Cultural Grants of the Saami Council

The Saami Council has distributed the 2026 cultural grants

The Saami Council has distributed the 2026 cultural grants. A total of NOK 1,590,000 in cultural grants was distributed, and applications totaling NOK 9,079,907 were received. The 2027 application period will open in late spring 2026.

Dalán Grant

In addition to the annual grants, you can apply for a Dalán grant from the Saami Council, which was created to support the Sámi arts and culture sector in unexpected, urgent, and time-limited events. The maximum amount of a Dalán grant is 20,000 NOK. The Dalán grant is not distributed for investments or activities that have already been completed. Read the rules for the Dalán grant here. The next Dalán grant application period will open in spring 2026.

What are the Saami Council's annual cultural grants?

The Saami Council annually distributes cultural grants to the Sámi arts and culture sector. The annual grants include project, travel, and working grants. The Saami Council's cultural grants are funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The purpose of the Saami Council's cultural grants

The purpose of the cultural grants is to support, revitalize, and promote traditional and modern Sámi culture across national borders. The grants are intended to strengthen Sámi cultural life and cooperation, and to provide an opportunity for Sámi groups, associations, and individuals to apply for cultural grants.

Who can apply

Individual Sámi, Sámi groups, and Sámi associations can apply for cultural grants. Cultural grant is not granted to states, municipalities, parishes, or state-funded media. Applications from members and deputy members of the Cultural Committee will not be processed. Support will not be granted to applicants who have not submitted an acceptable final report on old grants. An old grant means a project or scholarship that must have been reported on more than two years ago.

What can you apply for a grant for

A cultural grant can be a project grant, a working grant, or a non-study grant.

The purpose of a project grant is to support cultural cooperation across national borders. The grant is primarily awarded for activities that reach at least two countries where the Sámi people live.

The purpose of a working grant is to support active cultural actors.

The purpose of a travel grant is to support active cultural actors and enable them to visit places where they can promote their artistry and be inspired. Travel grants are mainly awarded for trips to other indigenous peoples.

Application

Project grant and travel scholarship applications must include:

Budget. The applicant must state whether other grants have been applied for and awarded for the project, or whether grants are also being sought elsewhere.
Financial plan
Description of the project content
Work plan
Schedule and possible travel plan
Images, audio recordings, writings, or other materials that explain the project's content or results.

The application for a working grant must include:

Introductory text about the applicant and artist CV
Description of the content and goals of the work
Schedule
Images, recordings, writings, or other materials that describe the content and results of the work
The applicant must state if he/she has applied for or received a working grant from elsewhere

The grant is not awarded for the following activities

already implemented activities
as an operating grant for associations
for regular activities and general administrative expenses
for investments
for school operations or the production of educational materials
for sports activities
for students' school attendance

How to pay the grant

Cultural grants must be ordered for payment within six months of the award letter date. If the applicant has not ordered the grant within the specified time, the grant will be lost. The Saami Council Secretariat will pay the awarded cultural grant in accordance with the order. The grant will be paid in two parts. The first part is 85%, and it is paid at the beginning of the project. The second part is 15%, and it is paid when the Saami Council has approved the project's financial statement and report.

1. Order Form

2. De minimis Form

Visibility

Applicants must highlight the name and logo of the Saami Council to indicate that the Saami Council has funded the project, trip, or work.

The report must include:

An activity report, which shows the results of the activities in relation to the plan.
A financial statement, which must present the total costs and income in a way that they are itemized according to the budget applied for. Expenses do not need to be presented in the work scholarship statement. The Saami Council does not support projects with a surplus.
Receipts or copies thereof must be attached to the financial statement, unless they are included in the audit. If all the money has not been used in accordance with the plan, the excess must be repaid to the Saami Council.
The grant may be canceled if its use is not reported within the deadline.
The report must present the results of the projects, for example, in the form of images, audio files, videos, or other similar materials. The Saami Council may publish these on social media and in its reports.

Reporting on the working scholarship

The working scholarship period lasts one year, from January to December. The working scholarship must be reported no later than 3 months after the working scholarship period ends.

The report must include:

An activity report that reports on the results of the work in relation to the plan.
The grant may be lost if its use is not reported within the deadline.

The report must present the project results as images, audio files, videos, or other similar materials. The Saami Council may publish these on social media and in its reports.

If a project, trip, or work changes or is delayed

If a project, trip, or work is delayed or changes significantly, the changes, including any new information, must be notified to the Saami Council as soon as possible and approved.