Grants for further research projects in sport science

The discretionary government grant is intended for sport science research projects that were awarded funding by the Ministry of Education and Culture for 2022 or 2023 and have received a conditional decision on further funding for 2024.

The purpose of the grant is to increase the amount of research relevant to sport policy, to strengthen the role of research in support of decision-making and to increase the social impact of research.

The Ministry of Education and Culture funds sport science research projects that are in line with the objectives for social impact in the sports sector as outlined in the Budget.

To apply for a discretionary government grant, use the Ministry of Education and Culture's e-service. If you are unable to use the e-service, please contact the public official providing additional information about the discretionary government grant.

Please note that you will not be able to submit the application to the e-service after the deadline has expired. The applicant is responsible for the arrival of the application by the deadline.

Instructions for using the e-service

The use of the e-services requires that research community applicants have a business ID, Suomi.fi e-Identification and Suomi.fi e-Authorisations. You can log in to the service using the Suomi.fi e-Identification via the Digital and Population Data Services Agency with your personal bank identifier, mobile ID or certificate card.

After logging in to the service, fill in the application form, append the requested attachments to it, and submit the application to the Ministry through the e-service. The Ministry’s decision on the grant will also be made available in the e-service.

If you are requested to supplement your application or wish to request a review of the decision you have received, these will also be dealt with through the e-service. You must also submit any required reports through the e-service.

Instructions for research community applicants on how to use the e-services (in Finnish)
Logging in to the e-services and authorisations (in Finnish)
Suomi.fi instructions and support

These discretionary government grants are discretionary. The applications are assessed and compared based on an overall evaluation that takes into account the following criteria:

1. Call-specific grounds for granting funding

Applicants who were awarded a grant in 2022 or 2023 are considered eligible for further funding. The Academy of Finland has already assessed the scientific standard of these applications.

Applicants may receive further funding for the project only if the research has progressed as originally planned. The application must describe how the research has progressed and detail any changes that may have taken place in the project.

Applicants must submit the following application documents:

• Original research plan and original summary of the project (pdf)
• If the composition of the research group has changed since the submission of the original research plan, the new researchers must also submit the following documents:
• Curriculum Vitae
• List of publications
• Degree certificate/certificate of doctoral study right
• Statement by ethical committee (where necessary)

Government grants awarded by the Ministry of Education and Culture may cover at most 95 percent of the total costs incurred from the activities for which the government grant was disbursed or of the actual total costs of the project.

2. General criteria

In accordance with its strategy, the Ministry of Education and Culture aims to contribute to the strengthening of everyone's skills and competences; to the renewal of society through creative, inquiry-based and responsible action; and to securing equal opportunities for a meaningful life. The Ministry’s strategy can be found on website.

Accordingly, in the assessment and comparison of applications, it may be considered an advantage if the activity or project contributes to promoting gender equality, parity, inclusion, mutual respect and sustainable development in line with the Ministry’s promise to take action as described in the strategy.

3. General conditions for awarding discretionary government grants under the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers

The Ministry of Education and Culture may award a discretionary government grant only if the applicant meets the general conditions laid down in the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers. The Ministry gives consideration to the general conditions also when deciding on the magnitude of a grant.
Under section 7, subsection 1 of the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers, a discretionary government grant may be awarded, if:

• the purpose for which the government grant is applied is socially acceptable;
• Awarding the discretionary government grant is justified by the objective of its use.
• Awarding the discretionary government grant is necessary considering other public aid received by the discretionary applicant and the type and extent of the project or activity in question.
• Awarding the discretionary government grant is estimated to cause only minor distortion to competition and the market.

If the discretionary government grant concerns wage costs and the recipient has been sentenced for using unauthorised foreign labour, the discretionary government grant may only be awarded for a particularly weighty reason (section 7, subsection 2 of the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers).

4. Impediments to awarding discretionary government grants

Applicants who have previously received discretionary government grants from the Ministry must ensure that they have submitted the reports on the use of the funds by the set deadline specified in the discretionary government grant decisions. The Ministry will reject applications where applicants have essentially neglected their duty to provide information required for the supervision of the use of discretionary government grants that have been awarded to the applicants in the past.

Late applications will also be rejected.

Discretionary Government grants may only be used for the purpose for which they have been awarded.

Discretionary Government grants awarded by the Ministry of Education and Culture may cover at most the share specified in the discretionary discretionary government grant decision of the total costs incurred from the activities for which the discretionary government grant was disbursed or of the actual total costs of the project. The eligible costs are determined in the discretionary government grant decision and its appendices.

Only costs per each employee that do not exceed the equivalent of an annual salary of EUR 80,000 including statutory indirect labour costs can qualify as eligible costs. Salaries may be paid in the form of wages or fringe benefits.

The recipients of discretionary government grants must have appropriate financial management and administration practices in place.

The recipients must submit a report on the use of the discretionary government grant to the Ministry by the date specified in the discretionary government grant decision.
Cost-centre-based financial reporting is required of the discretionary discretionary government grant recipient if the government grant awarded is a special grant or a general grant intended for a specific part of activities.

The Ministry of Education and Culture has the right to conduct audits of discretionary government grant recipients’ finances and operations that are necessary for the payment of discretionary government grants and supervision of their use (section 16 of the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers).

Discretionary Government grant recipients must check whether they have the duty to comply with procurement legislation and, if so, then act accordingly. A recipient other than a state authority or local authority or a religious community may also have the duty to arrange competitive tendering of their procurements in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts.

• If a discretionary government grant recipient meets the attributes of an institution governed by public law (for example, if more than half of its funding comes from a public source), the government grant recipient must comply with the Public Procurement Act in all procurement processes.
• If a discretionary government grant amounting to more than 50% of the value of a specific procurement is awarded to the recipient, the recipient must comply with the Public Procurement Act in the procurement process.
  (Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts 1397/2016).

The Ministry of Education and Culture has outlined that discretionary government grant recipients must invite tenders from more than one supplier in such procurement of goods and services whose value is below the national threshold value but exceeds EUR 20,000 exclusive of VAT.

Other terms and conditions also apply to how discretionary government grants may be used. For the full list of terms and conditions applicable to discretionary government grants, visit on website. (in Finnish)

A grant recipient must provide the Ministry with a report on the use of the discretionary government grant by the date specified in the grant decision. The reporting obligation covers both financial reporting and performance reporting. Cost centre based financial reporting is required of the grant recipient if the grant awarded is a special grant or a general grant intended for a specific part of the activities.

Reports concerning discretionary government transfers applied for and granted in the e-service must likewise be submitted through the Ministry of Education and Culture’s e-service.

Reports concerning discretionary government transfers applied for on paper are submitted using a separate form.