoral degree. For more information click here.

The amount of applied grant depends on your project. For artistic and scientific work (including some expenses) we have recommendations for the amount of grant. Organizations may apply for a grant to expenditure only. Expenditure grants are awarded to cover expenses of the project. It is important to include a detailed and comprehensive budget in the expenditure grant application.

It is possible for you to apply for a working grant and an expenditure grant in the same application. For instance, an application for a dance performance can include a personal working grant for the artistic work and an expenditure grant for props and rents.

Please note that grants are awarded for a maximum of one year at a time.

Working grants

The Foundation awards full-year, part-year and “undefined” working grants intended for scientific or artistic work. Working grants are intended mainly for continuous work (1-12 months). When assessing how much you are going to apply for, you must take into consideration how long you intend to work with the grant and whether you intend to work full-time or part-time (e.g. 50 %). An organization can’t apply for a working grant. If some sort of salaried work is involved in the organization’s project, it is seen as applying a grant for the expenditures of the project (Assisting work).

One-year and six-month grants for full-time work

For you to be able to receive a full-time working grant you must be on a leave from other salaried work and you may not use concurrently another corresponding type of funding e.g. other working grant. See “Conditions for a working grant”.

One-year (12 months) grants for full-time work (including some expenses, e.g. statutory Mela-insurance) are:

  • 30 000 € / doctoral thesis and artistic/writing work
  • 34 000 € / post doctoral research, doctors

Six-month grants for full-time work or one year 50 % -work (including some expenses, e.g. statutory Mela-insurance) are:

  • 15 000 € / doctoral thesis and artistic/writing work
  • 17 000 € / post doctoral research, doctors

A grant awarded for one-year full-time work covers the personal expenditures of the individual (minimum about 25 838 euros in year 2023 / Finland’s annual artist grant sum, tax-exempt). In addition it covers for normal expenditures, regular travel, equipment and working space costs and the statutory social security (about 15 % of the working grant, organized by Mela).

Undefined grants for working

You can also freely choose the amount of a personal grant and define the duration of the work and the applied sum. Calculate the amount of grant you are applying for based on the guideline amounts for full-time one year work. Always round numbers to the nearest hundred.

It is also possible to apply for grant that is not based on the amount of working months. If you are not applying a grant for full-time or part-time work but instead in addition to other funded work, the duration can be marked as ‘’0’’ when filling in the application form. Incentive grant

The Foundation encourages applicants to full-time work especially in the fields of science – most grants awarded for scientific work are full-time grants.

Homing grant

For researchers returning to Finland, it is possible to apply for a homing-grant for independent research after the post doc -phase. The grant must be applied for at the latest a year after the researcher has arrived to Finland. The amount of the grant is 75 000 euros. It can be used as a working grant and/or to cover expenses.  Homing grant may also be used in part as an applicant’s working grant. The grant can be applied for as a working group if the other members of the group are doctors or doctoral students.

Expenditure grants

The amount of an expenditure grant is undefined. Note, that the applied amount should be based on an expenditure and income estimate.

Expenditure grants are awarded for covering the expenditures of a project (such as the costs of a theatre production) or single purchases (such as an acquisition of an instrument). When applying for an expenditure grant for a project it is important for you to include a thorough and detailed budget.

Grants are mainly purposed for expenses and working that occur after the grants have been awarded (9 October).

Overhead costs regard mainly grants in science.
Any overhead costs must be stated in the grant application (costs of the project).

Working grants

If necessary, you can pay your university or research institute 1 600 euros overheads of a personal annual working grant. Overhead costs of a half-year grant can be 800 euros.

Expenditure grants

If necessary you can pay overhead costs to your university or research institute but it must not be more than 15 percent of the other expenses of the project than the personal working grant. Overhead costs of equipment are not accepted.

 

The field of specialization you choose tells the Foundation the field of expertise you would like the evaluators of your application to represent.

In your application please choose one of the existing categories. Only in case none of the given categories fit the field of your project choose the category ‘’Other causes’’.

