The start-up grant is subject to general and local terms and conditions, which you can find out more about on the Job Market Finland website and from Keski-Suomen Yritysidea’s experts. Companies operating in highly competitive sectors do not usually receive start-up grants.

It is natural to explore the possibility of a start-up grant while planning your business operations with the support of experts from Keski-Suomen Yritysidea, for example. 

The general conditions for the grant are:

• The business must be intended to be full-time and continuous.
• The applicant must have sufficient entrepreneurial skills.
• The applicant must have the ability to operate in the specific field.
• A completed business plan and the business must be assessed as viable.
• The prerequisites for starting the business, such as financing, premises, and permits, must be in place.

The start-up grant is not granted if:

• Full-time business operations have started before the start-up grant decision.
• The applicant is already operating as a full-time entrepreneur.
• The business immediately generates a reasonable income.
• The entrepreneur has unpaid tax debts or payment defaults.

The start-up grant is applied for through the Job Market Finland e-service. The application must be submitted before starting full-time entrepreneurship.

Amount of the start-up grant

The amount of the start-up grant corresponds to the basic daily allowance and it is paid for a maximum of five days a week (approximately €740/month). The start-up grant is granted for periods of six months and for a maximum of one year.

When applying for a start-up grant

1. The start-up grant must be applied for before starting full-time entrepreneurship. Submit your application well in advance of the intended start date to allow time for processing.
2. If your business is just an idea or a draft, first seek to develop your business further with the services of Keski-Suomen Yritysidea.
3. The business plan and profitability calculations must be finalized before submitting the application.
4. Submit the start-up grant application electronically through the Job Market Finland e-service. Logging into the service requires personal bank credentials, a mobile certificate, or a certificate card. If electronic transactions are not possible or you lack strong authentication tools, you can use a printable form.
   
   In the Job Market Finland e-service, you can submit the application, respond to requests for additional information, supplement your application yourself, and receive decisions.
   
   Describe your future business as clearly as possible in the application. Attachments to the application include, for example, business and financing plans. Submit all attachments at once to speed up the processing time (normally 3–4 weeks).
   
   If you need the start-up grant for a period longer than the initial decision, submit a continuation application at least one month before the current start-up grant period ends. The continuation application is submitted in the same way as the initial application.
5. We will contact you once the application is received.

Attachments required for the start-up grant application:

• Business plan
• Profitability calculation
• Tax debt certificate, which is less than 3 months old
• Possible loan promise for external financing
• CV
• Certificate of entrepreneurial training or other proof of entrepreneurial readiness
• Other attachments requested by the expert