Mansen Massit Community Grants have been awarded – free activities now open to everyone

Mansen Massit is the City of Tampere’s community grant programme, designed to support community-based activities organised by residents themselves. In 2025, communities and private individuals were first invited to develop and submit ideas under the shared theme of a sustainable and smooth everyday life. The city received proposals in September.

In late October and early November, all Tampere residents were invited to vote. A total of 63 proposals were submitted, and each voter had three votes to allocate among them. Based on the results, community grants were awarded to 27 proposals. Now it is time for implementation – and for participation.

– All grant-funded activities and events are listed on the Mansen Massit website. Organisers have also been strongly encouraged to use the City of Tampere’s event calendar, and activities can be found on social media using the hashtag #MansenMassit, says Regional coordinator Jarno Koskinen.

Explore the activities that received Mansen Massit funding in 2025: Recipients of the Mansen Massit Community Grant in 2025.

Voting went smoothly

Despite requiring a bit of effort, the voting process attracted a pleasing number of participants. To vote electronically, voters were required to provide an email address to which a personal voting link was sent. In total, 4,425 people cast their votes.

– Most people voted electronically. We also offered paper voting at eight libraries, as electronic voting is not always easy or even possible for everyone, Koskinen says.

A total of 165 people voted via libraries. Ensuring accessibility across age groups was a key priority, and this was reflected in the results: over 400 voters were under the age of 18, and nearly 450 were aged over 65.

Votes were cast from all parts of the city, and support was distributed evenly across proposals, with every proposal receiving votes.

– Among the grant recipients, there is a strong emphasis on supporting sustainable everyday life, local neighbourhood-based initiatives, as well as activities organised in and around the city centre that are intended for residents across Tampere, Koskinen explains.

Mansen Massit encourages active civic engagement

The maximum community grant awarded to a single proposal was €5,000, but many applicants requested smaller amounts. As a result, the total €100,000 community grant budget was distributed among a relatively large number of recipients. Both communities and private individuals received grants, and activities will take place across different parts of Tampere.

– All recipients invest significant personal time and effort in organising their activities. Community grants are one effective way to encourage active civic engagement among Tampere residents, Koskinen says.

For now, this round represents the latest allocation of Mansen Massit Community Grants. However, Koskinen hopes the city will continue participatory budgeting and Mansen Massit style approaches in the future.

– This is one of the few situations where every resident truly has the right to vote, Koskinen says.

Mansen Massit has now been implemented for two years. During this time, the model has been refined, and key lessons have been documented for future use.