Frequently Asked Questions

Your company must be a member of Finnish Work to be granted the permission to use a mark. You can fill in a member application at the same time as you apply for the right to use a mark.

We will email you links to the applications after you have filled in the preliminary information form on our website. If necessary, we will help you fill in the application by telephone

Member applications are processed at meetings of the Board of Directors, while mark applications are processed by mark committees. The committees consist of experts in various fields. After the processing, you will receive an email regarding the status of your application. Please send your application the week before the meeting in which you would like your application to be processed. 

The meeting schedule is available here

Once your application is approved, you will receive personal credentials to our Extranet. There, you can download the official logos for the marks in different file formats, graphic instructions, social media images, bulletin templates and other communications tips. You can also find graphic instructions for the marks here.

The Extranet service also includes research, current campaign materials, recordings of our events as well as presentation materials.

The Extranet service also includes research, current campaign materials, recordings of our events as well as presentation materials.

Each mark is granted in accordance with strict criteria. Each year, the companies are obligated to notify Finnish Work about any changes in the key figures impacting the use of the mark. If necessary, we will visit the company in person to examine whether the criteria is fulfilled or not. The mark committees have the right to withdraw a mark from a company if it breaches the law and stipulations, for example, on the basis of a statement from National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health Valvira or other decision by a government authority.

The use of the mark is also monitored by consumers and competitors who can notify Finnish Work of any misuse of a mark or a suspicion thereof. Misuse is rather rare. If you suspect any misuse, please notify us at asiakaspalvelu@suomalainentyo.fi.

The membership consists of a fee based on the company’s total turnover as well as a right of use fee, which is 0.01% of the turnover of the products or services for which the mark is granted. The payment is EUR 97–5,900 per year, depending on the company’s turnover. 

Use the membership fee calculator to see what your payment would be

You can apply for the Key Flag Symbol and Design from Finland Mark for individual products, product groups or services. Please note that the Key Flag Symbol has separate applications for products and services. If you are applying for the Key Flag Symbol for an online shop, use the service application.

The Finnish Social Enterprise Mark is applied for the entire company.

The Key Flag Symbol is a registered collective mark granted by Finnish Work. It can be granted to a member company of Finnish Work that has a business ID and fulfils the criteria of the mark. The Key Flag Symbol can be granted to a product manufactured in Finland or a service produced in Finland by a Finnish-owned company (including online shops).

The mark is managed and monitored by Finnish Work. The Key Flag Symbols are granted on the basis of applications, which are processed by a committee consisting of independent experts that convenes seven (7) times a year.  As a rule, the mark is issued for three (3) years at a time

The Key Flag Symbol can be issued to a product or group of products manufactured in Finland. Products with a similar manufacturing process can be included in the same product group. Furthermore, the domestic content of the product must be at least 50 percent. The domestic content refers to the share of Finnish costs of the product’s cost price. The calculation takes into account all production costs allocated for the product or service, such as raw materials, components and other variable and fixed costs allocated for the product, such as salaries.

The Key Flag Symbol can also be issued to a service process produced by a company. The application must explain the different stages of service production and describe how the company provides its customers with “immaterial work”. Service companies must also have a significant Finnish ownership, its management must be based in Finland, and the company headquarters must be located in Finland.

The right to use the Key Flag Symbol can also be granted to a Finnish online shop. The online shop must be a Finnish-owned company serving customers from Finland, with its warehouse, headquarters and management located in Finland. The service must be produced in Finland and products delivered from Finland. The payment and delivery terms of the online shop, as well as the EU General Data Protection Regulation’s register and privacy policy, are clearly presented.

Review all of the criteria here. 

The Key Flag Symbol is a mark of origin controlled by Finnish Work, and it has clear criteria. It allows your company to indicate the Finnish origin of its products and services with the help of a familiar, distinguished and trusted symbol.

An image of the Finnish flag does not guarantee the origin country of the product, as there are no clear instructions for the use of the flag, and there is no party that monitors the use of the Finnish flag in products. A misuse of the Finnish flag can be notified to the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.

Among other things, the application asks for the company’s basic information, questions regarding the manufacturing process of the product/product group and the purpose of use. In addition, you have to fill in a domestic content calculation as the domestic content of your product and service must be over 50%. If you are applying for the mark for a service, we will ask for a service process description as well as an account of owners and shares of ownership. Please note that products and services have separate application forms.

You can access the application by filling in the preliminary information form

Thousands of marks have been granted so far. Around 8,750 companies (December 2024) use the Key Flag Symbol. Products and services bearing the symbol:

• Made in Finland – 4,600 access rights
• Finnish service – 6,300 access rights
• Finnish online shop – 400 access rights

You can see the current number of companies on the “Mark and company search” page (in Finnish).

Originally, the Key Flag Symbol was created as a campaign symbol for Finnish products in 1965. In 1975, it became an official label of origin as it became possible to apply for the symbol for products manufactured in Finland.

The Key Flag Symbol has been granted for services of Finnish-owned companies since 1995 and Finnish online shops since 2022.

