Grant announcement: Cinema equipment and modernisation support

Application period

The application period ends on April 25, 2022 at 16:00.

The aim of the support

The aim of The Finnish Film Foundation is to promote an extensive and comprehensive range and distribution of films by supporting the broad availability and coverage of domestic films on different distribution channels and platforms, as well as a diverse range of international films in Finland.

The aim of the cinema modernisation and equipment support is to guarantee high-quality and professional cinema operations throughout Finland.

To whom?

Support may be granted to a corporation or association registered in Finland responsible for cinema operations, and to a municipality or federation of municipalities that maintains cinema operations.

For justifiable reasons, support may be granted to a proprietorship (‘toiminimi’) registered in Finland responsible for cinema operations.

When assessing applications, the conditions of professional and regular activity of a cinema and its financial conditions are taken into account.

From a perspective of professional conditions, it is of vital importance that the cinema’s owner controls its programming, building of audience contacts, marketing and financial management. From a perspective of financial conditions, it is of vital importance that the cinema’s owner has the necessary share of self-financing to fund the projects.

A prerequisite for the granting of support is that, in a year, the cinema to be supported is used at least 80% for cultural purposes in terms of time or its space capacity.

For what purpose and how much?

Support may be granted for the technical equipment procurements of cinemas, for the refurbishment of screening and audience facilities and for projects promoting cinema accessibility for different groups of disabled people. Projects furthering the energy-saving of cinemas and other Green Screen projects are also eligible for support.

Support may be granted for the costs of establishing a cinema and for equipment procurements (satellite connection, improvement of broadband connection, etc.), which enable the presentation of other cultural programme (e.g. event cinema) in addition to films.

The amount of support

Cinema modernisation and equipment support may be granted up to a maximum of 200,000 euros and up to 70% of the costs approved by the Foundation.

The budget accounts for the project expenses without VAT. If the grant recipient does not have the right to VAT deductions, the costs may be approved with VAT.

Previous support decisions can be viewed on the Foundation’s support decisions page.

How to apply?

Development support is applied for by submitting an application in the application system before the deadline given in the grant announcement.

The application consist of:

1. an application form
2. the application’s appendices
3. the applicant’s appendices

Prior to submitting an application, you must carefully read the relevant support guide.

Appendices

The applicant must submit the following appendices to the online application system by the final deadline:

• Finnish Film Foundation’s application form
• offers for procurements, at least two for each procurement of at least 20,000 euros (excluding VAT)
• cinema operating plan
• cost estimate and financial plan
• cinema’s lease agreement or other clarification of the ownership or management of the facilities
• other funding agreements

Application forms can be found on the Foundation’s website:

Forms

Applicant’s appendices:

• The most recently prepared financial statement approved and signed by an auditor, including:
  – all parts of the financial statement
  – auditor’s report (if the applicant is obliged to elect an auditor pursuant to the Limited Liability Companies Act and Auditing Act)
• a valid extract from the Trade Register or Association Register no older than six months
• a certificate of paid taxes no older than three months
• a certificate of paid pension insurance premiums no older than three months
• a current shareholders’ register (Limited Liability Companies Act, Chapter 3). The shareholders register is delivered only once and updated if changes in ownership occur.

PLEASE NOTE! There are separate sections in the application system for application appendices and applicant’s appendices. All appendices must be uploaded to the correct section as indicated above.

PLEASE NOTE! If it is not possible to submit certain appendices, an explanation of the missing appendices must be made and appended to the application. Acceptable deficiencies include, for example, the extract from the trade register if the applicant does not belong to the trade register.

All documents that require a signature can be signed using an electronic signature.

How are the applications evaluated?

Cinema modernisation and equipment support is discretionary. Granting the support is based on overall evaluation and comparison of the applications.

The following guidelines, among others, are used to evaluate the applications.

Project feasibility and significance are taken into account. In addition, the applicant’s professional and financial means to complete the project and the funds available from the film foundation are evaluated. Other funding and self-financing of the project are viewed as an advantage.

When granting support, it is also assessed whether the cinema has the prerequisites for continuing operations in the locality, and whether its screening operations are professional and regular throughout the year.

Support is primarily granted for technical equipment procurement and the refurbishment of screening and audience facilities of cinemas in small- and medium-sized municipalities.

Special conditions

A prerequisite for receiving support is that the beneficiary has submitted the accurate and up-to-date information required to maintain film statistics. Another prerequisite for receiving support is that the applicant has submitted up-to-date information to the Foundation about its cinemas.

A prerequisite for a favourable support decision is, for example, that the applicant has complied with possible previous conditions set for the granting of support, and has submitted to the Foundation the outstanding final reports on support previously granted. If the applicant has several projects in a support relationship to the foundation, in this context these can be viewed as a single entity.

For the purposes of making a decision, the Foundation may ask the applicant to supplement material that they previously submitted to the foundation.

A prerequisite for a favourable support decision is that an offer has been requested for all procurements of at least 20,000 euros plus VAT from more than one supplier of goods or services. These offers must be enclosed with the application. The costs of a project that receives support must be booked to its own cost centre in the applicant’s bookkeeping. The recipient must adequately and appropriately insure the assets bought with the support.

Support cannot be granted if the application is insufficient and the required information is not uploaded into the online application system despite requests to do so. Applications submitted after the end of the application period will be processed in the following application round.

Decisions

The Finnish Film Foundation’s Board decides on the support based on the CEO’s presentation.

Applicants receive a written notification.

Decisions are announced on week 23.

The decision is based on the Act on the Government’s Support for the Promotion of Film Culture (1174/2018), the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers (688/2001) and the Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003).

Payment of support

Cinema equipment and modernisation support is paid to the recipient’s Finnish bank account in two instalments: the first instalment (80%) after the support decision has been made and the second instalment (20%) after the final report for the support has been approved by the Foundation.

Further information

Exhibition and Distribution Specialist Ilmari Arnkil, ilmari.arnkil@ses.fi, tel. 09 6220 3035