Funding for international growth
Going international is the move Finnish public funders most want to support. There are small, fast grants for exploring a new market, Finnvera instruments for financing export deals, EU programmes for scaling, and private capital for the growth itself. The list below shows every internationalisation-relevant option we track, live from our funding database.
Grants
Business development aid (development measures)min grant €10,000The standard regional grant for SME development projects, now handled by the Elinvoimakeskus (formerly the ELY centre).Company-group project75% aid for a shared development project run by 3 to 10 companies, often used to split the cost of entering a new market.EIC Acceleratorgrant ≤€2.5M + equity €1–10MThe EU's deep-tech scale-up instrument, combining a grant with an equity option.Eurostarsavg project €1.4–1.5MAn EU R&D grant for SME-led international consortia.Food Exhibition Explorer€1,000–10,000Trade-fair support for food and beverage companies.Food Market Explorer€5,000–20,000Export market-research funding for food and drink companies.Rural development supportcosts €5k–100k (aid €2.5k–50k)Covers half the cost of expert services for rural companies.Sprint grantup to €100,000Business Finland's entry-level R&D grant for small companies with an innovation aimed at international markets.Loans
Convertible loantypically €100k–3MA loan that converts into shares at your next financing round, usually at a discount.Corporate bondmini-bonds from ~€5M · public issues €20M+Debt sold to investors instead of borrowed from a bank.Growth Loanfrom €500k (projects > €1.5M)Subordinated (mezzanine) finance for larger growth, internationalisation or ownership projects, sitting between bank debt and equity.Internationalisation Loan / Guaranteecase-by-caseFinance for establishing or expanding operations abroad, such as a subsidiary or joint venture.Private debt / direct lendingtypically €5–50MNon-bank loans from credit funds for larger needs such as acquisitions, growth and refinancing.Venture debttypically €0.5–5MExtends runway between equity rounds without immediate dilution.Guarantees
Export credit guaranteestransaction-basedFinnvera's export trade-finance guarantees, covering buyer credits, bonds and export receivables.Equity
Angel investment€20k–500kOften the first external equity, with hands-on help from experienced entrepreneurs.Equity crowdfundingtypically €100k–2MRaises growth capital from the public while building a customer and fan base.Private equity / buyout€2M upwardsFor profitable companies in ownership changes, succession or industry consolidation.SAFE-style notetypically €50k–1MA convertible without the debt: the investor pays now and receives shares at the next priced round, with no interest and no maturity date.Tesi growth equityventure €2–10M · growth €10–50M · industrial €50–200MThe state's minority equity co-investor for scaling companies, always investing on market terms alongside private investors.Venture capitalrounds typically €0.5–10MEquity for high-growth companies targeting international markets.How to choose
Start small and cheap. Market exploration grants (the Explorer family and its sector variants) fund market studies, exhibition visits and first steps abroad with light applications — a good way to test a market before committing to it.
Financing the deals. When orders start coming, Finnvera’s internationalisation and export credit instruments carry the working capital and buyer risk that banks alone won’t.
Scaling. EU programmes (Eurostars, the EIC Accelerator) and growth investors take over where national support ends. They expect an international plan by default — the national instruments above are often how you build the proof for them.
Frequently asked questions
What funding exists for entering a new export market?
Small exploration grants fund market studies and exhibition participation; regional business development aid can support a broader internationalisation project; and a company-group project lets 3–10 companies share the cost of entering a market together.
How does Finnvera help with exports?
Two ways: internationalisation loans and guarantees finance your expansion, and export credit guarantees cover the risk in individual export deals so your bank can finance them.
Can a small company get EU funding for international growth?
Yes — Eurostars is aimed at R&D-heavy SMEs with international partners, and the EIC Accelerator funds breakthrough products aiming at European scale. Both are competitive but open to small companies.
Not sure where you fit?
Run our funding tool to screen your situation in a few minutes — or send us a note. Screening is what we do.
Check if you qualify