Finnish Startup Permit Eligibility Statement Request

1	Instructions
Before submitting the Finnish Startup Permit application to the Finnish Immigration Service, you must request an Eligibility Statement from Innovation Funding Agency Business Finland. There are no set deadlines for submitting the request.
Please read carefully the instructions on the Business Finland web site at https://businessfinland.fi/en/startuppermit/
Use this template to describe your business plan. Follow the instructions in each chapter.
In order to be eligible for the Finnish Startup Permit the founders must have a concrete plan to setup a fast growth startup company in Finland. Business Finland assesses, whether the business model, team and resources shows potential for rapid international growth. The assessment will mainly be based on the information provided in this document and in its attachments.
If you have additional prepared material that could be useful for evaluating your business plan, please feel free to include any such material as an attachment.
How to submit?
Submit your Eligibility Statement Request to Business Finland using the secure e-mail service available at:

https://asiointi.businessfinland.fi/suojaposti

When sending the document, please select Other issue in the Message Subject: drop down menu and write the text Eligibility Statement Request in the text box underneath. Then fill in the mandatory fields on the page, attach the relevant documents, and hit the Send button.

2	Founders
Fill in names, nationalities, and passport numbers of each founder. At minimum two founders are required. List the main contact first.
Include the e-mail address of the main contact. The main contact must be one of the founders. All communication between Business Finland and the applicants takes place via the main contact.
To add rows to the table set the cursor to the last cell and hit the TAB key.

	Name	Nationality	Passport
Number	
Main contact:				

E-mail address of the main contact:
Telephone number of the main contact:

Other founders
	Name	Nationality	Passport
Number	

3	Mandatory attachments
Provide the requested attachments as separate files. Do not include in this file.
1.	Good quality scanned copies of the passports of all founders. Business Finland must be able to identify the persons based on the passport copy.
2.	CVs of all founders

4	Business idea
Short executive summary style description of the business idea. Elevator pitch.

5	Need
What is a customer need you plan to satisfy?
The need should relate to an important and specific client or market opportunity.
State clearly the targeted market.

6	Approach – Offering
What is your compelling solution to the specific customer need
Describe the product and/or service you plan to develop
What is your business model?

7	Approach - Go to market plan
Describe the accessible market and the market size you are aiming at
What is your go to market plan?
What is you long term growth opportunity and plan?

8	Benefit
Describe the concrete and unique benefit your approach provides to your clients.
Quantify the benefit.

9	Competition
What are the alternative approaches?
Who are the main competitors?
Why your solution is better and represents the best value to your clients?

10	Team plan
% of ownership role of each founder
Possible other planned resources, their roles, and competencies
Timeline of building up the team

11	Current status
Describe what you have done so far and what is ready by now?
Do you have any existing intellectual property concerning your business idea (e.g. designs, source code, algorithms, business models, etc.)? Specify.
Do you or your team already have registered intellectual property (e.g. patents, trademarks, etc.)? Specify.
Who has the ownership and title to the intellectual property?
Do you already have any demos, prototypes, customer contacts, plans for piloting, installed pilots, initial deals, etc.? 

12	First 12 months
What is your plan for the first 12 months of operation?
Describe the main tasks and activities of your initial plan.
What will be ready after the first year?
Be specific.

13	Initial funding
What is your plan to fund the seed phase of your company?
What is your estimated need for funding for the first year of operation? Show a rough cost breakdown.
How do you plan to secure the necessary funds?