Finnpartnership’s mission is to increase commercial cooperation between Finland and developing countries with the objective to enhance economic growth, diversify the economy and exports, and reduce poverty in developing countries. The program is supported by Finnish development cooperation funds with approximately € 7 million per year.
Finnpartnership services are for companies and organizations in all sectors planning or improving business activities in developing countries. Finnpartnership provides services for companies and organizations in Finland and in developing countries. All services are free of charge.
Developing countries are the official development assistance (ODA) recipient countries listed by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Finnpartnership provides the following services:
Business Partnership Support, granted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as from 1 January 2010, is de minimis aid, which is based on the provisions of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1998/2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty establishing the European Union.
In the framework of the Regulation, an undertaking is entitled to support not exceeding the ceiling of EUR 200,000 over any three fiscal year period. Financing granted by all different public authorities during the period under review should be taken into consideration. Prior to granting de minimis aid, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has to obtain full information - in writing or via email - of other de minimis aid received during the two preceding fiscal years and during the current fiscal year.
The Regulation is applied to discretionary government grants given to undertakings in all sectors except primary production of agricultural products, fisheries, aquaculture and the coal industry.
As an exception to the main rule, limited amounts of de minimis aid can be granted to the following sectors:
The Regulation limits the amount of de minimis aid in the transport sector to EUR 100,000. As an additional exception to the main rule, de minimis aid cannot be granted to the coal industry nor can it be granted as an export aid or as an aid favouring domestic over imported products. De minimis aid cannot be granted to undertakings in difficulty or to undertakings facing a reorganization programme or bankruptcy.
All the information regarding the application of this Regulation shall be recorded and put together. Records concerning granted de minimis aid shall be stored for 10 years from the date of granting. These records shall contain all information necessary to prove that the requirements of the Regulation have been complied with. On the Commission’s request, all the information regarding de minimis aid shall be provided within 20 working days from the date of the request.
Finnpartnership programme assists companies in seeking out new business opportunities and partners. Business partnerships refer to long-term joint activities between companies or other private sector actors in Finland and in developing countries.
Finnpartnership channels business partnership opportunities from developing countries to companies in Finland and vice versa. Finnish and international companies can explore suitable opportunities for cooperation on Finnpartnership’s website (Partners search database) as well as post information about the business initiatives they have to offer.
Finnish companies can apply for a grant type support through the Business Partnership Support Facility for commercially viable activities aimed at economic cooperation in developing countries. This is a discretionary government grant, which the Ministry for Foreign Affairs grants as de minimis aid.
Eligible applicants are
The purpose of the Business Partnership Support Facility is to encourage commercial cooperation between Finnish companies and companies and organizations in developing countries. The aim is to achieve positive developmental effects in the target countries.
Finnpartnership provides companies and organizations wide ranging advisory services relating to business partnership between Finnish and developing country actors.From the outset of planning a project, companies can contact Finnpartnership’s experts who can provide guidance throughout the different phases of a project.
