Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Logo
Logo
Asiakasnäkymä
Kunnat
Updated 27.06.2025

Start-up grant

The start-up grant is a discretionary grant intended for entrepreneurs who are starting out. Its purpose is to support the entrepreneur’s income in the initial phase of their full-time business activities.
Service implementation:
Other service
Life situation and service category:
Interested in entrepreneurship,
Financial support promoting employment,
Setting up a business
Service language:
Finnish
,
Swedish
,
English
Charges:
The service is free of charge

Who is the service for?

The start-up grant is intended for persons launching a business. Registration as a jobseeker client is not a requirement for receiving the start-up grant.

You are eligible for a start-up grant if:

  • you are an unemployed jobseeker
  • you are not unemployed, but you are moving on to entrepreneurship from a paid job, studies or housework
  • you are a part-time entrepreneur and plan to expand your business to full-time entrepreneurship.

If you are still considering whether to become an entrepreneur, see what entrepreneurship training and coaching is available. 

Participant’s municipality of residence:
Municipality of residence does not matter
Age:
All people of working age

How can I participate in the service?

Apply for a start-up grant via Job Market Finland’s E-services for personal customers: E-services – Personal customers – Job Market Finland. The municipality will process your application and decide whether to award you a start-up grant. The municipality also provides advice if you have questions about the start-up grant.

If you are unable to use the E-services, fill in the paper form and submit it to your employment area. You can find links to the forms at the bottom of this page.

Conditions for participating in the service:

The requirements for receiving the grant include things such as the following: 

  • The future business activities are continuous and constitute a full-time job.
  • You are sufficiently well equipped for the industry in question and for entrepreneurship: education, work experience, competence.
  • The necessary conditions exist for establishing the business, making it profitable and launching business activities. For example, you have prepared a business plan, funding, business premises and the required permits.
  • The grant is necessary for your subsistence.
  • The business must operate in and from Finland.
  • From part-time to full-time: you must apply for a start-up grant before expanding your business activities from part-time to full-time. 

You may start full-time business activities once you have submitted the application for a start-up grant to the employment authority. 

Barriers to receiving a start-up grant include things such as the following:

  • Other income, such as a salary, wages, financial aid for students, daily allowance for parents or pensions.
  • Tax debt or payment default entries; we review the applicant’s credit information.
  • The business activities immediately yield a reasonable income, such as when a new entrepreneur takes over an established business and clientele. 

 

Benefits of participating in the service:

The start-up grant safeguards a new entrepreneur’s income during the start-up and consolidation phase.

Participating in the service requires your consent to the disclosure of your personal data.

How is the service organised?

A start-up grant is awarded for a six-month period from the date on which you start business activities as a full-time entrepreneur or expand a part-time business into a full-time business. An extension may be granted for the start-up grant so that the total duration of both periods does not exceed 12 months. The start-up grant amount equals to the amount of basic unemployment allowance: €37.21/day, i.e. about €740/month. The start-up grant is paid for five days per calendar week.

The start-up grant is paid retroactively on a monthly basis. Apply to the employment authority for payment of the start-up grant within two months of the end of the payment period.

Application for a start-up grant extension

You can apply for an extension to the start-up grant if you still need support after the end of the first decision. Submit the application for a start-up grant extension to the employment authority while the first start-up grant period is still ongoing.

Links:
What is start-up grant? Part 1.
Who is start-up grant intended for? Part 2.
How do I apply for start-up grant? Part 3.
Application for a start-up grant
Application for a start-up grant extension
Application for payment of a start-up grant

Take a look at these services as well:

Business Helsingin yrityspalvelut

Business Helsingin yrityspalvelut tarjoavat mm. henkilökohtaista yrityksen perustamisen ja liiketoiminnan kehittämisen neuvontaa, valmennusta, koulutuksia, tapahtumia sekä yrityshautomo- ja kiihdyttämötoimintaa.