Changes to Vantaa’s sports grants – new terms and conditions come into force on 1 November 2026

The City of Vantaa’s sports grant system will change on 1 November 2026. The aim of the reform is to ensure that grants provide even better support for the day-to-day activities and needs of sports clubs and organisations that provide physical activities.

In future, sports grants will be divided into three main categories: grants for the day-to-day running of sports clubs, grants for recreational sport and grants for competitive and elite sport.

The application periods for the various types of grants will be fixed. Applications for most grants with a fixed application period can be submitted once a year. The exception is the grant for recreational sport groups, for which applications are invited four times a year. Fixed application periods last for 15 days.

Applications for subsidised venue hire and grants for sporting events can still be submitted throughout the year.

The reform also addresses the culture of children’s sport. A city statement aimed at promoting diverse, safe and equitable sport for children has been added as an annex to the grant conditions. The statement will affect the terms and conditions for sports grants from 2029 onwards.

Clearer priorities for grants for recreational sport

For the first time, the grants for recreational sport will define the types of recreational sport that the city supports. Support for recreational sport for children and young people, family sport, adapted physical activity and recreational sport for older people will increase. Financial support will no longer be granted to adult recreational sport groups. It will, however, still be possible to apply for a reduced-rate or free booking slot for activities aimed at adults.

Grants for recreational sport will in future be divided into general grants for recreational sport and grants for recreational sport groups.

Support for club activities and for competitive and elite sport

Through grants for the core activities of sports clubs, the city supports sports clubs and sports associations in Vantaa and helps strengthen organised club activities. These grants include subsidised venue hire, operating grants for sports clubs and rent subsidies.

The criteria and standards for grants for competitive and elite sport have been clarified. This category includes grants for sporting events, grants for multidisciplinary coaching in elite sport, athlete grants and grants for competitive sport for representative teams at both amateur and professional levels.

Simpler grant application process

Following the reform, applications for all sports grants and reports on the use of grants will be submitted through the electronic grant system. Grant applicants will need to submit fewer supporting documents with their applications, although the necessary documents must be provided to the city upon request.

The reform has been prepared in collaboration with sports clubs, organisations receiving grants and a political steering group. A draft of the new terms and conditions for grants has been available on the sports grants website since autumn 2025. The Urban Culture and Wellbeing Committee approved the new terms and conditions for sports grants at its meeting on 6 October 2026.

Information session on grants on Tuesday 27 October at 17.00 – join us to find out more and ask questions about the grant reform

An information session on the revised terms and conditions for sports grants will be held on 27 October 2026, starting at 17.00. The event will be held in Finnish and will take place online as a Teams meeting.

In future, information on sports grants and other important matters relating to the day-to-day activities of sports clubs will be provided in the Sports Newsletter. Subscribe to the Sports Newsletter via the City of Vantaa’s newsletters page (in Finnish).

You can apply for a grant under the current terms and conditions until the end of October

Applications for project grants for recreational and adapted physical activities to be organised during 2026 may be submitted under the current terms and conditions until 31 October 2026. More detailed instructions on reporting the use of grants awarded for 2026 can be found on the sports grants website.

You can find out more about the grant reform on the Vantaa.fi website in Finnish. The terms and conditions for grants will be published in Swedish and English during the autumn.