Applying for a grant

The general grant call takes place every year in March. Decisions are made at the Foundation Board’s meeting in May.
Project proposals can also be submitted in August. Details about the August call will be announced during the summer, and decisions are made in the Board’s October meeting.

All roject calls follow a two-stage process: Read more in the detailed guidelines.

In the March call, grants can be applied for by individuals and groups (project teams or legal entities with a business ID) aiming to strengthen their expertise in the media field. Applicants especially include students, researchers, and media professionals.

The August call is reserved for project teams and organizations with a business ID.

Please note:
An individual may submit only one personal application per round. You may participate in a project application if you are not the main applicant.

Applications must be submitted electronically only via our online system.

Individual grants are awarded only in the March call.

1. Log in to the electronic application system.
2. Fill in the application form and attach any required documents.
3. Submit your application before the deadline.

You may edit a saved draft before submitting it.

If the applicant is a project team or organization, the application must be submitted in the name of the designated contact person, who is responsible for completing and submitting the application.

An applicant may have only one individual application or act as principal investigator in a grant call at a time. They may also participate in one project team, as long as they are not the principal investigator.

Starting from August 2025, all project ideas and applications must be submitted via the Foundation’s grant system.

Project calls follow a two-stage process:

Stage 1: Submit a project idea (Idea paper)

Idea papers (maximum 3 pages) must be submitted on the following dates (specific dates are published each year):

• March, for the May board meeting
• August, for the October board meeting.

The idea paper must clearly state:

• What the project aims to achieve
• How it aligns with the foundation’s mission and funding priorities
• The intended outcomes and benefits of the project

Stage 2: Full application for selected projects

Applicants whose ideas are selected to proceed will be invited to submit a full proposal. This must include:

• A detailed project plan
• A budget broken down quarterly
• Other required attachments

The research plan for projects should be comprehensive (more than 4 pages, up to a maximum of 8 pages).

These final applications must be submitted during the next official application period. The Foundation aims to make decisions at the next board meeting following submission.

Funding may be granted to the same applicant or project for a maximum of three consecutive years.

The initial application must include a plan covering the entire project period.

Continued funding is granted annually, based on results and reporting from the previous period.

Applicants may, if they wish, include 1–2 letters of recommendation from referees. Submitting a recommendation is not mandatory, but may support the application in certain cases.

All applicants will be notified of the decision within two months after the application deadline, by letter or email.

It is not possible to receive advance notice of funding decisions.

Please note that the Foundation does not provide individual justifications for its decisions.

New grant system in use from August 2025

As of August, we are using a new grant system that differs from the previous one. The basic principle is as follows:
All grant recipients must log in to their applicant profile, complete their bank account information, and sign the payment request electronically. Once the payment request has been submitted, it will be reviewed and processed by the foundation.

Please note that the grant will not be paid until the request has been reviewed and approved. If you encounter any issues, do not hesitate to contact the foundation.

If you decide to decline the awarded grant — either in part or in full — you must notify the Foundation immediately in writing or by email.

The grant must be used no later than the year following the year of award. In the case of multi-year work, the project must be initiated within one year of the award.

These instructions will be updated after the August 2025 application round.

The grant must be used exclusively for the purpose for which it was awarded. If the purpose changes or the grant cannot be used within the given time, the grantee may submit a written request to the Foundation for permission to redirect the funding to a similar purpose.

The Foundation will assess such requests on a case-by-case basis.

Reports must be submitted using the online form available on the Foundation’s grant system. These forms will be updated by the August 2025 project application round to better suit different types of applications.

Recipients of multi-year funding are required to submit an annual progress report via the reporting system within one month of the end of each grant year.

Note: the reporting period begins from the date the grant is paid, not from the calendar year.

This deadline also applies to single-year projects that are still ongoing during the reporting period.

Progress reports do not require attachments and are mandatory for continued funding.

If the applicant is a working group or organization, the designated project lead is responsible for submitting the report.

All grant recipients must submit a final report via the reporting system. This must be done within six months of receiving the final installment, even if the project is not yet fully completed.

Original receipts related to grant expenditures should be scanned and attached to the final report.

Working groups and organizations must ensure the report is submitted by the responsible project lead.

If your project is not complete by the reporting deadline, please contact us in advance to agree on an extension. A final report is still required, even for projects that are partially or not at all realized.

If the grantee fails to submit the required reports, the Foundation reserves the right to reclaim the awarded grant.

We encourage you to share information about your project and grant!

If posting on social media, please tag the Foundation: @akerlundinsaatio — this helps us amplify your message. Additionally, you are welcome to propose content about your project for our Foundation blog.

For any questions or support related to your grant work, feel free to contact us at: firstname.lastname@akerlundinsaatio.fi.