Background information

In order to support those self-employed that have been negatively affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, the Finnish Government has given a temporary decree that make it possible for municipalities to apply for a grant that is then redistributed to solo-self-employed. Municipalities apply for this grant through Ministry of Economic Affairs and Labour. The amount of the grant is dependent on the number of solo-self-employed registered in the municipality.

Content of measure

The grant is available for those self-employed who are either registered or whose entrepreneurial income is no less than €20,000 per year. Only those self-employed whose the financial situation and business activity has suffered from the outbreak of COVID-19 qualify for this grant. Furthermore, eligibility for the grant is dependent on the situation of the self-employed - only those with reasonable possibilities to continue business activities shall be given the grant.

The Government will direct up to €250 million euros to financial aid for solo-self-employed. An individual grant is €2,000 and it can be paid out only once. Self-employed can use this grant to cover expenses that have resulted from business activities between 16 March 2020 and 31 August 2020.

Use of measure

By May 2020, municipalities had received nearly 20,000 applications from self-employed.

By the end of August 2020, €85 million of the €250 million budget had been used. The number of applicants that had been granted the support was 20,000.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Solo-self-employed	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Local / regional government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Direct consultation outside a formal body	Direct consultation outside a formal body

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Only employers' organisations
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

No information available.

Views and reactions

There is no information regarding the involvement of the social partners.

Sources

• 08 April 2020: Yksinyrittäjien koronatuen valmistelu etenee - kunnille rahoitusta ja tarkemman ohjeet haun järjestämisestä (tem.fi)
• 06 May 2020: The granting of corona support to sole proprietors in municipalities started quickly (Yksinyrittäjien koronatuen myöntäminen kunnissa käyntiin ripeästi) (www.kuntaliitto.fi)
• 24 August 2020: One third of the budget available for support for solo-self-employed has been used (Yksinyrittäjien korona-avustuksesta käytetty noin kolmannes) (www.kuntaliitto.fi)