Main prize
The main prize for the Start Me Up business idea competition is €35,240, awarded to the winning business idea. This prize comprises a cash award of €18,000 and comprehensive services valued at €17,240, for business development and commercialization.
The cash award is provided by Business Joensuu, Pohjois-Karjalan Yrittäjät ry, Pohjois-Karjalan kauppakamari, Oma Säästöpankki Oyj, and Northern Karelia Cooperative Society (PKO).
Services:
- Premises for one year in Joensuu Science Park, worth €4,750. The service is provided by Business Joensuu Oy. The premises size is limited to a maximum of 14 m², and it must be taken into use during the year 2024.
- Business development services for one year, worth €2,500. The service is provided by Business Joensuu Oy.
- Product and/or service development consultations, worth €2,500. The service is provided by ED Design Oy.
- Legal services, valued at €1,500. The service is provided by Asianajotoimisto Surakka Oy Attorneys at Law.
- Banking services, worth €1,000. The service is provided by Oma Savings Bank.
- Support for sales and financing acquisition, worth €2,000. The service is provided by Accelerando Oy.
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Insurance and risk management services, worth €2,000. The service is provided by LähiTapiola Itä Keskinäinen Vakuutusyhtiö.
- Board work simulation service, worth €1,000. The service is provided by Board Partners Eastern Finland ry.
- In addition, the winner of the Start Me Up 2024 main prize will be rewarded with a Nasdaq tower image, gaining visibility on Nasdaq's 7-story billboard in the heart of Times Square in New York. The service is provided by Nasdaq.
A prerequisite for assigned the main prize is the business ID.
The main prize must be used to develop the business idea in North Karelia.
Payment of the main prize is subject to the participant having a plan approved by the organizer on how to spend the prize money on business development.
Climate-smartness from Joensuu category
In the competition series, climate-smart solutions are being sought. Climate-smart refers to a product, service, process, or technology with which it is possible to reduce emissions or create positive climate impacts, i.e. increase the so-called carbon handprint. The goal is to develop innovative solutions that mitigate climate change, generating new business promoting low-carbon practises in the Joensuu region. Alternatively, the solution may aim to develop existing business operations to a lower-carbon one.
Prize for the winner:
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A €3,000 cash award is provided by the Climate City Joensuu 2025 project.
The evaluation takes into account the effectiveness and impact of the idea from the perspective of climate-smartness and its connection to Joensuu.
The prize will not be awarded if the jury finds that the business idea does not meet the above criteria.
ICT Innovator category
The ICT Innovator competition series seeks to inspire innovation in companies and organizations operating in the ICT sector and other industries, encouraging the development of new digital work methods, applications, and solutions either independently or through collaboration. Pilot ideas are sought with the goal of fostering collaborations between ICT companies, public administration, educational institutions, and businesses in various sectors. The presented pilot idea should, therefore, outline, for example, an innovative network and stakeholder collaboration model. Pilots developing digital solutions should broadly contribute to developing the operational environment of public administration, educational institutions, or businesses, with their results being public and widely accessible. Consequently, pilot ideas focused solely on developing the business concept of an individual company will not be supported unless they meet the above criteria.
Prize awards:
- In the ICT Innovator series, two pilot ideas will be awarded, and winners will be offered expert services to support the development of their pilot ideas. The prize amount is €10,000 per winner.
The total value of the €20,000 in prizes is provided by ICT Hub Joensuu through its Growth Program for digital innovation.
The evaluation of pilot ideas considers the breadth of the target audience, network and stakeholder collaboration, feasibility, cross-industry applicability, novelty, and internationalisation opportunities.
Prizes will not be awarded if the jury finds that the presented pilot ideas do not meet the above criteria.
The Business for Joensuu region municipalities category
The competition aims to attract individuals and businesses in the municipalities within the Business Joensuu region to utilize and commercialize their own ideas, concepts, and business plans to generate and enhance sustainable business within their respective municipalities.
Each municipality's evaluation takes into account the uniqueness, novelty value, and practical feasibility of the business idea within that specific municipality.
Price awards:
- Business for Heinävesi: Heinävesi Municipality cash award: €1,000.
- Business for Ilomantsi: Ilomantsi Municipality cash award: €2,000.
- Business for Kitee: City of Kitee cash award: €3,000.
- Business for Liperi: Liperi Municipality, Lipertek cash award: €3,000.
- Business for Outokumpu: City of Outokumpu and Outokumpu Industrial Village Oy cash award: €2,000
- Business for Polvijärvi: Polvijärvi Municipality cash award: €1,000.
- Business for Rääkkylä: Rääkkylä Municipality cash award: €2,000.
- Business for Tohmajärvi: Tohmajärvi Municipality cash award: €2,000.
No prize will be awarded if the business idea does not meet the criteria set by the municipality-specific jury.
Student category
The competition encourages students and researchers, as well as teams consisting of them, to utilise and commercialise their business ideas to create new sustainable business.
The University of Eastern Finland, Karelia University of Applied Sciences and Riveria Vocational School reward the best business idea or business model submitted by their own students.
Prize awards for the winners:
- University of Eastern Finland: €3,000
- Karelia University of Applied Sciences: €3,000
- Riveria: €3,000.
Students awarded in the student category must study at the University of Eastern Finland, Karelia University of Applied Sciences or Riveria.
The University of Eastern Finland encourages its students and researchers to utilize their own expertise as a new business. Through this, the vitality of the Eastern Finland region is developed, and the commitment of students and researchers to the development of the region is enhanced.
- Irina Lavikainen, Senior innovation advisor, University of Eastern Finland.
Karelia University of Applied Sciences educates and supports start-up entrepreneurs in North Karelia. The Start Me Up business idea competition and the student series of the competition are an important way for Karelia to increase the vitality of the region. We absolutely want to encourage young innovators towards commercial success.
- Heikki Immonen, D.Sc. (Tech.). Principal Lecturer of Entrepreneurship, Karelia University of Applied Sciences
Riveria offers its students practical entrepreneurship studies and support, as well as guidance in the early stages of being start-up entrepreneurs. Our goal is student employment.
- Marjut Helvelahti, Principal Lecturer of Entrepreneurship, Riveria.
The Research-based business idea category
The competition aims to attract researchers, research teams and research-based companies and organizations to leverage and commercialize their outputs and inventions in the creation of new businesses.
Prize award:
The prize awarded to the winner of the research-based business idea competition is valued at €13,400. It includes a cash award of €3,000, and expert services with a value of €10,400.
The cash award is provided by LähiTapiola Itä Keskinäinen Vakuutusyhtiö, Hallituspartnerit Itä-Suomi ry, and Accelerando Oy.
Expert Services:
- Finnish patent application worth €5,400, provided by Leitzinger Oy.
- Spurtti™ business productization service package worth €4,000, provided by Spurtti Network.
- Boardwork simulation service, worth €1,000, provided by Board Partners Eastern Finland ry.
