Business Helsinki will continue to provide advisory services to entrepreneurs and startups also remotely until further notice. If you wish to book a 45 or 90-minute appointment for business consulting, call tel. +358 (09) 310 36360, each weekday between the hours of 9-11 am or fill in a contact form here. Please contact us at other times via email at: yrityshelsinki@hel.fi or startup@hel.fi. All of our services are free of charge and open to everyone.
Coronavirus Info in other languages
Lue koronainfo suomeksi.
Koroonainfo lühidalt eesti keeles
Краткая информация о коронa ситуации
Links to important information and services:
In addition to our free advisory services, Business Helsinki has compiled a list with links to information and services for supporting entrepreneurs during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen has been holding regular briefings in Finnish to inform the Helsinki population about the latest municipal decisions associated with the coronavirus outbreak. You can watch the videos on the City Helsinki’s video streaming service and via the City of Helsinki Facebook account. The city also publishes all of the latest news on the coronavirus situation in English on the City of Helsinki website.
The City of Helsinki offers comprehensive employment services for Helsinki residents and supports the employers of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area with employment along with Uusimaa TE Services.
Suomen Yrittäjät, an interest and service organization for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their owners in Finland, features news and FAQs on the coronavirus and its effects on businesses on its website.
Suomen Yrittäjät also offers the services of a lawyer and a therapist via its #ostapieneltä (Buy from SMEs) support group on Facebook. The lawyer answers questions on weekdays between 3 pm and 8 pm, and the therapist moderates the group for three hours each day.
The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), Finland’s largest interest group working on behalf of the Finnish business community, proposes a 10-point list of (temporary) emergency actions to be taken to save businesses during the coronavirus crisis on its website.
Business Mentors Finland, a non-profit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground and achieve their goals through mentorship, offers mentor support for businesses in the Helsinki metropolitan area during this difficult financial situation. All you have to do to be assigned with a mentor is fill out the request form.
Startup Refugees has written a informative Guide to Entrepreneurs for Corona Virus Era. The guide is available also in Arabic, in Somali and in Farsi.
Public authority websites
Employees of the Finnish Patent and Registers Office (PRH) are also telecommuting, so its face-to-face customer services are on hold until further notice. Online services will continue, however, and customers can call tel. 029 509 5050 every weekday from 9 am to 3 pm with questions. The website has an explanation of the changes at PRH due to the coronavirus, and you can find a list of the office’s online services on their website.
Finland’s Tax Administration (Vero) has introduced several changes due to the coronavirus situation. Among other things, businesses can apply for additional time to submit their tax returns, the Tax Administration will waive the fine for submitting returns late with a valid reason, and the terms of payment arrangements will be eased for the time being, in light of the situation. Find updated information on how the coronavirus has affected the filing and paying of taxes and taxpayer services on the website.
Finland’s Ministry of Finance website contains, among other things, questions and answers about the impact of the coronavirus and a link to government advice and information on coronavirus
The specialists from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) have prepared guidelines for employers and employees for the coronavirus epidemic.
Economy and finance
Enterprise Finland’s Talousapu advisory service has established a national helpline for guidance on what to do in situations caused by the coronavirus crisis. Call tel. + 358 29 502 4880 for service in Finnish, Swedish or English on weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm. The service also provides help to businesses with financial and payment issues for the cost of a normal phone call.
The business cost support from the State Treasury: Business cost support is intended for companies whose turnover has fallen due to the coronavirus pandemic and therefore have difficulties in dealing with the salary expenses and other expenses for the period for which the support is available. According to the Government’s policy, the need for size of the support is assessed on the basis of the sudden loss of turnover caused by the epidemic and the preventative measures imposed. The application period for the fifth round of cost support ended on 18 February 2022 at 16:15. The support will be directed at costs incurred between 1 June and 30 September 2021.
The state financing company Finnvera says it is ready and willing to increase corporate financing of SMEs to help enterprises make it through the coronavirus crisis. Call tel. 029 460 2582 for free financial advice every weekday from 9 am to 4:15 pm. See the website for more information on how Finnvera can help enterprises in these exceptional times.
Tasekirjailijat ry, an association of independent practitioners in the field of financial management, training and networking, has gathered information on how to overcome to financial challenges caused by the coronavirus into one handy pdf document.
Entrepreneur’s unemployment security
Entrepreneurs were temporarily entitled to labour market support to deal with the sudden and unforeseen decline in demand due to the coronavirus epidemic. The Act will remain in force until 30 November 2021. Read questions and answers on entrepreneurs’ right to social security on the website of Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland.
The Unemployment Fund for Finnish Entrepreneurs (SYT) has put together instructions in Finnish on what to do if an entrepreneur is placed in quarantine or contracts the coronavirus.