Find the right source for financing and financial advice for your company
Finding funding for a good business idea is an easy task. Many kinds of help are available to your company in order to find and apply for funding. Business Tampere offers free-of-charge funding advice services to growth-seeking companies operating in the Tampere city region.
Quick, targeted help from a funding help desk
The funding help desk of Business Tampere is a free-of-charge service, offering quick help especially for questions related to applying for funding. The service is intended for companies operating in the Tampere city region heading towards growth and internationalisation.
Funding clinics and growth sparring – a deeper insight into your company’s funding and growth
In addition to the help desk, Business Tampere offers funding clinics and growth sparring to companies operating in the Tampere region. You can book a one hour-long (1 h) funding clinic appointment, during which you will first map the current situation of your team or company, possible plans for growth and internationalisation as well as resource matters (e.g. personnel, funding) together with Business Tampere’s Senior Business Adviser Tapio Siik. On the basis of the discussion, you will jointly draw up a plan for further measures.
The goal of growth and funding sparring is for the team or company to:
- gain a basic understanding of funding planning and be prepared to enter into discussions with investors
- understand where to start building funding documentation and
- possess basic information on the implementation of a funding round OR
- have the means to purchase support services for the implementation of the above-mentioned points.
Book a funding clinic slot from Tapio Siik
Analysis of readiness for funding
Documentation needed in applying for funding (one pager, elevator pitch, investor presentations, etc.) and what background work may need to be done to support the documents will also be covered at the clinic.
The analysis of readiness for funding can be carried out if the company is going to seek funding from private investors, such as angel investors or venture capital funds. As a result of the analysis, the company gains an understanding of its own situation from an investor’s point of view and a list of issues that still need clarification.
Business Tampere events and training sessions offer topical news on funding
Business Tampere organises, together with its partners, corporate financing-related events, webinars, training sessions and networking possibilities. Our changing offering includes pitching coaching, awareness raising on various funding instruments and networking events with international investors. Events will be organised within the limits allowed by the COVID-19 situation, mainly in the form of high-quality remote sessions.
Upcoming events will be published in the Tampere region’s business event calendar at Events - Business Tampere. Search tip: Filtering with the event category “Funding” shows the upcoming dates directly.
We have compiled the records and presentation materials of the webinars produced by Business Tampere on our website. In addition, the records can be found on our YouTube channel.
Watch the webinar recordings on YouTube
Individual funding options and national advisory services are presented below:
Support from the State Treasury:
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- Event Guarantee
- The aim of the event guarantee is to reduce the financial risk of organizing events. An event guarantee is a pre-agreed commitment given to the event organizer for the expenses that have been reported. If the event is cancelled or limited by law or authority, compensation will be paid for the actual expenses incurred. Event organizers apply for an event guarantee from the State Treasury.
- Business Cost Support
- The fourth application round for cost support will take place from 17th August at 9 am to 30th September at 4.15 pm. The support period is from 1st of March 2021 to 31st of May 2021. The reference period depends on the company’s VAT declaration period and the date of establishment of the company.
- Event Guarantee
The start-up grant is a personal form of support that can be granted to support the livelihood of an entrepreneur starting a full-time business. The start-up grant is granted to the entrepreneur, not the company. The granted start-up grant constitutes personal taxable revenue subject to tax withholding in advance.
The decision to grant the start-up grant is made by the local Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office). The decision takes into account, among other things, the competitive situation of companies in the same sector and the need for new business activities in the community.
Read more about applying for the start-up grant.
You can also get help in applying for the start-up grant from Ensimetri, which has several service points around the Tampere Region.
The Pirkanmaa Centre for Economic Development and the Environment provides advice on the mapping of funding needs and business activities in general. The ELY Centre also offers expert advice, in particular on funding options to support internationalisation.
The business development aid is intended to support the overall development of a company and to create better business conditions. In the Tampere Region, development aid is especially directed to SMEs seeking international growth, in the start-up phase and representing new emerging sectors.
Development aid may be granted to SMEs that have the preconditions for profitable business and sufficient own resources for development measures to improve competitiveness. The company itself must finance at least half of the development project.
Read more at about applying for funding at Ely-keskus pages.
Business Finland offers companies a number of different funding options for different purposes. Read more here.
Business Finland’s national EU funding advisory service compiles information about grants, loans, guarantees, capital investments, subsidies and public contracts of the European Union and provides guidance and counselling on their use. www.eurahoitusneuvonta.fi
The innovation voucher is intended for SMEs for individual measures by which the company develops its products, services or processes or acquires new knowledge and competence as a service. The company must have a new product or service idea with international growth potential. In addition, the company must have turnover for at least one completed financial year. Innovation voucher
The Eurostar programme funds research and development work of SMEs. Eurostars funding operates in a project form. The project must involve operators from at least two countries participating in the programme and must also be led by a growing SME. Other participants may also include research organisations and large companies. Eurostars
Research and development funding is intended for start-ups or SMEs that want to develop their products or services for export markets. Funding enables the company to develop products, services, production methods and business models or to pilot the functioning of a new solution. Research and development funding
Tempo funding is intended for startups less than five years old, aiming at the export market. Funding can, for example, be used to develop the first prototype or demo and test it with potential customers, commission market analyses, investigate customer needs or carry out test marketing. Funding of up to EUR 50,000 constitutes a grant that does not have to be repaid. Tempo funding
Through the Into Financial Services, start-ups and SMEs targeting export markets can purchase expert services that strengthen their innovation activities, such as protecting intangible assets or borrowing an expert from another organisation. The amount of funding depends on the company’s objectives and resources and is up to 50% of the total budget of the project. Into Financial Services
Young Innovative Companies funding is intended for promising start-ups less than 5 years old, which are seeking rapid international growth. Funding can be used, for example, to strengthen the team, develop the business model and growth strategy and to access a new market. The company must have turnover and evidence of its growing business. The funding consists of a grant and loan covering 75% of the costs. Young Innovative Companies
The trade fair grant is intended for the joint international trade fair projects of companies. SMEs and start-ups seeking growth and internationalisation may form a group of at least four companies participating in a major trade fair event of in their sector abroad. The grant is primarily granted for B2B events. Trade fair grant
With the Market Explorer funding, SMEs and mid-caps can purchase expert services to support internationalisation. Services may, for example, relate to the identification of a new potential export market. The service provider may be a Finnish or foreign company, a research or communications organisation or an individual expert. Market Explorer funding
With Talent Explorer funding, an SME or mid-cap can hire an expert to bring new knowledge and competence to enable the company to move forward in a new international market. The funding is only intended to cover the costs of a new expert to be hired. Talent Explorer funding
Finnvera supports companies’ funding opportunities with loans, guarantees, capital investments and financial services that support exports. Finnvera helps companies to map, plan and implement different funding options.
