Construction of sports facilities

Financial plan for sports facilities

Projects that become eligible for government grants are first listed in a four-year financial plan for facilities for sports and physical activity. Such plans are only drawn up for projects within the remit of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The plans are indicative and are reviewed every year.
Each year, the Ministry of Education and Culture draws up a national financial plan for sports facilities for the next four years. The plans are indicative and applications for government grants are always submitted separately. The financial plan only applies to projects where the cost estimate exceeds EUR 1.2 million (VAT 0%), i.e. projects where the grant decisions fall within the remit of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The threshold value observes the euro sum laid down in the Government Decree (550/2015) in force at the time the financial plan is confirmed.

The annual financial plan serves as a basis for processing and making decisions on the following year's applications for grants for sports facilities.
An amendment to the Act on the Financing of Education and Culture (1705/2009) has been submitted to Parliament. If this amendment is adopted, the financial plan procedure would be revoked. Since this will only be confirmed in connection with the budget session of Parliament, applicants are requested to be prepared to submit a proposal for a financial plan.
 

Government grants for sports facilities

The Ministry of Education and Culture and the Regional State Administrative Agencies allocate grants for projects to build sports facilities and related recreational facilities. Government grants can be awarded for supporting various types projects related to physical activity. Most of the financial aid is granted to projects that serve large groups of users, such as swimming centres, gyms, ice rinks, sports fields and local sports facilities.

In addition to the legislation regulating the matter, the terms of the national budget and the strategic policies of the Ministry of Education and Culture on physical activity and the construction of sports facilities are taken into consideration when processing government grants. The aim is to systematically develop national and local conditions for sports and physical activity. When government grants are considered for the construction of sports facilities, emphasis is placed on sports facilities intended for large user groups and on promoting gender equality, non-discrimination, accessibility and sustainable development.

The Ministry of Education and Culture is the government grant authority for projects where the cost estimate exceeds EUR 1.2 million. The government grant authority for projects with a cost estimate below EUR 1.2 million is the relevant Regional State Administrative Agency. The threshold value observes the euro sum laid down in the Government Decree (550/2015) in force at the time the government grant decision is made.

Government grant applications are submitted electronically to the relevant Regional State Administrative Agency, which organises the projects in order of priority. The Ministry of Education and Culture drafts a national proposal for all the projects within its remit and requests a statement on the proposals from the National Sports Council.

All government grant funding is discretionary. More detailed information on government grants and the size of different grants is available in the application instructions.
 

Research and development

The Ministry of Education and Culture provides funding for research and development projects which aim to improve expertise in the construction of sports facilities and their quality and which promote the safety, accessibility and environmental-friendliness of sports facilities.

Research is conducted by research institutes and higher education institutions in the field. Their findings are taken into account in urban planning and in the development, planning, construction and use of sports facilities.

Publications on the construction of sports facilities

Numerous RT Building Information files, HEVAC Building Services Information files and Infra Information files for the construction of sports facilities have been published in cooperation with Rakennustieto and the Building Information Foundation. 

Guides on the construction of sports facilities are published in the Ministry of Education and Culture publication series on sports facilities by Rakennustieto.

The series includes guides on the planning and construction of swimming centres, ice rinks and various types of sports arenas and pitches and fields as well as guides on universal design (accessibility) for sports facilities.

Lipas - Liikuntapaikat.fi Lipas is a nationwide, public GIS service for Finnish sport sites, routes and recreational areas and sport-related economy.