Starttiraha Start-up Grant

The start-up grant (Starttiraha) is a discretionary personal subsidy granted to new entrepreneurs. The purpose of the subsidy is to secure the personal livelihood of a person becoming a full-time entrepreneur during a period when their customer base has not yet been established.

• The amount corresponds to Kela’s basic daily allowance, i.e., approximately 740 euros per month; the amount is not affected by, for example, child allowance, housing allowance, or income support.
• During the start-up grant period, it is appropriate to work as a full-time entrepreneur in the tasks and industry for which the start-up grant was granted. If the start-up grant recipient has income unrelated to business activities during the grant period or has received other public support for their salary costs, the amount of income will be deducted from the start-up grant.
• Payments are made retroactively on a monthly basis for a maximum of five working days per week.
• The start-up grant is initially granted for six months. During this period, you must apply for an extension for a second six-month period. Be sure to apply for the extension on time, as late extension applications cannot be processed.
• The start-up grant is taxable income.

You cannot start a full-time business until you have submitted your start-up grant application through the Job Market Finland service.

You may be eligible for the start-up grant if you meet the following criteria:

1. You are unemployed or transitioning from, for example, salaried employment, homemaking, studies, or part-time entrepreneurship to full-time entrepreneurship.
2. You have sufficient skills for business operations or a plan to acquire them: education, work experience, and skills.
3. The prerequisites for establishing a business, starting business operations, and ensuring profitability are in place. For example, financing, business premises, and permits have been arranged.
4. The future business operations will be full-time and ongoing.
5. The business operations will be conducted in Finland.
6. You have submitted a start-up grant application before starting full-time entrepreneurship.

All business forms and sectors are eligible; we pay attention to the competitive situation. Applying for a start-up grant does not require registering as a job seeker.

• If you were already operating as a full-time entrepreneur before submitting your startup grant application via the Job Market Finland service
• Your livelihood is secured by other income or benefits equal to or greater than the amount of the startup grant.
• If your business activities provide you with a reasonable livelihood.
• You have tax debts or payment default records; your credit history will be checked. The grant is discretionary if the debts have been paid or an agreement on payment has been reached with the creditors.
• The startup grant is considered to distort competition among companies offering the same products or services to a greater extent than a minor degree.

Submit your start-up grant application before starting your full-time business. We recommend that you submit your application about 1–2 months before the planned start date of your full-time business.

Submit your startup grant application before establishing your business!

1. If you are unemployed, contact your personal coach.
2. Read through the start-up guide for starting a business (link to an external service).
3. Create a preliminary business plan and financial projections (funding, profitability, and sales projections). You can use the tools available on the BusinessOulu pages, for example.
4. If necessary, schedule an appointment for business counselling. If your municipality of residence is Oulu, Hailuoto, Tyrnävä, Muhos, Utajärvi, Vaala, or Posio, schedule an appointment with the Oulu Enterprise Agency. If you live in Oulu, you can also contact BusinessOulu’s business services.

In other municipalities within the Oulu employment district – Ii, Kempele, Liminka, Lumijoki, Pudasjärvi – please contact your local business advisor.

Business advisory services are free of charge. You can get support for business planning, financial projections, and starting a business. A carefully prepared business plan and financial projections, finalised together with a business advisor, often significantly improve your chances of securing the start-up grant and other financing.

1. Finalise the business plan and financial projections after the business consultation and gather any other required documents for your start-up grant application before submitting it. Also, secure business financing.
2. If you need a business ID before actually starting your business operations (e.g., a loan commitment from a bank, registration in the Soteri service provider registry, ordering production equipment, a lease agreement), please contact BusinessOulu’s start-up grant administrators.

Fill out a start-up grant application primarily at the E-services for personal customers on Job Market Finland (link to external service) by logging in with a Suomi.fi account. After logging in, you can fill out the online start-up grant application form. Please fill out the application carefully.

Upload the necessary attachments before submitting the application:

• Business plan, e.g. YT2
• Financial plan, e.g. YT4
• Tax debt certificate, you can order an electronic certificate at Omavero

Depending on your business idea and cisrcumstances, you can also attach copies of these:

• Proof of securing the necessary financing for business operations
• Up-to-date resume
• Cooperation agreements (a preliminary agreement is sufficient)
• Lease agreement for business premises (a preliminary agreement is sufficient)
• Required permits and notifications related to starting a business
• Debt repayment plan, if you have civil payment defaults or tax debt

While processing your start-up grant application, we may also ask you to provide additional attachments and information, depending on your business idea and circumstances.

If you wish, you can start your full-time business operations after submitting your startup grant application. We will contact you when your application is up for review.

If you do not have the online banking credentials, mobile authentication, or EU identification means (eIDAS) required for online services, please contact starttiraha@businessoulu.com.

You may only engage in the specific tasks and business sector for which the start-up grant was awarded. For example, if the start-up grant was awarded for the retail sector, you may not operate as an entrepreneur providing transportation services until you have notified the grant provider of the change.

If the start-up grant recipient has income unrelated to business activities during the grant period or has received other public support for their salary costs, the amount of income will be deducted from the start-up grant. Please note that all income unrelated to business operations, such as salaries, vacation pay, mileage allowances, rental income, or other capital gains, will be deducted from the startup grant if paid during the grant period.

If you have any questions about the start-up grant, you can contact BusinessOulu by email: starttiraha@businessoulu.com or by phone.

For help with the online start-up grant application and general questions about the grant, call the Enterprise Finland helpline at 0295 020 500 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information on support and guidance (suomi.fi)

Submit a separate application for start-up grant payments retroactively, one month at a time.

• A monthly payment period can be either a calendar month or another time period specified in the start-up grant decision, e.g., February 16–March 15.
• Submit the payment application no later than two months after the end of the payment period; for example, for the period May 1–May 31, the payment application must be submitted no later than July 31.
• If you do not apply for the grant within the deadline, the payment application will expire and no grant will be paid for that payment period.
• Log in and fill out the payment application at the personal customers’ E-services on Job Market Finland. (Link to an external service.)
• If you cannot use the online service, send the printed and completed form to the address

Business Oulu -liikelaitos 
Työllisyyspalvelut / Maksatus
PL 22
90015 Oulun kaupunki

Payment application for start-up grant: keha20j2_fi_maksatushakemus_starttiraha.docx

The attachments required for the first payment application are:

• A copy of the Trade Register report, if your company is required to file one.
• A copy of the partnership agreement for a general partnership or limited partnership, or the articles of incorporation and bylaws for a corporation.
• Proof of registration in the tax prepayment register, if the company is not required to file a Trade Register report.
• For payments of the start-up grant, you need an updated tax card for a benefit. The City of Oulu, Treasury Office, acts as the payer of the start-up grant. We receive tax cards automatically through the Tax Administration. Without an updated tax card, a withholding tax of at least 25% will be deducted from the start-up grant. The withholding percentage will not be adjusted retroactively.

The City of Oulu pays start-ups grant twice a month. If your payment application is not received by the first payment date of the month, it will automatically be carried over to the next one.