The different types of loans are intended to support companies at different stages of their life cycle. Loans are available, for example, for starting a business, investments, growth and internationalisation. The loan can also be used to finance the purchase of shares in an existing company.
Export credit guarantees help companies compete on an equal footing on the international market. Finnvera offers export credit guarantees for preparing for credit losses and for funding export. Credit guarantees, for example, help companies to bring money from an export deal more quickly into the company’s cash funds.
Finnvera export credit guarantees
Finnvera guarantees act as collateral for loans and contingent liabilities received from banks or other financiers. As with the loans, different types of guarantees are intended for different stages of business development.
Team Finland offers companies seeking international growth a variety of state-funded funding services, varying from grants to loans and guarantees.
Finnish companies or other operators are eligible to apply for support. Support may be granted for starting business activities that aim to establish long-term, commercial cooperation in developing countries that is profitable.
Business partnership support is intended for the research and training phases of this type of a project. The projects to be supported are to have a positive development impact in the target country.
The aid is intended for a company that invests in the long-term, commercially viable and profitable business to developing countries. The aim is to launch a business that will generate positive development effects in developing countries.
Support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development is intended for companies located in rural areas. You can check the classification of the area and the delimitations of the business support area at www.maaseutu.fi.
Companies receiving support must be in a position to operate profitably on an ongoing basis. The company must provide the main income for at least one person (an entrepreneur or employed person) and the employees must possess sufficient professional skills.
The action group operating in the Tampere sub-region is Kantri ry.
The EU’s Horizon Europe programme provides funding to companies for research and innovation projects carried out in the form of international cooperation, but also for individual research ideas. Horizon Europe
Guidance on EU funding: EU Funding Playbook
The Finnish national level EU funding advisory service offers free general-level information and advice on EU funding programs and instruments.
The service gathers information on the different forms of EU funding, including grants, loans and guarantees, subsidies, prizes and public contracts, and offers advice regarding them. The service aims to offer centralized information on EU funding and further its utilization at a national level.
The advisory service is offered to Finnish stakeholders interested in EU funding. Funding is available for companies, research institutions, financial institutions, municipalities, and other parties. The service offers current information and project-specific guidance and organizes events related to EU funding. The service is implemented by Business Finland under the guidance of the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
Please note that this is a Finnish national level EU advisory service targeted at stakeholders operating within Finland. Read more about the service.
We can be contacted via email: info (at) eurahoitusneuvonta.fi
Guide on EU funding for tourism online guide highlights the wide range of funding programmes financed by the new budget, Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, and Next Generation EU.
The guide will help you find appropriate funding. It contains links to relevant EU programme websites with the latest developments (such as annual work programmes or call for proposals) and further details per programme. For inspiration, you can also see concrete project examples funded by previous EU programmes.
Business angels are individuals who invest their personal assets into growth companies with a high growth potential. In return for the investment, angel investors usually receive a share in the company.
The benefits of a business-angel investment (EUR 5,000–600,000) consist not only of the money invested, but also of the competence and networks provided by the investor to the company.
More information and guidance on how to apply for angel investments is provided, for example, by FiBAN – Finnish Business Angels Network.
Capital investments refer to investing in companies which are not publicly listed, featuring good development potential. Venture capitalists usually make investments from the venture capital funds they manage.However, there are also investors who invest capital from their own balance sheet or from the parent company’s assets.
More information and a list of Finnish venture capitalists can be found on the website of the Finnish Venture Capital Association.
Crowdfunding is online fundraising targeting the masses. The idea of crowdfunding (for example EUR 5,000–250,000) is to create a campaign where any individual can contribute a small amount to the company’s funding.
In addition to fundraising, crowdfunding is a particularly good way to test and demonstrate the market need for products by creating a presale campaign.
Read more about crowdfunding.
(The page is in Finnish.)
The Suomi.fi online service provides information for different situations in life and the stages of a company’s life cycle.
There are many open sources of information on funding online.
In the Aurora database, you can search for Finnish funding opportunities for science and art, both project funding and personal grants. The database includes funding opportunities from more than 400 financiers and new information is constantly being updated.
The Crunchbase database includes worldwide information on investors, funding rounds and start-ups.
The Invest Europe organisation represents Europe’s private equity, venture capital and infrastructure investment firms and their investors.
The yrityksen-perustaminen.net website provides information about starting a business and funding.
Director, business service development and business environment
+358 40 821 5113
