Helsingin työllisyyspalvelut / Helsinki Employment Services
Asiakasnäkymä
Kunnat
Updated 26.01.2026
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 organiser
Kunnat
Language
Finnish
Swedish
English
Charges
The service is free of charge
Implementation
Other service
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.
Municipality of residence
Municipality of residence does not matter
Age
All people of working age
Situation
Entrepreneur or interested in becoming one
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 Finlandexternal link, opens in a new tab. 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.
Benefits of participating in the service
The start-up grant safeguards a new entrepreneur’s income during the start-up and consolidation phase.
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.
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.
Contact information
Espoon työllisyyspalvelut / Espoo Employment Services
Huom! Espoon kaupungin edellytys starttirahan hakemisessa on tapaaminen Business Espoon yritysneuvojan kanssa. Löydät liiketoimintasuunnitelman ja laskelmien mallipohjat sekä ajanvarauksen maksuttomaan yritysneuvontaan täältä: https://tyollisyys.palvelumanuaali.fi/palvelu/business-espoon-yritysneuvonta
Vantaan työllisyyspalvelut / Vantaa Employment Services
Keravan ja Sipoon työllisyysalue / Kerava-Sipoo employment area
Raaseporin työllisyysalue / Raseborg employment area
Links and attachments
Service category
Financial support promoting employment
Setting up a business