Start-up grant
The start-up grant is discretionary support for a new entrepreneur. Its purpose is to secure an entrepreneur’s livelihood at the starting phase of new full-time entrepreneurship when the income generated by the company is still low.
The start-up grant is granted for six months from the time you start as a full-time entrepreneur or expand your part-time business to full time. You may receive an extension to the start-up grant so that the total duration is no more than 12 months.
The start-up grant is equal in amount to a basic unemployment allowance. The start-up grant is paid for five days per calendar week.
The start-up grant is a discretionary support aimed at new entrepreneurs. Its purpose is to support the entrepreneur's livelihood during the early stages of full-time business activity when the income from the business is still minimal.
The start-up grant is granted for six months from the time you begin full-time entrepreneurship or transition from part-time to full-time business. The grant can be extended so that the total duration of the payments does not exceed 12 months.
The start-up grant is the amount of the basic unemployment allowance. It is paid for five days of the calendar week.
Do the following
When planning business operations and applying for a start-up grant, contact the employment authority in your region. Apply for a decision on the start-up grant before starting full-time business. After the decision, you can start your business activities and apply for payment of the start-up grant. You can submit an extension application for the start-up grant if you need support after the time covered by the first decision. Submit the application for an extension to the employment authority in your region during your start-up grant period.
How to apply for a start-up grant and its payment
Apply for a start-up grant and its payment primarily using an electronic form in the e-service. If you cannot use the e-service, use the printable form and submit the form to your employment authority. If you have applied for a start-up grant using a printable form instead of an e-service, use the printable form also to apply for payment.
Log into the e-service with your personal banking IDs, a mobile certificate or a certificate card. Complete the application and attach the required documents. The service’s internal instructions will help you fill in the application. In the e-service, you can submit an application, respond to requests for supplementary information concerning the application, supplement your application and receive decisions concerning your case.
The start-up grant is paid monthly and retrospectively. Apply for the payment of the start-up grant from the employment authority within two months of the end of the payment period.
When planning your business and applying for the start-up grant, contact your local employment authority. Apply for the decision on the start-up grant before you begin full-time business activity. After the decision, you can start your business and apply for the grant payment. If you need support after the first decision period, you can submit a follow-up application. Submit your renewal application to the employment office in your region at least one month before the end of the current start-up grant period.
How to apply for the start-up grant and its payment:
Apply for the start-up grant and its payment primarily using the online form in the e-services. If you cannot use the e-services, use the printable form and submit it to your local employment service. If you have applied for the start-up grant using the printable form instead of the e-services, use the printable form for the payment application as well.
Log in to the e-services using your personal bank ID, mobile certificate, or certificate card. Complete the application and attach the necessary documents. The internal instructions in the service will assist you in filling out the application. In the e-services, you can submit your application, respond to requests for additional information, update your application, and receive decisions related to your case.
The start-up grant is paid monthly in arrears. You should apply to the employment service for payment of the start-up allowance within two months of the end of the payment period.
To whom and on what terms
In order to receive a start-up grant, you must live in Finland and establish your company in Finland. You cannot receive support if you have already started full-time business or expanded your part-time business to full time before the support application has arrived at the employment authority. However, you can apply for an extension included in the maximum duration of the start-up grant.
You can receive a start-up grant to support your entrepreneurship if
- you are an unemployed jobseeker,
- you are not unemployed, but start as a full-time entrepreneur after doing paid work, studying or household work or
- you are a part-time entrepreneur and you expand your business into a full-time business.
The employment authority assesses whether you have sufficient capabilities for running a business and whether the operations meet the prerequisites for a profitable business. You may also be granted other necessary conditions for receiving a start-up grant.
To be eligible for the start-up grant, you must live in Finland and establish your business in Finland. You cannot receive support if you have already started full-time business activity or transitioned from part-time to full-time before a decision on the grant has been made.
You can receive the start-up grant to support your entrepreneurship if:
- you are an unemployed job seeker
- you are not unemployed but are transitioning to full-time entrepreneurship, for example, from salaried work, studies, or domestic work, or
- you are a part-time entrepreneur and expanding your business to full-time.
The employment authority will assess whether you have the necessary skills for business operations and if the business has the potential for profitability. You may also be required to meet other conditions to qualify for the start-up grant.