Instructions for the online grant service

This section includes guidelines for filling out your application using Kone Foundation’s Online Grant Service. Please read these instructions carefully before filling out and submitting your application. Once you are logged in, detailed information about the different sections of the application form can be found behind the “?” symbol.

You can go directly to each section on this page by clicking the titles below. Go back to the top of the page by clicking the black arrow at the bottom right corner.

GETTING STARTED: ONLINE GRANT SERVICE

Apply for a residency spot by submitting your application and attachments using the online grant service. The service is open during the annual application period in March. Applications cannot be submitted after the deadline.

Once you have registered, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address you have provided. Your email address is your username for the application. If you do not receive the confirmation email within a few minutes, please check your junk mail/spam folder.

Only applications submitted during the application period will be considered.

You can choose the language from the top right of the online service’s page (FI / EN, Finnish or English).
You can find detailed information on the different sections of the application form behind the “?” symbol.
Log in using your account information, or, if you are a new applicant, register as a new user.
Create a new application.
Fill in the required information in all sections.
Do not mail or email the application to the Saari Residence or Kone Foundation.
Prepare the application ahead of time. The online service will likely become congested and load slowly as the deadline approaches.
Submit the application before the deadline.
Applications cannot be sent via email or post.

If you have questions regarding your application or problems filling it in, please contact us using the Messages function in the top right corner of the page. We will reply to your message as soon as possible.

Please note: Applications cannot be edited in any way after the deadline, 31 March, 4 p.m. (Finnish time).

After submitting the application, the application status will be marked “Application received” and (within a week after the deadline) will update to “Application under evaluation”.

APPLICATION LANGUAGE

The application form is available in Finnish and English.
We recommend that Finnish-speaking applicants or a group consisting entirely of Finnish speakers submit their applications and attachments in Finnish. If a Finnish-speaking applicant or a group consisting entirely of Finnish speakers submits an application in English, they are requested to write the title and summary in Finnish.

APPLICATION FORM

On the first page, select what you are applying for

The Saari Residence application period

SELECT THE CORRECT RESIDENCY TYPE

It is essential to select the correct residency type (individual or group residency).

Individual applicant or workgroup, individual residency
Workgroup
Organisation with a Finnish business ID

INFORMATION REGARDING THE APPLICANT AND CHOOSING THE INDIVIDUAL RESIDENCY GRANT CLASSIFICATION

Individual residency applicants must fill in the application under their own name. Individuals may apply for residency spots with a work partner in a joint application. The details of both applicants must be included in the same application.

You can apply for the Saari Home Residency if you cannot participate in the on-site residency period because of a reason related to accessibility and equality. These reasons can be such as physical disability, family reasons (e.g., single parent), or the volatile political situation in the country of origin of the applicant.

If the applicant is a workgroup, the group must select a member to be the project leader and submit the application in the project leader’s name. The workgroup can also be given a name, which will be used for communicative purposes, such as on Kone Foundation’s website if the residency place is awarded.

If you’re applying as an organisation with a Finnish business ID, please note that the registration numbers recorded in the Register of Associations are no longer in use. Business IDs have been used since September 2019.

The application should include information on all group members or, at the very least, an assessment of how many people will stay at the Saari Residence at one time. The minimum group size is 3 people, and the maximum is 18 people. We ask that all group members commit to residing and working at the Residence during the period you have been awarded a grant. We need to know the group size so we can organise accommodations for the residencies. One apartment houses 1−3 people; the maximum number of people is 18. Additionally, the application should list the names of the workgroup members who will not attend the residency period in Saari. It is not possible to accommodate group members for short-term visits if they are not working at the Residence. Other members are welcome to visit, but they cannot stay overnight.

If the applicant is an organisation with a business ID, a project leader must be designated. It is the responsibility of the project leader to submit payment requests and to inform the Saari Residence staff of payment schedule arrangements. If there are changes in the contents of the project or the members of the workgroup, the project leader must discuss such details with the Saari Residence staff. Only the project leader may agree on changes and inform us about them.

MONTHLY GRANT CLASSIFICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL RESIDENCIES

The individual residency includes an apartment, a workspace and a monthly grant. The artists work with their own equipment (incl. computers and cameras), and they must purchase their own materials.

Individual residency grant classification:

€2,500 / month (early career)
€3,000 / month (mid-career, min. 10 years of artistic work)
€3,600 / month (experienced, min. 20 years of artistic work).

The size of the monthly grant varies according to the applicant’s experience. If the applicant is applying for a grant in category 2 or 3, they are required to provide details of their experience in their application. The grant classification cannot be justified, e.g., with the need for supplies or travel.

Grant payment requires the recipient to live and work at the Residence.

