Start Guarantee

Finnvera’s guarantee coverage can be at most 80%. The minimum amount for a Start Guarantee is EUR 10,000. The maximum amount of a single Start Guarantee granted for a company's single project at one time is EUR 80,000. For larger projects, the need for financing cannot be shared on two Start Guarantee applications. 

A new Start Guarantee may be granted at least two months after the previous Start Guarantee decision. The total sum of Start Guarantees granted to one enterprise may be up to EUR 160,000. 

If the financing need is larger, the company should apply for a Finnvera Guarantee through Finnvera's online service after a discussing with the bank.

• For newly launched enterprises that are owned by private individuals and meet the SME definition applied by the EU.
• The Start Guarantee can be granted to Finnish companies or registered private entrepreneurs but not to cooperatives.
• The Start Guarantee cannot be granted to cooperatives or registered associations.
• The precondition of the guarantee is that the credit rating of the company and its responsible persons is in order.
• The responsible person's business relations must not have a bankruptcy entry or a partnership with defaults.

• We provide financing for enterprises operating in almost every sector; only farming, forestry and the building developer’s business remain outside our range of financing. The Start Guarantee cannot be used for financing company acquisitions, acquisitions of a company's own shares or purchases of business premises. Moreover, the Start Guarantee cannot be used for export financing.
• De minimis aid contained in Finnvera’s Start Guarantee may prevent a client from receiving other public support/aid. If this aid or support is not reported and the project contains other public aid or support in addition to the guarantee, other aid/support may be rejected from the client in connection with payment. Aid and support are granted by Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Business Finland and municipalities, for instance. Alternatively, the Start Guarantee may be priced out of subsidy. The provider of financing must report other aid or support granted at the same time in the Start Guarantee application.

Promissory note credits

From the principal shareholders of the company applying for the Start Guarantee, we require special guarantees as for one's own debt in which the guarantor’s liability is limited to the agreed maximum amount in euros. At the time of the granting of the Start Guarantee, the guarantees must cover 25% of the amount of the Start Guarantee. The minimum amount of a guarantee as for one's own debt is EUR 3,000.

Finnvera does not require a self-financing contribution.

• The guarantee commission is charged at a 3-month interval and it is 1.75% p.a. of the guarantee balance reported by the bank. 
• The service fee is 1.0% of the guarantee amount, minimum EUR 150.
• See also the service price list.