The SME National Growth Programme

The SME National Growth Programme is being used to evaluate the actual growth requirements for companies and to activate their business development. The implementation of the project is the responsibility of the Finnish Science Park Association TEKEL and Prizzway Ltd.

The aim of the SME National Growth Programme is to challenge 200 Finnish companies with growth potential to evaluate their own actual growth requirements. For the 80 companies selected to continue, active business development programmes will be drawn up. The implementation of the project is the responsibility of the Finnish Science Park Association TEKEL and Prizzway Ltd, and is being funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Uusimaa Employment and Economic Development Centre.

- As knowledge of the strong customer interface of the science park network is linked to this high-quality business development service, the question becomes one of nationally significant investment in the promotion of growth entrepreneurship through very concrete activating measures. The model of co-operation now being constructed offers the growth companies of our country a strong instrument for the efficient allocation of funding and skills resources, says Kyösti Jääskeläinen, Managing Director of TEKEL.

During the project, basic analyses charting business growth potential will be done for 200 SME companies. Of those, development programmes aimed at growth will be drawn up for 80 companies, and these programmes will be launched together. Development measures directed at previously defined needs will be done by experts who have been commissioned by business developers through a tendering process. The basic analysis and preparation of the development programme will be funded from the project. As far as development measures are concerned, the companies themselves must shoulder 50% of the funding.

Jari Järnstedt, CEO of Prizzway Ltd.

- The evaluation of a company’s growth potential and the preparation of a development programme require the active participation of the company’s executive board in company-targeted work over the course of three days. Once the key development needs have been identified together, development measures supported by funding can be initiated. The TEKEL network’s business developer will also investigate other funding alternatives as required from the wide co-operation network, says Jari Järnstedt, CEO of Prizzway Ltd.

- Growth activity is a matter of will, born from the desire of the key personnel and owners of a company to advance the business. Growth does not occur by itself, but requires carefully considered business plans. In the project, we will be focusing on the preparation of company-specific business development plans in order to reach growth targets, as well as the efficient elimination of obstacles that have been identified as harmful to growth. In other words, there will be no jargon aimed at improving the world in general. Instead, our aim is to produce concrete solutions, summarises Järnstedt.

On the basis of a tender, 40 experienced business developers from the TEKEL network have been appointed for the project. The business developers will be trained in autumn 2009 as users of the browser based Progress business development system, which has been developed for the preparation of basic analyses and development programme. With the Progress system, results gained from the project will be compiled into a comprehensive report.

The SME national growth programme will continue until the end of 2011.

Further information:

CEO Jari Järnstedt
Prizzway Ltd.
tel. +358 (9) 44 710 5340
jari.jarnstedt(at)prizzway.fi

Executive Director Kyösti Jääskeläinen
Finnish Science Park Association TEKEL
tel. +358 (0)40 541 7971
kyosti.jaaskelainen(at)tekel.fi

Prizzway Ltd, part of the Prizztech group, is a company providing services in business development. www.prizzway.fi