The grant is intended to cover the cost of living, travel and other necessities. If the applicant commits to travelling by ecologically sustainable means of transport and avoids air travel, they can apply for support for ecological travel expenses in the section “Support for ecological travel and travels from Global South”. Artists arriving from Global South can apply for support for the flights and the fees for visas (processing and possible travel) in the section “Support for ecological travel and travels from Global South”. When applying for support for ecological travel or flights from Global South, include a more detailed breakdown of costs (required) in PDF format in the section “Attachments and Links”.

If the applicant is awarded a residency spot and receives another working grant simultaneously, a reduced monthly grant is paid, which is usually half of the grant sum.

Grants awarded by private foundations, such as Kone Foundation, are exempt from taxes below the limit of the Finnish state grant for artists.

The grant for group residencies will be applied for on page five of the group residency application, Support for group residency.

WORK PARTNER

If the applicant wishes to work at the Saari Residence during the individual residency periods with a work partner, they must apply for the residency using the same application form. Select the section “Applicant is a workgroup of two people” and fill out the required information. The application should mention particular needs for accommodation (such as sharing an apartment or requesting separate apartments).

SAARI HOME RESIDENCY

You can apply for the Saari Home Residency if you cannot participate in the on-site residency period at the Saari Residence because of a reason related to accessibility and equality. These reasons can be such as physical disability, family reasons (e.g., single parent), or the volatile political situation in the country of origin of the applicant. A person working in a home residency participates in the individual residency remotely.

The Saari Home Residency is not an alternative to working at the Saari Residence, but you can either apply for the on-site residence or the Saari Home Residency.

When applying for Saari Home Residency, it is essential to select ‘I work in a home residency’ as a workspace under section 2. Residency. The applicant must also explain why they want to participate in the Saari Home Residency and open their artistic work in the home residency in their work plan in section 8. Attachments and links.

RESIDENCE

FIELDS OF ART AND KEYWORDS

Keywords or fields of art that the project is related to can also be listed on the form. Please add fields or keywords that best describe your project and its themes.

PREFERRED PERIOD OF STAY AND DURATION AT THE SAARI RESIDENCE

In the application form, individual applicants must choose the work period most suitable to their needs. Applicants may opt for more than one choice; choose all suitable periods.
Groups must choose all suitable dates for residency and the length of the residency period.
Specific requests regarding the residency period may be expressed in the “Additional information and wishes” field.

Work periods for the two-month individual residencies are as follows:

Period 1: January to February
Period 2: March to April
Period 3: September to October
Period 4: November to December

Groups may apply to use our facilities for 2–4 weeks between June and mid-August. Periods of one week are awarded only in special cases and are intended for groups, such as translators, who require group work facilities and who work in a seminar setting or something similar, such as a group of translators.

We recommend a longer group residency period for workgroups travelling from afar to reduce environmental impact.

PARTNER AS AN APPLICANT

If your partner is applying for a residency but with a different project, the applications must be done separately but please mention that you are both applying for the same residency period. The application should also state whether the applicant wishes to be accepted even if the partner is not.

During the individual residency, it is possible to receive short-term guests, such as members of a workgroup.

FAMILY AND CHILDREN

The Residence has a limited number of apartments suitable for families, though a residency is primarily for the artists working at the Residence. Also, the remote location of the residency has only a few activities for the children.

If you want to apply for individual residency with your family, please select yes from the ‘I wish to come to the residency with my family/partner’ Also, give more details (who is coming with you, the age of the children coming to the residency, how you are arranging childcare etc.) in the section for additional information. Please also inform us whether you will accept the residency even if we are unable to offer your family a spot. If awarded a residency, the parents are responsible for organising childcare while they work.

If the members of a workgroup have small children (under school age) whose care cannot be organised in other ways during the residency, it should be marked in the application so we can take this into consideration. Daycare arrangements for children are the responsibility of the parents. In such cases, the group must organise bed linens, towels and travel cots for the children. If there is another workgroup working in the Residence at the same time, we will ask for their opinion about having children at the Residence.

You may apply for more than one residency place (individual and group residency) or later in September for a Kone Foundation grant. This must be noted in each application in the section “Other funding”.

WORKSPACES

The applicant must choose the kind of workspace required. For more information about the workspaces, please see Accommodation and workspaces. If you have needs or requests regarding your workspace(s), provide more information in the appropriate section.

In the section “Working at the Residence”, we also request more details about applicants’ working methods to ensure that we can assign workspaces according to the guests’ needs. Artists (and workgroups) are required to acquire all necessary materials themselves.

Please inform us if you are interested in sharing your workspace. Please note! The Saari Residence decides how the facilities are used and distributed. Workspaces in the barn are limited and divided according to priorities. However, each artist or workgroup has their own workspace that they do not need to share.

