Grants+

Kone Foundation’s Grants+ programme consists of services designed to support our grantees in their work. Participation in the services is voluntary: if time allows, you are free to take advantage of any part of the support we offer.

Grants+ services are available for grantees during the grant period and 6 months after the last payment.

TRAINING AND PEER MENTORING

We arrange training, based on various themes, and other peer-led learning opportunities for grant recipients. The aim of the training and mentoring is to provide you with tools and support for developing your work, as well as opportunities for networking.

Our peer-mentoring groups offer grantees the chance to receive and to provide each other with mutual support as equal participants in the discussions.

Our communication training provides you with tools and skills to help you communicate about your project.

We announce the range of training courses in our Grants+ newsletters.

As part of the 2023 Grants+ services, we will run a pilot scheme to provide work counselling for projects combining research and art funded by the Foundation. The goal of work counselling is to promote teamwork and well-being in the project and prevent conflict.

FACILITIES: KAMARI (“THE CHAMBER”) & SOFIA HELSINKI

Kamari: a space for grantees

Kone Foundation offers a free-of-charge facility in Helsinki for use by grantees. Kamari (The Chamber) in Ullanlinna is a creative space for project gatherings, discussions and small seminars.

You can reserve the premises for a minimum of one hour and a maximum of one day on weekdays. It’s possible to reserve Kamari max three days per week. Exceptions can be negotiated separately.

Please make a reservation using the booking calendar.

We will confirm your reservation by email within a week or ask for further information.

The facility is located on the fifth floor of a residential building, so the neighbours must always be considered and events should not be too noisy or otherwise inconvenience the other residents.

The premises are not fully accessible: the building has a lift and stairs. Guide and service dogs are welcome in Kamari.

Visitors to the Chamber should observe all the instructions issued by the Foundation and the building’s housing company. The lessor of the space is obliged to handle insurance declarations and any other official notifications.

Details and equipment:

  • a flat measuring approx. 60 mcontaining a room suitable for presentations with a capacity of about 30 people
  • a space that can be easily transformed, with 30 chairs, 5 beanbag chairs and 2 tables
  • ready-to-use, high-quality presentation equipment
  • video projector, audio system and the internet
  • kitchen equipped with basics (mugs, glasses, cutlery and plates for about 30 guests)

Sofia Helsinki facilities

Kone Foundation grant recipients have free access to Sofia Helsinki’s facilities in the centre of Helsinki, by the Senate Square. There are a limited number of day passes available for the coworking facilities. In addition, grantees may book facilities for open speaking events or meetings. Use of the facilities is conditional on grant work being in progress.

Our grantees can utilise the Sofia Helsinki facilities as follows:

  • Working with a day pass in the Sofia Helsinki coworking facilities
  • Organising a meeting or open speaking event

Offer on the use of the facilities is limited. More detailed information and instructions on how to use the facilities are available below.

Sofia Helsinki has barrier-free access when entering from Aleksanterinkatu and Sofiankatu. When arriving from the Sofiankatu entrance, an elevator must be used, for which a key is required. A key can be obtained and signed for at the info desk. Indoors, you can use the elevator for accessible movement between floors.

Instructions for using a day pass

A day pass entitles you to one day’s work in Sofia Helsinki’s public areas during the opening hours.

  • A day pass cannot be booked in advance.
  • There are a limited number of day passes available. The number of day passes per grantee is limited to five per month.
  • When arriving at Sofia, first register at the info desk, where you will sign up for a day pass for that day on a list and receive a guest pass. Sofia’s staff will guide you through the use of the facilities upon your first visit.
  • If you want a tour of the premises during your first visit, book an appointment in advance at info@sofiahelsinki.fi.
  • As a day pass user, you have the opportunity to work in all the public areas at Sofia, in the member facilities and at the undesignated workstations and in the shared area (entire 2nd floor).
  • Access to the premises is from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed on public holidays).
  • During the day, you also have access to telephone booths (max. 2 hrs at a time).
  • You are allowed to have guests in connection with conference room bookings and meetings. If you invite guests, they must also register at the info desk. If a guest comes to work all day, they must purchase their own day pass. A holder of a day pass is responsible for their guests.
  • Other benefits during the day: possible speaking or membership events, free coffee and tea at the member facilities, 20% discount on the restaurant menu and a membership lunch price of €10.90.
  • Membership benefits during the day are personal.
  • The guest pass must be returned to Sofia’s info desk at the end of the day. A fee will be charged for an unreturned guest pass.
  • Printing and use of conference rooms are not included in the day pass benefits.
  • Further information: info@sofiahelsinki.fi.

Instructions for organising speaking events and meetings

  • Facilities for speaking events and meetings must be booked in advance at myynti@sofiahelsinki.fi, and Sofia Helsinki will check the availability of the facilities for the day in question. Reservations can be made no earlier than 2 months prior to an event.
  • There is a limited number of reservations available for speaking events and meetings; 4 per month. The number of reservations per grantee is limited to one per month.
  • Open speaking events can be booked in the Kiseleff Hall from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. It is not possible to reserve the premises for private events.
  • Video projectors and projection screens are available for speaking events, as well as voice amplification with microphones.
  • The technology required needs to be notified in advance.
  • Meeting room reservations apply to cabinets: Aino, Anni and Aurora between 8:00 a.m. and noon or 12:30 and 5:00 p.m.
  • The meeting rooms have a projection screen, flipchart/whiteboard and note-taking equipment.
  • The facilities are provided with the existing furnishings and layout.
  • Any additional services (such as additional technical equipment, catering, space arrangements, cleaning, technician’s services, door services, restaurant staff, producer or other man-hours) are paid for by the grantee.
  • Any catering and other additional services must be booked 14 days before the event or reservation.
  • More information: myynti@sofiahelsinki.fi.

Further information

Sofia Helsinki website

Sofia Helsinki meeting and event facilities, information and photos

Sofia Helsinki coworking facilities, more information on coworking

PROJECT QUESTIONS AND ADVICE

Do you have any questions relating to the progress of your project, resources, reporting or communications?

Our grant specialists organise personal meetings on project-related questions on Zoom or by phone.

Our communications specialists also organise meetings with grantees on communications-related questions.

Meeting times are announced in the event calendar on the Foundation’s website and on the Grants+ newsletter.

NEWSLETTER

Subscribing to our newsletter is the easiest way to keep abreast of the Foundation’s services and events for grantees, as well as other news. As a grantee, you will receive our public newsletter a couple times a year as well as a Grants+ newsletter once a month.

If you are a grantee but haven’t received the newsletter, please email us at koneensaatio@koneensaatio.fi and we will add you on the list.

RESEARCHER RESIDENCIES AT THE SAARI RESIDENCE

Academic researchers and nonfiction authors funded by Kone Foundation can apply to work at the Saari Residence in Mynämäki, Southwest Finland, which is intended for artists and researchers. One apartment-and-workspace unit is reserved for a researcher during the winter. The typical duration of a residency is two months. Here academic research includes artistic research at institutions such as the University of the Arts Helsinki and Aalto University. Unfortunately, artists whose work contains some research elements but is not performed in an academic context do not fall within the scope of residencies intended for researchers; they may apply for residencies during the annual application call.

Participants in research projects supported by Kone Foundation can gather in the Saari manor’s main building for short intensive periods (1–2 weeks). A maximum of eight people can be accommodated. Accommodation is in shared rooms of two persons.

For more information, please contact LEENA KELA, Executive Director of the Saari Residence. You may inquire about residency vacancies for the spring by the end of August and residency places for autumn by the end of February.