Mansen Massit Community Grant is a success – over one hundred applicants were inspired by Community Grant

– The Mansen Massit Community Grant is a new form of city grant that will be piloted this year. The city has a wide range of grants available, but there was no grant that was clearly suited to supporting residents' and associations' own community-building activities. The Mansen Massit Community Grant was developed to meet this need, says planning officer Lotta Harsunen.

The first application period for the Mansen Massit Community Grant closed at the end of April. More than 100 applications were received.

The pilot has already proved to be a success.

– The applications include a wide range of interesting and diverse activities. The pool of applicants has also become more diverse, with many first-time applicants in addition to the more experienced applicants. We also received several applications in English, says Harsunen.

An exciting vote ahead

The recipients of the Mansen Massit Community Grant will be decided by vote. This way, the money goes to exactly the kind of activities that the people of Tampere want.

Voting will take place on the city's website from 20 May to 2 June 2024. All Tampere residents, regardless of their age, are entitled to vote. Voting is also possible in some of the largest libraries.

– The vote will be exciting, as the money needed is much higher than the Mansen Massit money available. The applications totalled around €400 000, and there is only €140 000 of Community Grant available, says Lotta Harsunen.

Anyone who has applied for the Mansen Massit Community Grant should prepare for the voting that is about to take place. You should actively promote your idea and encourage others to vote for your proposal.

– Applications will be divided into three categories according to the scale of the activity and the amount of money requested. Voting will take place by category. The proposals with the highest number of votes in each category will receive Community Grant, explains planning officer Harsunen.

The people of Tampere will be able to enjoy the activities funded by the Mansen Massit Community Grant from next summer until September 2025.