
Sustainable Entrepreneurship Grant
Funding opportunities for entrepreneurial-minded students of TAMK and TAU.
Towards your entrepreneurial dreams
The foundations of the Tampere Universities community annually distribute sustainable entrepreneurship grants. With the grant, we aim to encourage and inspire our students to take the next steps toward their own entrepreneurial dreams and support their progress in their studies.
Test and develop!

The grant is ideal for developing one’s own business, such as purchasing necessary tools or software for the business, covering costs for agile experiments, or starting marketing activities.
The grant is applied for using an electronic form, so please invest in your application by convincing us of your genuine desire to develop your business. We want to support you on your journey towards utilizing your own potential! Grant practices vary depending on the field or campus you are studying at. Check below for the applicable criteria and schedules!
The grant supports studies and sustainable entrepreneurial activities practiced during studies. Eligible applicants are TAMK students or student teams that have developed a business idea during their studies and want to conduct practical experiments and development work to refine the idea. The student team can also include university students, students from other universities of applied sciences, or representatives from companies, but the support foundation can only grant support to TAMK students within the framework of the foundation law.
The grant amount is between 2000-5000 €. The application period for the grant is twice a year, in March-April and August-September.
Grant criteria
- The team has a business plan which aims at growth through sustainable development.
- The turnover may be a maximum of €30,000/year.
- Entrepreneurship activities also support applicants’ studies and graduation.
- The team has diverse expertise and competence in using networks.
- The team is committed to sharing its experiment and development results with the universities community.
- The team was founded a maximum of a year before the grant application.
- An additional funding criterium is an intranet publication through TAMK Communications and Societal Impact. We also hope for support to increase the foundation’s visibility in different channels if you give newspaper, magazine or other media interviews or participate in events.
- The team is capable of acquiring an equivalent sum of other funding. In this case, the foundation can grant an additional bonus. The funding has to be external but not a bank loan, loan or the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment’s support. The additional funding has to be proved with bank transfer vouchers. The provider of the additional funding must be separately reported to the Foundation, if the funding has been received from a related family member. In addition, a report is made on where the funding received from the provider has been used.
- After being awarded a grant, the team has to send a final report to the foundation describing what the grant was used for and what was achieved with the grant.
- If the Foundation grants the maximum amount of the sustainable entrepreneurship grant, €5,000, it will be paid to the grantee/recipients in parts. In which case a statement of the use of the grant with a report and account slips must also be made in between the granting process.
Tampere University support foundations distribute an annual grant to support studies and sustainable entrepreneurial activities practiced during studies. The grant distributed by the Industrial Research Fund at Tampere University of Technology (TTY support foundation) is intended for students studying towards a master’s degree in engineering or architecture, as well as doctoral students in the field. For other study fields, see TAU support foundation below.
The grant amount is between 1000-5000€. The grant can also be awarded in a smaller amount than applied for.
Grant criteria
- You have/ your team has a business plan with sustainable growth targets.
- The planned entrepreneurial actions support your studies and graduation.
- You may have a businessID, but it is not necessary.
- The turnover must not exceed 30,000 €/year.
- You / your team commits to sharing the lessons of the experiments and development work with the higher education community.
- The grant recipient/team produces a story that is published in the appropriate communication channels of Tampere Universities.
- The person/team that received the grant will produce a final report once the planned experiment has been completed.
- We value entrepreneurial skills acquired through studies or hands-on experience in similar activities.
The Tampere University Foundations distribute an annual grant to support studies and sustainable entrepreneurship practices during studies. The grant provided by the Tampere University Foundations is intended for students pursuing a degree or postgraduate studies in the following fields within the scope of the foundation’s activities:
- Social sciences
- Health sciences
- Humanities
- Natural sciences
- Social research
- Business and management
- Education
- Art and design
Excluding students studying towards a master’s degree in engineering or architecture, which are included in TTY support foundation (see above).
The grant amount is between 1000-5000€. The grant may also be awarded in a smaller amount than applied for.
Grant criteria
- You have/ your team has a business plan with sustainable growth targets.
- The planned entrepreneurial actions support your studies and graduation.
- You may have a businessID, but it is not necessary.
- The turnover must not exceed 30,000 €/year.
- You / your team commits to sharing the lessons of the experiments and development work with the higher education community.
- The grant recipient/team produces a story that is published in the appropriate communication channels of Tampere Universities.
- The person/team that received the grant will produce a final report once the planned experiment has been completed.
- We value entrepreneurial skills acquired through studies or hands-on experience in similar activities.
How to apply
First, make sure that you are applying for the appropriate grant, either the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Grant from either TAMK or Tampere University’s two different support foundations. Read the criteria for the grant carefully and prepare the necessary materials. You can familiarize yourself with the grant application form in advance and prepare your application accordingly.

While there’s no active application period, keep an eye on the news in Tampere’s higher education community intranet and on HUBS’s communication (on our website and social media) for grant application deadlines.
Grant & taxation
If you receive a grant, you must report it to the tax authorities (in the annual tax return). A grant or scholarship received for the purpose of studying, scientific research, or artistic work may be tax-free income.
For more detailed instructions regarding grants and taxation, you can refer to the Tax Administration’s website.
Any questions?
Have you read the instructions and criteria carefully? We have tried to make the guidelines as clear and comprehensive as possible.
If you can’t find the information you are looking for, please contact HUBS team leader Marika and we will solve the matter!
Contact person

Marika Vuorenmaa
Team Leader
Enabler in heart and encourager by nature. I believe in building common entrepreneurial culture among TAMK and Tampere University.
A true optimist.