Funding granted to clubs following pricing changes of sports facilities
The transitional subsidy of pricing change is intended to support clubs and associations in Helsinki that will face additional costs in the latter half of 2026 due to the changes made to the pricing of sports facilities on 1 June. The Sport Sub-committee awarded grants totalling nearly 140,000 euros to 39 associations.
Proposal to Culture and Leisure Committee regarding facility grants
The sports facility grant is a type of grant intended for the City of Helsinki’s subsidiary communities. The Sport Sub-committee proposed to the Culture and Leisure Committee that a total of approximately 12 million euros be included in the 2027 budget. The final decision on grants for sports facilities will be taken by the Sport Sub-committee in December 2026.
Eligibility criteria for start-up grants to be updated starting 1 January 2027
The sports start-up grant is a one-off subsidy of 500 euros intended to help new sports clubs and associations launch their operations. In recent years, the grant has been awarded to no more than ten applicants per year.
The Sport Sub-committee decided on the eligibility criteria for the grants that will come into force at the start of 2027. The type of grant will largely remain unchanged. Moving forward, a key addition to the eligibility criteria is that the grant recipients must commit to minimum criteria for accountability and accessibility set out in the general grant for sport. Further details on application deadlines and the required appendices are published annually e.g. on the sports grants website.