Draft Entrepreneurship Programme offers funding in Savonlinna for few entrepreneurs to test their ideas 

The Draft Program encourages the establishment of new businesses. Participants are selected through an open application process. In addition to a financial incentive of € 1,000, those selected for the programme receive coaching to support the development of their business idea. If the idea leads to the establishment of a new company, one of the programme’s conditions is that the company must have its registered office in Savonlinna. 

The first pilot of the entrepreneurship programme in Savonlinna was run last year and attracted seven teams. Encouraged by the programme, two of the teams went on to establish companies. 

“The experiences from last year’s pilot were extremely positive, and the City of Savonlinna wants to continue supporting the creation and development of new businesses in the region. This year, our goal is to at least double the number of applicants compared with last year,” says Viena Taskinen, Acting Business Development Specialist at the City of Savonlin

Cooperation with Educational Institutions Plays an Important Role 

At South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk) and Samiedu Vocational College, encouraging student entrepreneurship provides students with an opportunity to put the knowledge and skills acquired during their studies into practice immediately. Students often already have many excellent ideas, but one of the biggest obstacles to establishing a new business is the lack of funding needed to test them. 

One of the participants in the previous application round was Savonlinna-based Happiness Games Oy, which originated from an innovative board game idea developed by two Xamk students at the time, Harsh Manek and Marko Haaja. Through the coaching and financial support provided by the Draft Program, the team gained confidence in the viability of its business idea. Within a year, the idea has developed into a functioning business concept with promising prospects for the future. 

“Draft helped us examine our idea from different perspectives and make our sales pitches more convincing. This, together with the financial support, was extremely valuable to us during the early stages. Over the past year, we have actively developed our company and are currently discussing the production of a board game version with partners in Asia, among other things,” says Harsh Manek, entrepreneur at Happiness Games Oy.

Applications period open for two months 

Applications for the programme are open until 14 September 2026 at draftprogram.com. There are no thematic restrictions on the ideas, and all applicants who meet the criteria will be invited to present their idea to a selection panel via Microsoft Teams. 

Teams applying to the programme must consist of at least two people. At least one team member must be a resident of Savonlinna or a student, alumnus or member of staff at Xamk or Samiedu Vocational College. Applicants who have already started a business may also apply, provided that the company has not yet generated any revenue. 

The selection panel will assess the presentations and application forms and select the teams admitted to the programme. All participants accepted into the programme will receive € 1,000, which they may use as they see fit. 

The Draft Program is an entrepreneurship programme launched by Karelia University of Applied Sciences. In Savonlinna, the programme is funded by the City of Savonlinna. It is implemented in cooperation with South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk), Samiedu Vocational College and the Itä-Savo Enterprise Agency. 

More information about the progamme.

For more information