Our export funding has been renewed in 2022. In the renewed funding concept, Music Finland's live music support, songwriter and composer support, promotion and PR support and Takeoff export support are combined into one entity.

Music Finland's export funding advances the internationalization and business development of Finnish music companies, artists, songwriters and composers. The export support distributed by Music Finland is financed by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Please read more detailed information about the grant and the instructions before you apply. The grant recipient will be notified as soon as possible when the final funding decision is made, with more detailed instructions on reporting the grant and signing the state grant agreement.

Music Finland's export support

Music Finland's export support consists of two different forms of support: project support (“projektituki”) and strategy support (“strategiatuki”). The project must be implemented between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. The link to the application form can be found at the end of this page.

The recipients of the funding are selected by groups consisting of experts in the music industry appointed by Music Finland's board. There are four selector groups: pop and rock, jazz and folk, contemporary and classical and songwriters.

Music Finland reserves the right to transfer applications between selector groups or forms of funding if necessary.

If the applicant is granted funding, the grants will be paid after the end of the project and reporting. You can find more information about reporting at the bottom of this page.

Project funding

Project funding is aimed at exporting music creators, artists, companies and organizations, regardless of the stage of their international career. It is suitable for an individual artist’s, musician’s or creator’s trips or PR campaigns, as well as for a project involving several artists or creators. This support is applicable for companies, communities and individuals. It is granted for a single project, whether live, marketing or songwriting/composing export – in the same way as Music Finland's funds in the past, but in the project funding category all of these can be combined in the same application. The funding can only be used for the purpose specified in the application and for the categories of expenses presented in the application.

The amount of support is 500 – 10,000 euros per project, but it can cover no more than half of the approved costs and no more than the loss-making portion of the project.

Example 1:
Your export project generates income of 1,000 euros, but the expenses are 3,000 euros, in which case the project is at a loss of 2,000 euros. In this case, you can receive support of a maximum of 1,500 euros, which is 50 percent of the approved expenses.

Example 2:
Your export project generates income of 2,000 euros, but the expenses are 3,000 euros, in which case the project is at a loss of 1,000 euros. In this case, you can receive support of a maximum of 1,000 euros, which is equal to the loss-making part of the budget.

Strategy funding

Strategy funding is aimed at companies who have been exporting for a long time and is suitable for the company's strategic export components, which involve several measures. Only companies and communities can apply for it. Funding is granted to a larger export plan, which can consist of one larger export project or several smaller projects. The funding can be used freely for measures according to the application, but if necessary also for other activities that support the goal according to the application. If the plans change, the purpose of use of the support can be modified as necessary, upon separate agreement.

The amount of support is 3,000–20,000 euros per project, but no more than half of the approved costs and no more than the loss-making portion of the project.

Example 1:
Your export project generates income of 3,000 euros, but the expenses are 10,000 euros, in which case the project is at a loss of 7,000 euros. In this case, you can receive support of a maximum of 5,000 euros, which is 50 percent of the approved expenses.

Example 2:
Your export project generates income of 7,000 euros, but the expenses are 10,000 euros, in which case the project is at a loss of 3,000 euros. In this case, you can receive support of a maximum of 3,000 euros, which is equal to the loss-making portion of the budget.

Conditions concerning the funding applicant

Applicants for support must have evidence of international demand, for example in the form of past international concerts and tours, as well as international partners, recordings and listeners. Applicants are alsorequired to have investment ability and a long-term internationalization strategy.

The criteria for the grant applicant and the project

• A company or organization registered in Finland (project support and strategy support)
• An individual who is a Finnish citizen or lives permanently in Finland (project support)
• The project will be implemented between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024
• The company or organization must be in preliminary taxation register for the entire duration of the project (from the time the application is submitted to the payment of the support) and be free of tax debt

Purposes for which support can be applied for

Support can be applied for:

• individual performances abroad (including showcase performances)
• touring abroad
• international marketing of recordings and/or works
• bringing foreign professional guests to Finland
• participating in international writing camps
• organizing international writing camps
• co-writing trips abroad
• a composer's participation in the premiere of his work abroad
• meeting and negotiation trips, which promote the international career of the support applicant
• wider measures aimed at internationalization, which combine the measures mentioned above

Support cannot be applied for

• production trips (e.g. the artist's or band's own recording sessions abroad)
• competition trips
• study trips
• conference and trade fair trips
• performances and co-write sessions in Finland
• domestic marketing

Expense categories for which funding can be applied for

Support can be applied for, for example, the following expenses:

• travel expenses (tickets in economy class, airport transfers, freight and overweight costs, visas, travel and goods insurance, vehicle rentals)
• accommodation expenses
• per diems for performances (does not apply to individuals or sole traders)
• production costs of performances (technical production, equipment and instrument rentals, tour staff fees, paid musicians' fees,
• paying for foreign PR agencies’ services; marketing or communications
• marketing materials, printing costs, language check and translation
• advertising (social media, digital media, print media)
• travel and accommodation expenses of foreign professional guests
• production costs of the company's own writing camp (studio and equipment rentals, fees for external technical staff, catering)
• participation fees for a workshop, writing camp or other similar event

Selection criteria

Selection criteria used to evaluate applications:

• The importance of the project in terms of the applicant's international career
• The importance of the project in terms of the applicant's internationalization strategy
• The professionalism of the project and plan
• The professionalism of the support subject, the background organization and the activities of the partners
• The applicant's international experience and demand, as well as domestic success
• The applicant’s support history
• The degree of domesticity of the project
• De minimis rule

Please note that funding is not automatically granted, even if the criteria and selection criteria are met. Based on the applications, the selection working groups evaluate the significance of the project for the applicant's international career, and the applications are also compared with each other. The amount of money that can be distributed at given time can also influence decisions.

Grant decision, grant reporting and accounting

After the end of the application period the funding applicant will be notified as soon as possible by e-mail whether the grant has been granted or not. Those who receive a grant decision must sign an agreement with Music Finland in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Education and Culture, which agree on the use of the support. The grant can only be paid to the beneficiary to whom it was initially granted. All expenses must be proven to be paid by the beneficiary.

The project is reported using a reporting form, which is sent to the grant recipient by email after the funding decision. The reporting must be done no later than 60 days after the end of the project or the support decision, whichever is later, unless otherwise agreed in special cases.

Conditions for payment of support

• The project has been implemented as presented in the application
• The state aid agreement has been signed
• The content and implementation of the project have been reported by the deadline
• The final budget implementation is verified either by accounting with a project-specific profit and loss statement and general ledger where expenses are clearly verifiable (companies)

or

• with copies of receipts and proof of payment, which clearly shows what the expense is for and who paid the expense (individuals and companies that cannot get a project-specific accounting report from accounting)

Music Finland reserves the right to revise the amount of support if the plan or budget presented in the application changes significantly during the project. If the payment conditions mentioned above are not fulfilled, the support can be canceled completely.

Applying for funding

Applicants are recommended to contact Music Finland before submitting the application, if there are any questions related to applying for support, the eligibility of the project or the applicant, filling out the application or the application criteria. Contact information can be found at the top of this page.

The upcoming deadlines for the 2024 application rounds are:

• March 31st 2024
• May 5th 2024
• September 30th 2024

Apply by using this electronic form. If you have any questions regarding the support, please contact project and financial coordinator Visa-Matti Uimonen.