  • Economic Sciences/Business
  • Economics
  • Engineering Sciences
  • Mathematics and statistics
  • Architecture
  • Natural Sciences
  • Agriculture and Forestry
  • Food Science
  • Biology
  • Health Sciences
  • Education
  • Psychology
  • Law
  • Political science
  • Social sciences
  • Media and Communication science
  • Art history, visual arts and applied art (research)
  • History and Archaeology
  • Theology and study of religions
  • Philosophy
  • Linguistics
  • Fiction Literature
  • Non-fiction Literature
  • Music – Folk music
  • Music – Pop/rock
  • Music – Jazz
  • Music – Classical singing, opera
  • Music – Choral singing, choral conducting, orchestral conducting
  • Music – Classical instrumental music
  • Music – Composing classical music
  • Music, other (only if other music categories are not suitable)
  • Musicology and research in music
  • Dance
  • Theatre
  • National Defence
  • Youth Work
  • Cultural projects
  • Other causes

In principle, we do not award grants in the fields of medicine and biomedicine, since they are furthered through funding the Wihuri Research Institute. Nor do we award working grants in the field of visual arts or grants for organizing art exhibitions. We support visual arts mainly by making art acquisitions to the Wihuri Foundation Art Collection in Rovaniemi Art Museum, and by maintaining visual arts residency programs.

The Foundation awards grants for a maximum of one year at a time. You can apply for a grant for 1-12 months at a time.

The grant is intended to be used for expenses/working that occur after the grant has been awarded (9 October). Personal working grants should, as a rule, be used for continuous work.

The Foundation aims to ensure the continuation of work for doctoral theses it has already supported with a one-year full-time grant. Grantees who have been awarded a one-year full-time grant for doctoral thesis work by the Wihuri Foundation, have a better chance of being awarded funding for second and third year too. When applying for follow-up funding in May, the Foundation requires that you can show that your doctoral thesis work has progressed. Also a reference from the supervisor of the project is required.

We advise that grantees start working with the grant before the next year’s grants are awarded, 9th October 2024. Grants are valid three years. A grant that has not been used within three years from the date it was awarded will be cancelled. The grantees will not be notified about cancellations.

The grants awarded by the Foundation are intended primarily to support personal, full-time artistic or research work, not as salary funding. A person can apply for a working grant as an individual or as a member of a working group. Grants awarded by foundations and other corresponding entities for scientific or artistic work are tax-free up to the state’s annual grant to artists. “Personal working grant

Anything other than scientific or artistic work must be reimbursed as a salary or a fee or acquired as an outsourcing service, “Assisting work“.  An individual or a working group applicant may apply for an expenditure grant to this purpose. In these cases, potential employer’s legal obligations must be taken into account and costs included in the budget.

Organizations can’t apply for a working grant. Organizations may only apply for an expenditure grant for the purchase of services or for salary, “Assisting work“. The remunerations for completed work paid by organization are always considered salary, for which the employer’s contributions must be paid. This should be taken into consideration when drafting the budget.

A broad funding base is an advantage in large-scale projects. Carefully planned self-financing (such as ticket revenue) creates an impression of a credible, viable project. Even if you are applying only for partial funding, the application should clearly state and itemize the budget for the whole project.

The personal working grant is intended for personal living expenses for a certain period of time, as a rule for continuous work. You can declare the portion used for ordinary living expenses as one installment in the application, which includes any statutory Mela insurance premium.

All other than scientific or artistic work must be compensated as a salary or as a purchased service. An individual or a working group applicant may apply for an expenditure grant to this purpose. In these cases, potential employer’s legal obligations must be taken into account and include in the budget. Organizations may only apply for an expenditure grant.

Draw up a project budget carefully, and be realistic. In a multi-year project, it is good to roughly present the entire project’s budget, although you can apply for a grant for a maximum of one year at a time. A credible plan gives your project a better chance of succeeding.

The grant is intended to be used for expenses and working that occur after the grant has been awarded (9 October).

It is advised that native Finnish speakers write their entire application in Finnish. If the working language of the project is English, the attachments can be in English but the application itself and the reasoning should be in Finnish.

If you are a non-Finnish speaker, you can write the application completely in English.

The evaluators evaluate the applicant’s ability to execute the presented project successfully based on the application and the attached curriculum vitae and other documents. Attach everything substantive but don’t prolong your application.

All attachments should be submitted in PDF-form. A single attachment cannot exceed 3 MB.