The applicant should mark on the form and provide information if an apartment and workspace accessible for people with disabilities are needed. One of the apartments has been renovated to be handicap accessible. It includes a kitchen, a handicap-accessible toilet and three rooms. This spacious apartment is on the first floor and can be accessed with an easy-access elevator. Further improvements will be made to the workspaces in the barn in the coming years.

Please contact us to discuss any special requirements you may have. We will do our best to accommodate you in any way possible.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND MOTIVATION

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Fill in the working title.

In the summary (max. 2,000 characters), please provide a short description of the main content of your project, methods of implementing the work, and timetable. There is also a section for applicants to present their artistic thinking briefly. You must also provide a more detailed work plan as an attachment.

The summary is important for the evaluation of the application. Kone Foundation uses the summary for communicative purposes, such as on its website if a residency is awarded. In addition to the summary, the applicant must attach a separate work proposal to the application.

If you combine art and academic research in your artistic practice, please state such in your work plan.

MOTIVATION

The application form for individual artists includes the following questions regarding the applicant’s motivation and interests:

What are your reasons for wanting to work and stay at the Saari Residence? (Also asked in the group residency form.)
What are your interests outside of your work?
What sorts of ideas and expertise do you wish to share with the other residents, and what do you hope to receive from them?
What sorts of themes would you like to see in the group workshops and the Saari Well?

It is important to consider these questions carefully. Your answers may be central in deciding which artists will work at the Saari Residence at the same time.

GROUP RESIDENCY GRANTS (GROUP RESIDENCY APPLICATION ONLY)

Groups can apply for working grants for the duration of the residency period. The residency includes accommodations, workspace(s) and a working grant for each member of the workgroup. Residency grants for groups are based on the number of persons and the plan proposed in the application.

We do not grant group residencies support for materials, flights from Global North (or other means of transportation that are not ecologically sustainable) or daily allowance or salaries.

In your application, please provide a detailed attachment of costs for the residency grant for the group.

Please calculate the grants you are applying for based on the number of residency weeks and group members.

Each member of a group working in the Residence is awarded a grant to cover their living costs, and this grant is awarded according to the number of weeks they spend at the Residence. The grant for each workgroup member residing in the Saari Residence is €750 / week.

The grants for workgroups

1 week €750 € / person
2 weeks €1,500 / person
3 weeks €2,250 / person
4 weeks €3,000 / person

We ask that all group members commit to residing and working at the Residence during the period for which you have been awarded a grant.

The awarded sum may differ from the sum applied for, because the residency is not necessarily granted for the duration it was applied for, or there may be some other change that affects the sum. The sum to be awarded and the duration of the residency are detailed in the decision sent to residency grantees.

The accountable project leader agrees on all payment details with the Foundation and the group members. If the grant is to be paid to a legal entity with a business ID, the payment request must include the identification number, reference number and the organisation’s contact details.

SUPPORT FOR ECOLOGICAL TRAVEL AND TRAVELS FROM GLOBAL SOUTH

We encourage groups to apply for a longer residency period and support for ecological travel. This makes it possible to apply for a work grant for a journey by land or sea when it lasts longer than a week.

As part of the Saari Residence’s social sustainability, accessibility and diversity, workgroups arriving from Global South can apply for support for the flights. See the list of the countries considered as part of the Global South from here. Global South refers to Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia (excluding Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore).

Support for travels from Global South

“The phrase “Global South” refers broadly to the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. It is one of a family of terms, including “Third World” and “Periphery,” that denote regions outside Europe and North America, mostly (though not all) low-income and often politically or culturally marginalized. The use of the phrase Global South marks a shift from a central focus on development or cultural difference toward an emphasis on geopolitical relations of power. … The term Global South … references an entire history of colonialism, neo-imperialism, and differential economic and social change through which large inequalities in living standards, life expectancy, and access to resources are maintained.” (The Global South by Nour Dados and Raewyn Connell, Sage Publishing 2012)

If the residency place is awarded, you are responsible for making your own travel arrangements to the Saari. If you come outside the Schengen states, you will need a visa to visit Finland. Please read more from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ webpage.

On the form, you should also list the journeys from Global South you expect to take to arrive at the Residence. Include a more detailed breakdown of costs (required) in PDF format in the section “Attachments and Links”.

Example of breakdown of cost Global South (individual residency)

Example of breakdown of costs Global South (group residency)

Support for Ecological Travel

Ecological travel refers to ecologically sustainable means of transport and avoidance of air travel. You can apply for support for ecological travel if you are coming to the Saari Residence from outside of Finland and travelling out of Finland when leaving. If the journey takes more than a week, it is possible to apply for a slow travel work grant; if you do so, please explain how you will be working while travelling.

