Welcome to Start Your own Business Expo!

Interested in starting your own business in Finland? Get advice from the local experts and take part to info sessions and a workshop at entrepreneurship expo in Vaasa! Expo is organized by City of Vaasa Employment services project Unionbridge of employment in Ostrobothnia (SILTA project) and Talent Coastline, Ostrobothnian ELY-centre.

The expo is free of charge.

Date&Time: 18.11.2025 klo 13-16

Place: Vaasa City Hall, 3rd floor

Program

13.00 Opening words

13.10 Infosession 1: Entrepreneurship training, Koulutuspalvelu Saarenpää Oy, Sebastian DaCosta

13.30 Infosession 2: Start-up grant by Employment services, Hannu Ollikkala

14.00 My entrepreneurship journey in Finland: Laila Fe Balinggan from Design&Disrupt

14.30 Infosession 3: Services of a starting business, Startia, Tommi Virkama

14.45 Infosession 4: Networking as an entrepreneur, Vaasa Entrepreneurship Association

15-16 Workshop: Entrepreneurship&AI. Learn how to be more creative, innovative and grow fast with Muntaser Al Hamad from Start-up Refugees. Separate registration for the workshop by 11th Nov. REGISTER HERE

Meet experts from Startia, Employment services, Startup Refugees, Finnvera and many more - they are all here to help you on your entrepreneuship path in Finland!

Starting a business Vaasa Region Enterprise Agency Startia helps and supports you in the initial phase of your business. Our confidential and free service will help you started with and develop further your own business.  

Ostrobothnia Employment Services help residents in the region with employment and entrepreneurship. We provide services for jobseekers, employers and aspiring entrepreneurs. Our services include for example support in job search and recruitment as well as information and services for starting a business, such as start-up grants.

Startup Refugees is an award winning non-profit organization that supports refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants in employment, skills development and entrepreneurship. We have created fast integration model for newcomers.

Finnvera strengthens the operating potential and competitiveness of Finnish enterprises by offering loans, domestic guarantees, export credit guarantees and other services associated with the financing of exports. Our strategy is spearheaded by impact. For us, impact means that our financing helps clients generate and obtain turnover, financial profit and jobs that would not have been possible otherwise. As a state-owned specialised financing company Finnvera supplements the financial market. The risks included in financing are shared between Finnvera and other providers of financing.

Koulutuspalvelu Saarenpää Oy is specialized in career and entrepreneurship training as well as work supervision and short-term therapy. Our company has been conducting training activities in the Ostrobothnia region for over 14 years with excellent results.

Vaasa Entrepreneurs is an active local association working to improve the conditions for entrepreneurship and strengthen the position of entrepreneurs. We promote networking, collaboration, and visibility for local businesses while offering our members support, training, and events. Join our community of courageous, reliable, and forward-thinking entrepreneurs!

VVT Kiinteistösijoitus is a responsible real estate investment company that offers premises for rent that support its customers’ business. VVT Kiinteistösijoitus is committed to the continuous development of the sustainability of its operations, which is reflected, for example, in the ongoing improvement of the environmental efficiency of its properties.

The event is organized in collaboration by the BRIDGE – The unionbridge of Ostrobothnia project and Ostrobothnian ELY Centres Talent Coastline