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Starttiraha Start-up Grant supports income in the early stages of a business

The Starttiraha start-up grant is a discretionary support aimed at new entrepreneurs for up to 12 months. Its purpose is to support income in the early stages of full-time business operations when the income from the business is still minimal. The start-up grant is applied for electronically through employment services. The application is filled out on the Job Market Finland.

Start-up grant counseling is provided by the Enterprise Agency of Oulu in Oulu, Hailuoto, Tyrnävä, Muhos, Utajärvi, Vaala, and Posio.

In other municipalities in the Oulu employment area (Ii, Kempele, Liminka, Lumijoki, Pudasjärvi), contact your local business advisor.

Start-up grant and business establishment stages

  1. Planning, i.e., preparation of business and financial plans
  2. Exploring financing options as well as grants and subsidies
  3. Applying for financing decisions and investigating necessary permits
  4. If applying for a start-up grant, submit the start-up grant application before establishing the business
  5. Establishing the business: choosing the company form, making agreements, and registration
  6. Starting: agreements, accounting, taxation, etc.

Additional information

Applying for payment

Apply for payment electronically through the Regional Administration’s e-service. Log in to the e-service with your personal bank credentials, mobile certificate, or certificate card. Fill out the application and add the necessary attachments through the service menu. The internal instructions of the e-service facilitate the completion of the application. Notifications from the service provide information about the different stages of your transaction. By transacting electronically, you can submit the application, respond to requests for additional information, supplement your application, and receive decisions related to your matter.

For the payment of the start-up grant, you need a change tax card for the benefit. We receive tax cards automatically through VeroAPI (Tax Administration’s interface service) and the tax card does not need to be delivered separately. If necessary, you can deliver the tax card as an attachment to the payment application in the regional administration’s e-service or to the start-up grant payment service address. Deliver the change tax card for the benefit separately if you deliver it close to the payment date. If the benefit tax card is not applied for, at least 25% tax will be withheld. The withholding percentage is not corrected retroactively.

The city of Oulu pays the start-up grant twice a month. If your payment application does not reach the first payment date of the month, it will automatically move to the next one.

Start-up grant payment dates 2025

15.1.2025, 31.1.2025, 14.2.2025, 28.2.2025, 14.3.2025, 31.3.2025, 15.4.2025, 30.4.2025, 15.5.2025, 30.5.2025, 13.6.2025, 30.6.2025, 15.7.2025, 31.7.2025, 15.8.2025, 29.8.2025, 15.9.2025, 30.9.2025, 15.10.2025, 31.10.2025, 14.11.2025, 28.11.2025, 15.12.2025, 31.12.2025

If you cannot use the e-service, send the printed and completed form directly to BusinessOulu Employment Services at the address:

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

If you have questions related to payments, contact BusinessOulu Employment Services. The e-mail address for start-up grant payment transactions is:

maksatus.starttiraha@businessoulu.com

For matters related to electronic transactions, you are served by the Enterprise Finland advisory service. The phone service p. 0295 020 500 and chat are open on weekdays from 9 to 15.