Artists from any country or artistic discipline may qualify for the Artist Protection Fund. Applications are reviewed for artistic merit, the quality/potential of the applicant's work, and the severity of the threats that the applicant faces.
In Finland priority is given to the artists hosted by higher education institutions.
In the Artist Protection Fund programme, the IIE provides a grant for up to a year. The Finnish National Agency for Education supports the process in Finland. The hosting institution should be prepared to complement the fellowship support financially or through in-kind contributions.
The scholarship periods are prepared in a close collaboration of the Artist Protection Fund, the Finnish National Agency for Education and the hosting higher education institution. It is crucial to create a hosting environment through which the artist will have opportunities to build their future career on.