Who is the Draft Program for?

You can apply for the Draft Program ® in North Savo if your team includes at least one person who is a resident of Kuopio or Iisalmi or is a student, staff representative or alumni of Savonia University of Applied Sciences, the University of Eastern Finland or the Savo Vocational College.

In addition to yourself, your team must have at least one person with whom you develop the business idea further.

What do I commit to when I apply?

When you apply, you understand that the Draft Program will publish at least one blog post about your team that relates to your experiences with the Draft Program.

You are able and committed to spend your time developing your business idea for at least a few hours a week.

Other terms and ethical principles of the program.

What are the benefits of the Program?

If you are selected for the Draft Program, you will have access to a 4-month training period during which you will be assisted by experts representing different fields.

Get to know and network with other start-up entrepreneurs.

You will get funding. In the first stage 1000 EUR. If you are selected for the follow-up phase after the first phase, there is an additional funding of EUR 3000.

You get visibility for your new start-up business

Are you applying as an individual or a company?

Individual:

Team members can only be members of one applicant team. You can apply for the draft program at a time either in Pohjois-Savo or Joensuu.

The operation must be aimed at a growing business that is done in a new way.

When applying for funding from the city of Kuopio and Iisalmi, the company or company to be established must be domiciled in the city in question – for other applications, in Pohjois Savo.

Please note that the Draft funding is classified as other taxable earned income for individuals, and we will report it to the income register. However, you can add your expenses to your personal tax return.

Company:

Teams that develop a product or service for a company with turnover cannot be selected for the Draft program. The exception to this rule is student training companies (NYT companies and cooperatives). In the Draft’s 2nd stage application, the applicant may have turnover.

The operation must be aimed at a growing business that is done in a new way.

Team members can only be members of one applicant team. You can apply for the draft program at a time either in Pohjois-Savo or Joensuu.

Use of Draft funding

Draft funding is directed to the development of a business idea during the round, e.g. in the following ways:

• Domains (one year max – aimed at companies)
• Application development
• Websites
• Marketing
• Branding
• Payment terminals
• Means of production
• Preparation of test series
• Design and modeling
• Material for prototypes
• Consultative service
• Licenses (year)
• Network membership fees (year)
• IPR and lawyer
• PRH fees

Funding may NOT be used for:

• IT purchases (tablets, laptops, phones)
• Wages
• Trade fairs
• Hotels
• Rent
• Insurance
• Monthly paid services (cashier services, etc.)
• Work clothes