At the city, we aim to support activities ranging from small projects to ongoing work. We support Helsinki-based organisations, clubs and communities of various sizes in many different ways. We provide financial support, facilities, equipment and support for organising events. Helsinki would not be Helsinki without its partners.
Financial support
The City of Helsinki gives out many grants and awards. For example, the Culture and Leisure Division awards almost €30 million in grants each year to more than 1,350 operators.
Organisations, clubs and individuals can apply for grants. These grants cover various activities, such as cultural, sports, youth work and social activities. You can learn more about the different types of grants on the Grants website and browse awarded grants on the Decisions website(Link leads to external service).
Clubs, organisations and other associations can receive financial support for hiring employees. You can learn more about the support the city offers to employers on the Business and Work website. For example, the Summer Job Voucher(Link leads to external service)is meant to help organisations and companies hire young people for the summer.
Facilities and spaces
The facility booking website provides a comprehensive overview of the various spaces open to the public.
More information on the facilities offered by the Culture and Leisure Division, especially to partners.
Harakka Island has workspaces for artists and meeting rooms.
Tools for working together
The Youth Services’ AV-Lainaamo(Link leads to external service) (AV rental centre) provides audiovisual equipment for event organisers. You can reserve studio time, camera equipment and editing tools from the Luuppi Media rental centre(Link leads to external service). Organisations can also reserve camping equipment from Wempaimisto(Link leads to external service), the camping equipment loan centre.
You can borrow musical instruments and games – or even a sewing machine or other specialised equipment – from the libraries via Varaamo(Link leads to external service). In particular, the Oodi Urban Workshop(Link leads to external service) offers a broad range of services. For example, you can create large posters or use different tools and equipment.
The Cultural Centres work together with partners, such as musicians and artists. We recommend that you contact the relevant cultural centre directly, as practices vary.
Are you already familiar with the park volunteer service (Link leads to external service)(Puistotalkoot)? We provide the necessary equipment for cleaning up parks and beaches and handle the disposal of the collected waste.
Organising events
The City of Helsinki publishes information about events in Helsinki free of charge in the events calendar on the Myhelsinki.fi website.
We provide support and information for organising events in Helsinki.