We do not subsidise journeys by land within the borders of Finland unless the journey starts outside the Finnish borders. The breakdown of costs attached to the application should provide a realistic and accurate estimation of costs.

When preparing your itinerary, you may use online services like EcoPassenger to compare the energy consumption, CO2 emissions and other environmental impacts of planes, cars and trains. We recommend the Deutsche Bahn application when planning train journeys in Europe. Also, websites like Rome2Rio and The Man in seat 61 have many tips. If you use a ferry from Stockholm to Turku, we endorse choosing the overnight ferry Viking Line Grace or Viking Line Glory. You can read more about ecological travel on our website.

It is possible to apply for funding for overnight stays in affordable accommodations if necessary. Support for ecological travel is awarded to the recipients and not, e.g., to family members.

Please select a cost category based on your travel plan. The level of support for ecological travel and living does not depend on the working grant category. Select a cost category based on your travel costs. We will review the ecological travel support before the residency period if the residency place is awarded.

Please explain how and according to what schedule you would be prepared to arrive at the Saari Residence from outside of Finland and, when leaving the Residence, taking the most direct route possible. If you are applying for support for ecological travel with your work partner, please do so at the same time. If you are applying for a slow/ecological travel grant for more than one person (i.e., a group), please explain the travel plan of each person applying for support.

If the journey takes more than a week in total, the work grant for the individual residency is calculated according to the following grant classification: 1 week is 25% of the full grant, 2 weeks 50%, and 3 weeks 75% etc.

Workgroups can apply according to the second grant classification: 1 week is €750 € / person, 2 weeks €1,500 / person etc.

In the application, please provide a short itinerary, and also attach a more detailed itinerary with a breakdown of costs on page 8, “Attachments and Links”.

Example of itinerary with a breakdown of costs (individual residency)

Example of breakdown of costs and itinerary (group residency)

Applicants must immediately inform the Saari Residence staff if they receive travel funding from any other source.

FUNDING FROM OTHER SOURCES

Applicants must list on the application form all working grants received during the preceding three years and any applications pending at the time of applying for Kone Foundation funding. Groups must list grants and funding they’ve received for the workgroup and pending applications for the same project – but not grants received by or pending for the individual members of the group.

Applicants must immediately inform the Saari Residence staff if they receive funding from any other source during Kone Foundation’s application and processing period. If an individual residency recipient simultaneously receives some other grant to support their work, a reduced monthly grant is paid (usually half of the grant sum).

If an applicant is granted Kone Foundation residency funding without informing us of successful grant decisions from other sources, the Kone Foundation decision may be repealed.

Let us also know if you are applying for more than one grant from the Saari Residence at the same time. In such cases, please name the application or project.

Please let us also know if you have worked at the Saari Residence before. If you have, provide more details about your stay under “Additional details”. Your answers do not affect the evaluation of your application.

We wish to know where you heard about the Saari Residence.

If you are applying for an individual residency, please list the residencies you have attended during the last 5 years (each residency listed on its own line: name of residency, year and country).

SELECTING THE EVALUATOR

You must select which artistic field you want the evaluator assessing your application to represent (first choice). Please check the separate guidelines for Selecting the evaluator of the application. A maximum of two selections can be made, but it is worth noting that your first choice of expert will generally be the one assessing the application.

ATTACHMENTS AND LINKS

Before submitting your application, check which attachments are required for your application. See the section Description of the attachments.

REFERENCES

Please read the section Appending a reference to the application for more information.

PROXIMITY TO THE FOUNDATION

According to the Foundations Act, all foundations are required to provide information about their related party transactions. The act has a broad definition of a related party of a foundation. Please note that related parties may apply for funding from Kone Foundation. Foundations are required to disclose if they award funding to persons within the “narrow” definition of a related party. The executives of the Foundation cannot participate in the processing of applications from related parties in the broad sense. For these reasons, all grant applicants will be asked about their relationships to key Foundation personnel.

The question is based on the new Foundations Act, in place from 1 December 2015 onwards.

FEEDBACK

We ask our applicants for feedback. Your feedback does not affect the evaluation of your application.

SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION

The application must be submitted by the deadline, 31 March, 16:00 (Finnish time).

Please note: applications cannot be edited in any way after the deadline.

If you wish to edit your application after submitting it before the deadline, please choose “Cancel application”. Cancelling does not clear your application data. After editing the application, resubmit the application.

Once you have submitted the application, its status will be marked “Application received”, and within a week of the deadline it will be updated to “Application under evaluation”.

Only applications submitted via the online service will be considered.

Applicants must agree to the description of the processing of personal data and other conditions mentioned in our Privacy Policy Statement.

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