Xamk Startup Fund
Support fund for student entrepreneurship
The University supports the development of new business ideas by offering a maximum of 995€ in support funding. The goal is to encourage students to experiment and develop innovative solutions that can grow into profitable businesses.
What is the fund for?
- To develop a prototype or MVP (Minimum Viable Product).
- For market research and customer interviews.
- For branding and initial marketing efforts.
- For patent or registration costs.
- Material and tool costs for product development.
- For purchasing expert services.
Why to apply?
- You receive financial support for the development of your business idea and/or the initial stage of your business.
- You have a safe opportunity to boldly try growing your business idea.
- This grant is for the development of the student’s own entrepreneurial skills – it will not be reclaimed back after you have received it.
Criteria for receiving funding
Who can apply?
Xamk students can apply for the funding either individually or as a team. You may already have your own company (business ID) – or you can develop your idea without one.
What is expected from the application?
The application should be clear and carefully completed. Describe how you would use the funding and how you plan to develop your idea (include a short pitch presentation as a video or, for example, a PowerPoint file).
What kind of ideas can receive support?
The funding is intended for new, interesting ideas with business potential – or for existing projects that you wish to take to the next level.
What is expected from the applicant?
You are ready to develop your idea and progress in your studies. You commit to submitting a short follow-up report about six months later, explaining how the funding has supported you.
Application open from September to the end of October 2026
Applications are submitted via an electronic form, which will be activated when the application round begins. Please complete the form carefully and submit it by the deadline, 30 October 2026 at 4:00 PM. Please note that applications can be submitted only once.
- Confidentiality: All applications are processed confidentially
- Timeline: The processing of applications takes approximately one month. We will inform all applicants of the decisions personally.
- Questions? If you have any questions before applying, feel free to contact us.
- You can preview the application form questions in advance using the PDF preview version available via the link below.
FAQ
Funding is available to degree students currently enrolled at Xamk (Bachelor’s, Master’s, and conversion programs).
The application is also open to teams! A team can include non-Xamk members, as long as the official primary applicant and contact person is an enrolled Xamk degree student.
Note: Open University students unfortunately cannot act as primary applicants.
You do not need a Business ID for your first or second application – you can apply with just an idea and/or a team.
If you apply for funding for the same idea a third time, the operations should be established, and a Business ID is required.
Yes! You can receive funding up to three (3) times during your studies, provided that your follow-up applications are approved.
- Rejected applications: Do not count toward your three-time limit.
- Follow-up applications: Always require that the progress report for the previous funding has been successfully submitted before a new application can be processed.
Yes. All funding recipients are required to submit a short digital progress report (via Microsoft Forms) within six (6) months of receiving the funding.
In the report, you briefly describe how the funds were used and how they helped advance your idea. Keep all receipts for your purchases – we may request to see them as part of the reporting process.
We process all applications after the application period closes. We reserve approximately one month (4 weeks) from the deadline to review applications and announce the decisions. We will notify all applicants personally.