If you are a private individual applying for a grant, your application should include a work/research plan and a CV.
In the field of science also: possible list of publications, a transcript of record, copy of degree diploma, or permission to defend dissertation from the faculty, if post doc and you have not got your degree diploma.  (Possible reference letters, see references)

Working groups should attach the CVs of all members of the working group who intend to apply for funding.
See also “private individual’s” attachments.

Organizations should attach the latest audited annual report, financial statement and auditor’s report and work plan and budget. However if the applicant is a university or a public entity, it does not need to attach financial statement documents to the application.

Possible reference letters, usually 1–3. Inform your referee in time. The reference is important if you are working on a doctoral thesis or in the field of art if you are in the beginning of your career. Note! As a general rule,  the applicant should ask the referee send the reference via the Online reference service. However, if you have received a free-form reference (pdf) straight from your referee, you should attach it to your application.

In your work/research plan (normally 3–10 pages) should be presented the following:

  • The background, aim and purpose of the project
  • Where it will be executed
  • The current state of the project
  • A schedule
  • A budget
    Briefly describe the total funding of the project. Has the project in question been funded in the past? If so, at what time and how much. If you have done the project in question with salary funding, mentioning this is enough. The evaluator of the application should get an overview of the funding of your project. Costs of the project should be equal with financing.

A personal working grant is intended for normal living expenses, which do not have to be specified. The grantee has a legal obligation to insure their grant, provided it has been awarded for a minimum of a four-month period of work and other insurance criteria are met. The grantee must then reserve about 15% of the working grant for insurance premiums (Mela) – The insurance premiums do not need to be specified on the grant application .

If you have received prior funding for the same project from Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, clarify its progress and the relationship of the new application to the previously funded project.

If the work plan fits in to the ‘’Plan’’ part of the application form you do not have to upload a separate work plan.

Applications are assessed mainly in the online grant service. Therefore it is important that all documents are attached (pdf) to the online application. Please take into consideration that our evaluators rarely have the time to look for extra information through links. If for some reason you receive important attachments considering your application after the application period, you can add them through the online grant service. See “Can I edit my application after the application period has ended?”

Under the Income Tax Act (1535/92, 82 §), scholarships or other grants received for studies, scientific research or artistic activities, or awards received in recognition of scientific, artistic or non-profit activities are tax-exempt income under certain conditions. Grants etc. are tax-exempt insofar as the total amount of grants – including scholarships, grants and awards – awarded to the taxpayer does not exceed the state of Finland’s annual artist grant sum in one tax year (25 838,76 euros in 2023).

Grants are deemed as income for the tax year during which they are paid to the grant recipient. The Foundation informs the taxman of all over 1 000 euro-grants paid to private persons and members of working groups.

When a grant is used to hire salaried work the grantee is obligated to take care of statutory liabilities of an employer.

Note that taxation regulations are subject to change and their interpretation may vary to an extent. If anything regarding taxation is unclear, a grant recipient should contact the Finnish Tax Administration (www.vero.fi) directly for further advice.

 

  • Consider if you need references to support your application. If you are working on a doctoral thesis the reference of someone (e.g. supervisor) familiar with your project is very important. When applying for a grant in the field of art you may want to have a reference, especially if you are in the beginning of your career. You can attach more than one reference to your application.
  • Inform your referee in time. Ask your referee to submit his/her/their reference through the online reference system. In case you have received the reference in paper form you may add it to your application as an attachment (pdf). For further information please read ‘’For the referee’’. The reference can be submitted through the system even if you haven’t  submitted your grant application yet. The reference and the application will be reconciled after May based on the name of the applicant.
  • The reference made by the referee in the Online reference service is application-specific – a reference can be attached to only one grant application. Please take this into consideration if you have more than one grant application and you need references from the same referee.
  • The referee will not see your grant application unless you send it separately to your referee. You also do not see the reference made by the referee on the Online reference service. Neither will it be disclosed whether or not the referee has submitted a reference.
  • The Foundation will only take into consideration references submitted in the Online Reference Service or attached letters (pdf) to the application in the Online Grant Service.

A good application is well planned and reasoned. It is also presented in a clear, understandable and compact manner.