The domestic content of a product is calculated for the whole manufacturing process – from the initial stage until the goods are ready at the gate of the “production plant”. The calculation indicates the share of Finnish costs in the manufacturing process, i.e. the share of Finnish costs in the cost value. The domestic content of Key Flag products must be at least 50% of cost value. The calculation is made in euros on an annual basis or per product.

Cost price: What it costs the company to manufacture the product itself, taking into account essential manufacturing costs such as raw materials and supplies, partly and semi-finished products or subcontracting, and wages and salaries (excluding company profits and taxes).

If necessary, you can use our domestic content calculation template before filling in your application. You can ask for it by emailing us at asiakaspalvelu@suomalainentyo.fi.

All of the necessary raw materials and partly or semi-finished goods needed in Finnish products are not manufactured or available in Finland. This is why the domestic content requirement cannot be 100%. The domestic content is calculated from the product’s cost price. This means that costs paid for by the buyer after the packaged product leaves the plant’s front door do not count towards the Finnish costs.

Products with the Key Flag Symbol have had the 50% domestic content requirement since it became possible to apply for it in 1975.

If the products are part of the same product group or their domestic content and manufacturing process are similar with a product that has already received the mark, you can apply for the mark for the new products with an extended application. You can find it on our Extranet for members

If the new product is significantly different from the product that has already received the mark, you must fill in a new application on our Extranet.

You can apply for the Key Flag Symbol for all products manufactured in Finland, including food products. Because the Key Flag symbol is a sign of Finnish work and not raw materials, the requirement is not that all of the raw materials must be Finnish. The application must explain the content of the manufacturing stages, i.e. specify which stage of manufacturing does what. The committee should get a clear picture of the process and how the added value of the product is increasing.

However, the Key Flag Symbol must not be misleading. For food products, we encourage you to always use the Key Flag logo’s Made in Finland (Valmistettu Suomessa) text version. We also encourage companies to be transparent if their main raw material comes from outside Finland.

Read more about applications for food products

Read Graphic Guidelines for the Key Flag Symbol.

The use of the marks is guided by the content of the mark permits granted to companies, i.e. the correct mark logo must always be used in connection with the product or service for which it has been granted. A logo can be used, for example, in product packaging, advertising, social media, catalogues and promotions as well as online. The service mark can be used on the company’s website, in customer presentations and at trade fairs and events, for example. Key Flag online shops must use a logo with the text “Finnish online shop”.

The service mark can never be used on a product. The use of the Key Flag logo must not mislead the consumer or give a false impression of the product or service.

If more than 75 per cent of a company’s turnover is created by products or services for which the Key Flag Symbol has been granted, the company can use the Key Flag Symbol in its corporate brand marketing. In this case, the Key Flag logo can be combined with the company’s own logo.

Finnish Work must be made aware of all product groups/products for which the Key Flag Symbol is used. This is important for product traceability and the reliability of the Key Flag Symbol, especially if the manufacturer’s name is not visible on the label. However, we recommend transparency.

As a rule, in the case of large commercial enterprises, the product’s manufacturer applies for the right to use the Key Flag Symbol in connection with the product. This is because the manufacturer is familiar with the manufacturing process and domestic content, which will be disclosed in the application form. In this case, the manufacturer will also take care of practically all matters related to the right to use the Key Flag Symbol. The manufacturing company must also be a member of the Finnish Work.

If the marketer/seller wants to be responsible for the right to use the Key Flag Symbol and the mark, the company must apply for the right to use the mark for the product. If the manufacturer does not wish to disclose its cost structure to its partner, the manufacturing company can send the domestic content estimate directly to the Association. All information provided is confidential. These are contractual matters between the partners.

Read more about applications for Private Label products

A Key Flag Symbol product is always a product manufactured in Finland. It must also fulfil the domestic content requirement, which is at least 50% of the product’s cost price. These criteria must always be fulfilled.

The image of Finnish origin is an added factor which the committee applies to its decisions on whether to grant the Key Flag Symbol. With some applications, all the other criteria for the Key Flag Symbol are met but the overall image is not Finnish. In such cases, the committee may make the decision not to grant the Key Flag Symbol.

When evaluating an application, the committee starts by examining whether there is any manufacturing, i.e. is it a process in which the raw materials’ value increases and some genuine industrial manufacturing happens. Just packaging the product is not enough to fulfil the criteria of the Key Flag Symbol.

Yes.  The Key Flag Symbol can be granted to Finnish Companies that sell their own products or resell someone else’s products in their online shop regardless of whether the products are Finnish or foreign. This is because the mark is granted to the online shop service, not the products.

However, various marketplace operators that focus on moving products from China to the world or between various online shops cannot apply for the Key Flag Symbol. Localised online shops operating from abroad also cannot apply for the Key Flag Symbol. The warehouse must be in Finland and deliveries must happen from Finland. Behind a Key Flag Symbol online shop must always be a Finnish company serving customers in Finnish.

