Criteria: What type of ideas can be proposed in participatory budgeting?

Criteria: What type of ideas can be proposed in participatory budgeting? ​

The ideas may be connected to any of the City’s operations. Funds may be spent on the City’s services, procurement and investments. Alternatively, you can propose something completely new that could be included in the City’s services or operations.

The participatory budgeting ideas and proposals must meet the following criteria:

• They must comply with Finnish law and the City of Helsinki’s values and strategy.
• They must be within the City’s powers to implement.  
• Permanent staff cannot be hired through participatory budgeting. Participatory budgeting is intended to fund fixed-term services and operations.
• They may not contradict an existing zoning plan or the City’s other decisions that are in effect.
• Participatory budgeting may not be used to apply for a grant for a party external to the City of Helsinki, such as an organisation or a company.
• The cost of an individual proposal may not exceed half (50%) of the total funds allocated to the district in question.
• The cost of an individual proposal must be no less that €35,000.

Criteria examples:

o  Operations of the police, the TE Services, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, private companies and similar parties, as well as plots and street areas owned by these, fall outside of the City’s powers. Likewise, joint municipal authorities and the City of Helsinki’s subsidiary communities and commercial enterprises (e.g. HSL, HKL, Helsingin kaupungin asunnot Oy and Helen Oy) are excluded from OmaStadi.

o  Organisations, associations, communities and businesses may not apply for funding from participatory budgeting for their operations. The City will hire contractors in accordance with legislation that governs tendering.

o  The City will be in charge of implementing the proposals selected through voting. However, implementation may be carried out in collaboration with communities, businesses and residents.

o  If funding has already been allocated to a proposal in the City’s budget, the proposal will not be included in the voting.

What if my idea does not meet the criteria?

You can submit your idea even if you are not sure whether it matches all the criteria or how much its implementation would cost. The City will review all the ideas submitted. Ideas that meet the criteria will proceed to the co-creation phase. If your idea does not meet the OmaStadi criteria, it will not proceed to the co-creation phase of the participatory budgeting, and you will be notified of this decision and the reasons behind it.