  • Put effort into the section “Work plan and  timetable” in your application. Its purpose is to spark the interest of the evaluator. In other words: say what you want to say already in the first sentence. What is it that you need a grant for? Why is your project important?
  • Present a realistic and credible work plan.
  • If you are applying for an expenditure grant, pay special attention that your budget is thorough, well-structured and easy to read. (Also cost and income evaluations must add up)
  • Tell us what you are really going to use the grant for. Don’t talk vaguely about production expenditures if what you really mean is a producer’s salary. The expert assessing your application should be able to easily understand what the grant will be used for.
  • References count. They are important especially if you are working on a doctoral thesis. When applying for a grant in the field of art you may want to have a reference, especially if you are in the beginning of your career. (Ask referee to write Online reference or reference letter (pdf))
  • Make sure that important attachments (pdf) are submitted to the Foundation.
  • See Preview of your application before sending the application online – make sure all information fits into the given space and the text is readable!
  • Submit your application in time.
    The application service closes at 4 pm local Finnish time on the deadline day. Take into account that the service might become congested in the final hours. After submitting the application, make sure that the status of your application changes to “Sent” on the Online grant service. The Foundation does not process application drafts. It is not possible to submit your application through any channel whatsoever once the deadline has passed.

Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation requires that you commit to following the guidelines concerning applying, that you inform us about any other comparable funding you receive and to acting according to what you have presented in your application. You can find the commitment here.

Any information concerning the application can be archived. It can also be handed over to authorities. The Foundation is also allowed to publish information about the grant even if the awarded amount is less than what was originally applied for.

In addition the Foundation expects you to assure that all information given by you is correct. We also expect you to give you consent to passing on your information in the assessment and decision making process of the grants. Information about awarded grants will be exchanged between foundations and other funders.

Grantees are required to provide a report of how the grant was used every calendar year.

What is considered as being on leave from other salaried work?

A full-time working grant cannot be applied to be used concurrently with another corresponding type of funding (e.g. salary, another working grant, student allowance, during paid annual leave).

It is however possible to have a paid job maximum 25 % of the working time during the full-time working grant period. The purpose is for the grantee to be able to do occasional or regular hourly work. This will not affect the time of the working grant (e.g. a one-year working grant is meant for 12 months of working free of salaried work). However, if you are a full-time grant recipient, you must inform the Foundation if, during the grant period, you intend to transfer for a period of more than one month, e.g. full-time to another research post, to perform military service or to take family leave. Personal working grants should, as a rule, be used for continuous work.

What does the working grant cover?

The personal working grant for full-time one-year work covers personal living expenses as well as usual travel, equipment and working space costs or some research costs. The personal working grant share should be at least approximately 25 838 euros (the amount of the artist grant from May 1, 2023). The grantee must reserve about 15 % of the working grant for insurance premiums (Mela) if certain conditions are met.

Am I required to pay statutory insurance contributions?

If you have been awarded a grant for artistic or scientific work in Finland, your pension insurance is provided by Mela (Farmer’s Social Insurance Institution). The grantee must reserve about 15 % of the working grant for insurance premiums if certain conditions are met and personally see to the obtaining and paying for the insurances.

You have a legal obligation to apply for pension insurance if you meet the following conditions:

The grantee, who is between the ages of 18 and 68 but not yet on an old-age pension, is legally obligated to take care of statutory insurance contributions and if the grant has been awarded for artistic or scientific work lasting at least four months and is at least 1 429,33 euros (year 2023) and if the grantee is eligible for the Finnish social security system. The insurance obligation doesn’t concern grantees of undergraduate studies or expenditure grants. When certain conditions are met an insurance can be taken for grant work that takes place abroad or for foreign grantees working in Finland.

The insurance must be taken to cover the period for which the grant has been awarded (given in months in the grant decision), even if the work will not be carried out in one continuous period.

Mela (Farmer’s Social Insurance Institution) collects pension, accident and group life insurance payments during the grant period (in other words, when the insurance is valid). The taxman collects health insurance payments.
For more information concerning grant recipient social security, contact MELA

You can’t edit the information on your application after the application period has ended.

Instead, in the Online grant service you can provide information, you have only received after the application period has ended (related to your in May sent grant application):

  • Inform the Foundation about other funding you have received.
  • Delete your application.
  • Upload important documents (attachments, pdf) that you have received after the application deadline, such as a financial statement. Please note, that documents such as a work plan should be attached already during the application period.