Tampere University is opening a €23,000 grant for associations operating under TREY whose primary purpose is the production of culture or art. Through this cultural grant, the University supports the diverse cultural activities of student associations.
The University’s grant is a separate funding scheme from TREY’s operational and project grants, but its allocation is coordinated in cooperation with the Student Union.
With this grant, the University aims to support and enable associations’ cultural and artistic production as well as the development of their activities.
The allocation of the grant is prepared by a working group consisting of representatives from Financial Services, Education and Learning Support Services, Communications, and the Student Union. The working group makes a proposal on how the grant funds should be allocated and reviews reports related to their use. Final decisions on the allocation of funds are made by the President.
Eligibility
The grant may be awarded to an association that:
- has official association status within TREY,
- has completed the Student Union’s 2026 association announcement in the JIPPO (Organizations’ Self-Service Portal) between 7 January and 31 January 2026,
- has submitted a complete and timely application,
- has an existing bank account at the time of application, and
- whose primary purpose is the production of culture or art.
What the grant can be used for
Funding may be applied for ongoing, long-term activities and their development, including for example:
- costs essential to the operation (e.g. salaries, fees, and facility costs),
- performances, screenings, and similar events,
- general development projects for the association’s activities, and
- acquisitions that support the association’s operations.
The grant cannot be applied for activities that have already received other funding from Tampere University (e.g. from a faculty).
Grant criteria 2026
The cultural grant is discretionary. The University selects the supported associations and projects with the aim of ensuring the effectiveness and impact of the funding. The following factors are considered:
- financial need,
- impact of the supported activities (e.g. how many people are reached and how the activities are visible within the university community, in Tampere, and beyond),
- scope of the activities (e.g. number of performances or events and participant numbers),
- student-driven nature of the activities (e.g. level of student participation), and
- activities that strengthen community spirit.
Practical matters
The current call concerns activities taking place in 2026. Funding may be applied for one or several purposes. When allocating funds, priorities may be set depending on factors such as the total amount of available funding. The maximum grant is €5,000 per association, although exceptions may be made for particularly well-justified reasons.
All activities organized with the support of the University’s student activity funding must comply with current guidelines of the higher education community as well as applicable authorities’ regulations regarding event organization and safety.
The application period for the cultural grant ends on Thursday 12 February 2026. Applications are submitted via a separate Microsoft Forms application. Decisions on supported projects, grant amounts, and payment schedules will be made in early summer 2026.
Apply for the University’s cultural grant on Microsoft Forms.
Further information
Tampere University: Kaisa Keskitalo, Head of Student Services, +358 40 754 5951, kaisa.keskitalo@tuni.fi
Student Union of Tampere University: Yeti Ahonen-Kakko, Specialist in Association Affairs, +358 40 713 0079, yeti.ahonen-kakko@trey.fi