Main prize €132,500
The business idea that wins the main prize receives a prize of €132,500 which consists of the cash prize, fund investments and versatile expert services to refine and develop the business idea:
- Cash prize €20,000.
- Premises for a year, worth €5,000. Sponsored by Business Joensuu Science Park. The maximum size of the premises is 14 m².
- Expert services worth €7,500:
- Business development services for one year, worth €2,500. Sponsored by Business Joensuu Oy
- Product and/or service development consultations, worth €2,500. Sponsored by ED Design Oy
- Legal services, worth €1,500. Sponsored by Asianajotoimisto Surakka Oy Attorneys at Law
- Banking services, worth €1,000: Sponsored by Oma Savings Bank.
- Fund awards:
- Fund investment €50,000 from Start Up Fund Joensuu.
- Fund investment €50,000 from the North Karelia Growth Fund.
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 organiser on how to spend the prize money on business development.
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.
Cash prizes for students:
- 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.
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 SciencesRiveria 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.
Anne Karppinen, Communications, Marketing and Sales Manager, Riveria
The Business for Kitee category
The competition invites Kitee individuals and companies to utilise and commercialise their ideas and business plans for creating and growing new sustainable business in the Kitee region.
City of Kitee cash prize: €5,000.
The scoring considers the originality of the idea, its novelty value, and its feasibility in Kitee. The prize will not be awarded if the jury finds that the business idea does not meet the above criteria.
The Business for Liperi category
The competition invites Liperi individuals and companies to utilise and commercialise their ideas and business plans for creating and growing new sustainable business in the Liperi region.
Lipertek cash prize: €3,000.
The scoring considers the originality of the idea, its novelty value, and its feasibility in Liperi. The prize will not be awarded if the jury finds that the business idea does not meet the above criteria.
The Research-based business idea category
The competition aims to attract researchers, research teams and research-based companies and organisations to utilise and commercialise their outputs and inventions in the creation of new business.
Cash prize: €3,000. Sponsored by Business Joensuu Oy.
Expert Services: Finnish patent application worth €5,400. Sponsored by Leitzinger Oy.
The Modern Karelian trade and service in the new commercial building at Joensuu Marketplace category
The Karelian Trade and Service category of the Northern Karelia Cooperative Society aims for vibrant business in the new commercial building at Joensuu Marketplace. The aim is to create new and experiential trade and service concepts that make the commercial building an attractive and memorable year-round meeting place.
The assessing and rewarding of the category will also consider the commercial preconditions and potential of the business idea to be a new North Karelian success story.
The competition category does not apply to restaurant, café, bakery and institutional kitchen activities.
The winner of the competition category will be rewarded with a commercial space at the new commercial building, which the winner will have for their use for 6 months,. The size of the commercial space is at least 14 m², in addition to which the commercial building's shared customer and background spaces are available.
Best pitch
The registration period for the Best pitch competition ended on May 10, 2023.
An open-to-all Best Pitch competition will be organised, on May 24, 2023, as part of the award gala of the Start Me Up business idea competition. The participant presenting the best pitch will be rewarded with a cash prize of €1,000.
The Business Joensuu Start Me Up working group will preselect the top 10 pre-registered participants for the final pitching competition, to be held on May 24, 2023.
The pitch can last 3 minutes, after which the jury will have the opportunity to ask further questions for 5 minutes. The schedule is tight, so you should carefully prepare your own sales pitch. If necessary, we will provide additional instructions for pitching.
Prepare the winning pitch and register for the open competition by May 10, 2023. The winner will be awarded a prize of €1,000.
By May 17, 2023, we will send an email to the participants who have been selected for the final pitching competition which will be held on May 24, 2023.
