Applying for a grant

If you have applied for funding from us before, please note that our application system was renewed in summer 2025.

The Foundation awards individual grants and project funding for media research and development, as well as initiatives that strengthen expertise in the media sector. We do not fund the development of a company's ordinary business operations.

Read about our funding priorities here.

Funded projects must have a connection to Finland and benefit the Finnish media sector.

Grants cannot be awarded for the purchase of equipment or software.

Choose the right type of funding

Individual grants

• Individual grants for personal work
• Grants for writing journalistic non-fiction books and grants for completing master's-level theses; see the relevant guidelines below

Project funding

• For working groups and organisations; applications follow a two-stage process.

Individual grants or project funding?

The final decision on the appropriate type of funding depends on the intended use of the funds and the conditions of the relevant application round.

Please note

• Applications from working groups must be submitted in the name of the person responsible for the application. Any grant awarded will be paid to the applicant.
• A project cannot receive both a personal working grant and project funding for the same purpose at the same time.
• In a single application round, an applicant may submit one individual application or act as the lead applicant for one project. In addition, the applicant may participate in one other working group.
• Recipients of full-time working grants may engage in other paid work for up to 25% of their working time, provided that the additional work does not jeopardise the completion of the work funded by the grant.

March application round

Decisions in May

• Individual grants
• Project concept papers
• Full project proposals from applicants whose concept papers were approved in the previous round

August application round

Decisions in October

• Grants for completing master's-level theses
• Project concept papers
• Full project proposals from applicants whose concept papers were approved in the previous round

Applications must be submitted through the Foundation's online application system.

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

You can edit a saved application until you submit it.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their applications are their own work and that they have the right to present the ideas, materials and plans described in them.

Our application form is in Finnish, but you may complete it in English or Swedish if necessary. Supporting documents may also be submitted in English or Swedish.

1. Concept paper

Maximum length: three pages.

A good concept paper is clear and accessible to a general audience. It does not need to cover everything; its purpose is to help the reader understand what the project aims to do, why it matters and what it seeks to achieve.

Describe the people involved, the schedule and the approximate scale of the project.

Read more: https://akerlundinsaatio.fi/en/project-idea-papers-how-to-present-a-good-idea/

2. Assessment and selection for the next stage

Experts assess the concept papers and decide which applicants will be invited to submit a full project proposal.

3. Full project proposal

Applicants selected to proceed must submit a detailed research or project plan (4–8 pages), a budget, at least the lead applicant's CV and any other required attachments in the next application round.

If your project includes personal grants

• Submit separate applications for the project and the individual grants. Clearly explain in both applications how the personal grants relate to the project.
• Include the costs of the personal grants in the project's overall budget so that the scale of the project and its funding needs are presented as a coherent whole. Deduct the personal grants from the amount requested for the project, as the individual grants are applied for separately.

Separating the applications at the application stage makes them easier to process and reduces administrative work later.

4. Funding decision

The final funding decision is made on the basis of the full project proposal.

Approval of a concept paper does not constitute a funding decision.

Funding may be awarded for up to three consecutive years. The application must include a plan covering the entire project period. Continued funding is subject to annual reporting and progress towards the project's objectives.

The Board of the C. V. Åkerlund Media Foundation does not issue preliminary funding decisions or provide reasons for its funding decisions.

Grants for journalistic non-fiction books

In the March application round, the Foundation accepts applications for individual grants to write journalistic non-fiction books.

In assessing applications, we place particular emphasis on non-fiction works that use narrative techniques and are based on journalistic research.

A book may use narrative or storytelling techniques, but it must be grounded in verifiable information, sources and journalistic work.

Applicants should have:

• A realistic plan for completing the book
• Already held discussions with a publisher
• A high-quality application demonstrating the book's journalistic value and significance

Grants for master's-level theses

Individual grants for completing master's-level theses are available in the August application round.

In 2026, the grant amount was €1,500. These grants will no longer be awarded in the spring application round and cannot be awarded retroactively.

Applications are handled confidentially.

All applicants are informed of the decision after the Board meeting at which the decisions are made.

The Board of the C. V. Åkerlund Media Foundation does not issue preliminary funding decisions or provide reasons for its funding decisions.

The names of the experts who assess applications are not made public.

The Foundation primarily awards funding through its spring and autumn application rounds.

In exceptional circumstances, the Foundation may consider funding requests outside these rounds when:

• The request concerns an individual exceptional case.
• The project clearly supports the Foundation's funding priorities.
• The funding is not primarily intended to cover individual travel or participation expenses.

Please contact the Foundation to discuss your request and/or submit an application. Requests are considered at the Board's discretion.