Funding Your Production
Finland offers multiple ways to help fund your production.
The national production incentive, operated by Business Finland, provides up to a 25% cash rebate on eligible costs. In addition, several Finnish regions and cities offer their own incentives. By combining national and regional support, productions can access rebates of up to 40% of total costs in Finland.
Production Incentive
The Business Finland Audiovisual Production Incentive offers a 25% cash rebate on eligible production costs in Finland. Funding is available for feature films, documentaries, scripted TV drama and animation. Qualifying costs include local expenditure from pre- to post-production.
Applications are accepted on a rolling, first-come-first-served basis. Decisions are made quickly – usually within 40 days – and payments are processed efficiently. On average, funds are transferred within 10 days of report approval, with instalments during production also available.
Before applying, please check that your project meets the required budget and expenditure criteria. The incentive is administered by Business Finland.
Read more about the national production incentive here:
Regional Incentives
Some Finnish cities and regions offer local incentives tied to their specific area. These incentives are based on local expenditure and usually do not require a minimum budget or expenditure threshold. Regional budgets are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Regional incentives can be combined with the national incentive, but each region is independent and follows its own application procedures.
Beyond the regions listed below, many other cities and areas in Finland are eager to support film productions. Financial support or cost reductions – such as discounts on rents, parking or services – can often be negotiated.
Regional incentives are offered by:
- Joensuu region, maximum incentive 25%, operated by East Finland Film Commission
- Kotka region, maximum incentive 20%, operated by South East Finland Film Commission
- City of Oulu, maximum incentive 10%, operated by North Finland Film Commission
- Lapland region, maximum incentive 15%, operated by Municipality of Inari
- Tampere region, maximum incentive 15%, operated by Film Tampere
- Turku region, maximum incentive 12.5%, operated by West Finland Film Commission
- Åland region, maximum incentive 10%, operated by Åland Film Commission
Other Funding
Opportunities
In Finland, there are also other sources for funding. These include:
- Finnish Film Foundation
- IPR VC
- Aurora Studios
- The National Finnish Broadcaster YLE
- Commercial Broadcasters, e.g. MTV3
Let's talk!
If you are interested in learning more about producing your film in Finland, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
You can contact Business Finland experts, regional film commissioners and other local professionals for advice on funding your production – whether through Finnish soft or hard money, or a combination of both.