Grants for the management of building heritage

By managing and repairing our buildings and yards, we convey our building heritage and cultural history to the next generations. Maintenance and repair of the building stock are also ecologically sustainable activities which studies have proved to reduce our carbon footprint.

Buildings are like antiques whose value is based on age/history, originality and traditional craftsmanship. The historical authenticity of a building can never be replaced by a new building, even if it is built to look completely identical. The replacement of building elements changes the appearance of the building even if the measures in the plans and drawings appear to be minor. The profile, sawing and planing surface or even the wooden material of the covering board affect the end result. In other words, it is recommended to save any old and good quality wall boards or window frames and repair only the part that requires repairs. This is how repairs were done before.

Vanha punamultamaalilla maalattu hirsirakennus, jossa koristeellisesti kaiverretut puiset pariovet.

The maintenance grant for building heritage granted by the ELY Centre supports renovation measures that preserve the Finnish building heritage and cultural environment for subsequent generations.  The aim is also to strengthen the sustainable development of the construction sector in renovation construction and carbon-neutral solutions.  In addition, the assistance is used to maintain traditional renovation skills and manual skills while respecting traditional working methods and original construction materials. Care assistance can also be used to support conservation planning.

You can also contact our experts when you need advice on how to repair or plan the repairs of building heritage.

What types of sites can receive funding?

 

Vanha tuulimylly.

We allocate grants for renovations that aim to preserve the cultural historical values of a site.  The award criteria are case-specific. Examples of suitable sites include:

  • Listed buildings (primarily buildings protected by planning regulations), 
  • Sites belonging to a built cultural environment or a valuable landscape of national and regional significance that support the special features of the region.

Grants may also be granted for sites of other cultural historical or local importance.

Further information on national regions:

If the building has been listed by a separate protection decision or requires special expertise in restoration or conserving, for example, indoors, we recommend applying for a grant primarily from the Finnish Heritage Agency.

Which measures can receive grants?

You can apply for a grant for repairs that promote the preservation of the building. These include repairs to the roof, external walls, foundations, windows, doors or fireplaces. The grant can also be applied for the renovation of other buildings or other immediate surroundings located in the building yard, as well as for other measures promoting maintenance, protection and improvement as well as for renovation planning.

Who can apply for a grant?

Grants can be applied for by private owners of buildings, organisations promoting the management of building heritage, municipalities and joint municipal authorities.

How and when can you apply for a grant?

The application period for grants is from October to November each year. We will report the exact application periods on the ELY Centre's website annually at the latest at the start of the application process. The Ministry of the Environment will distribute the appropriations to the ELY Centres during the next spring, after which we will process the applications as quickly as possible. Grant decisions or information on the decision are sent to the email address provided by the applicant.

Outside the application period, you can also contact the experts of the ELY Centre and the responsible museums and ask for advice on the renovation and planning of the building heritage. You can initially start planning a repair project before the application period begins.

Submit the application to the ELY Centre in whose area the site is located. The exception is Satakunta, where applications are submitted to the ELY Centre for Southwest Finland, and Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia, where the delivery address is the ELY Centre for Southern Ostrobothnia.

Complete and submit the application form electronically. If you cannot use e-services, you can print out the application form or request it from the ELY Centre's offices.

Puistomaisessa ympäristössä sijaitseva harjakattoinen, graffiteilla töhritty tiilirakennus, jonka ympärillä on rakennustelineet.

Conditions for receiving the grant

Please note the following grant conditions when renovating the building:

  • The renovation shall preserve the characteristic and historical characteristics of the building and the area.
  • Unnecessary replacement of building elements shall be avoided. The changes made during the renovation shall be as minor as possible.
  • The use of the building must adapt to the historical nature of the building.
  • The work must be carried out in accordance with the construction time of the building and with traditional construction materials suitable for the building. Imitation materials are not accepted.
  • The grant must be applied for before the repair or refurbishment project begins. The project is considered to have begun when, for example, a contract or purchase order has been made on the project, or a procurement has been delivered or paid for.

The grant decision indicates the purpose and terms of the grant. Only expenditure in accordance with the grant decision and its terms and conditions is eligible expenditure. 

You can find information on good repair methods, building parts and materials and the characteristics of building heritage on the kulttuuriymparistomme.fi website (in Finnish and Swedish). The Finnish Heritage Agency's website at korjaustaito.fi (in Finnish) provides instructions for renovators of buildings of cultural historical value. You can also ask for advice from museums and municipal building supervision.

Where the grants are not awarded

Please note that no grants will be awarded for the following activities or targets:

  • Moving a building
  • Increasing comfort (e.g. installing water pipes, plumbing, electrifying), temporary measures or annual repairs
  • Sites for which state or church assistance is primarily available through other means
  • A part of the site (e.g. windows, ceiling or facade) for which a household allowance has been received in the same year. Tax credit cannot be granted in the same year that the grant has been awarded, or in the two following years.

Amount of the grant

The amount of the grant is always considered on a case-by-case basis. We can grant up to 50% of the costs of the measures. In general, grants awarded are clearly smaller in order to be able to award grants to several applicants.

Payment of the grant

 

Suurehko keltainen, peltikattoinen hirsitalo vehmaassa ympäristössä.

We will pay the grant according to actual costs after the work has been carried out on the basis of receipts.

To receive the grant, you must submit a payment application. If you submitted your grant application in the regional administration's e-service, you should also submit your payment application electronically. If you completed the paper application form, print out the payment application form from the suomi.fi e-service portal.

More detailed instructions can be found on the KEHA Centre's website (link below). If you have received a positive grant decision, you will also receive more detailed instructions on the payment application.

If necessary, we will pay the grant in several instalments, but no more than 50% of the actual costs of completed renovations.

Only expenditure incurred after the submission of the grant application is eligible.

For example, materials, paid wages, insurances, renovation plans and rental of scaffoldings and machinery according to receipts are eligible expenses. Personal or voluntary work and personal materials are not eligible expenses. 

The grant must be used within the time limit specified in the grant decision. The maximum period of use is the year in which the grant decision is issued and the following two years.

The Act on Discretionary Government Transfers (688/2001) applies to discretionary government transfers. Grants are special grants as defined in the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers.

Where else can you apply for a grant?

Depending on the destination, you can apply for grants from the following:

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ely-updated 23.02.2024