If product data mentions the Key Flag Symbol, the mark must have been granted to the product in question. Product-specific Key Flag Symbols are applied for by the manufacturer of the product in question.

What kind of a company can apply for the right to use the Design from Finland Mark? The Design from Finland Mark is a registered collective mark granted by Finnish Work. It can be granted to a member company of Finnish Work that has a business ID, is based in Finland and fulfils the criteria of the mark. The mark may be granted to a product, product group or service that has been designed professionally and responsibly in Finland with the user in mind. The manufacturing country can be Finland or some other country.

The main category on the application must be product or service. If you are applying for the mark for both a product and a service, you must submit two separate applications.

The mark is managed and monitored by Finnish Work. Design from Finland Marks are granted on the basis of applications, which are processed by a committee consisting of independent experts that convenes five (5) times a year. The right to use the mark is granted for a period of three (3) years at a time

The company must be a Finnish company, and its headquarters must be in Finland. The company must invest in design, consider user-friendliness in the design of their products/services, communicate openly about the origin of their products, and be aware of and seek to minimise the risks associated with their suppliers.

Review all of the criteria here

The Design from Finland Mark is a collective mark with clear criteria, controlled by Finnish Work. The mark signals that the product or service has been designed professionally and responsibly in Finland with the user in mind. The mark also helps the business distinguish itself from competitors and communicates about high-quality Finnish design internationally.

In order to apply for the Design from Finland Mark, the design process of the product/service must be complete and pictures of the products must be available. The company must also have a website or other electronic platform where the product can be accessed. You can apply for the mark for products with at least small series manufacturing. You cannot apply for the mark for fully unique pieces or products.

Among other things, the application asks for the following: basic information about the company, turnover of the last financial period for those products/services for which you are applying the mark, the designers’ work experience and educational background in design, the value of any purchased design services, a description of the design process as well as information related to the production chain’s transparency and manufacturing country. If you are applying for the mark for a service, we will ask for a service description. You will need to attach a brand logo and pictures of the products/service concept.

If you are applying for a mark for both products and services, please fill in separate applications for each. You can get instructions on how to apply by first filling in the preliminary information form.

Several hundred rights to use the mark have been granted. You can see all valid mark permits on the “Mark and company search” page (in Finnish).

The Design from Finland Mark was launched in 2011 at the initiative of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland. Its purpose is to highlight companies that have invested in professional design. One of the objectives was to support the internationalisation of such companies. The immaterial work happening alongside manufacturing creates an increasing number of jobs in Finland. This means, for example, the design of products and services.

Simply stating the country of manufacture is not enough: all countries must be named for each product and communicated transparently to consumers.

Graphic Guidelines for the Design from Finland Mark.

The Social Enterprise Mark is a registered collective mark granted by Finnish Work. It can be granted to a member company of Finnish Work that has a business ID, is based in Finland and fulfils the social entrepreneurship criteria of the mark.

The purpose of a social enterprise is to contribute to social or ecological good through business activities. These enterprises share their goal of producing good openly and use most of their revenue to promote this objective.

The mark has been granted to many kinds of companies, associations and foundations regardless of company form. Among others, the mark is used by companies in the care sector, actors in the environmental sector, the cultural sector and providers of health services.

The mark is managed and monitored by Finnish Work. The Social Enterprise Marks are granted on the basis of applications, which are processed by a committee consisting of independent experts that convenes four (4) times a year. The mark is generally granted for three years at a time; however, the committee may also grant the mark for a shorter time, for example, one year.

New, recently established organisations can receive the right to use the mark for one year even if they have not completed their first financial statements yet. However, the organisation must be able to prove that they have business activities and turnover through which they contribute to social good.

The enterprise’s purpose must be to produce social good through its business operations, and most of its revenue is used to promote this social objective. The enterprise has a new kind of operating method related to its social mission, and its business activities are transparent and follow good governance. The company must define its social objective and the way it uses its revenue in its articles of association, regulations or some other review.

Review all of the criteria here

The mark is a reliable way to communicate that the company produces social good through its business activities.  This way, the mark can impact consumers’ and municipal decision-makers’ purchase decisions. The mark also increases awareness of social enterprises.

The enterprise can apply for the mark once operations have started and services are concretely realised on the market. Start-up companies still starting their operations can also apply for the mark; however, in the application phase, they must be able to prove that the company already has activities. They must also have at least a plan and operating principles for how revenue will be used.  

The committee is generally able to process applications from companies whose activities can be examined online, for example, on the company website. 

In addition to basic information about the company, the application must also describe the company’s objective for producing social good as well as how the company will use any revenue/surplus to promote its objective. In addition, the application asks you to explain how the impact of the company’s activities is measured and to describe the transparency and responsibility of the business activities. You need to attach the organisation’s logo, financial statements of the previous financial period or some other review of ongoing operations as well as a document indicating the use of revenue/surplus.

You can access the application by filling in the preliminary information form

The Finnish Social Enterprise Mark was established to help people identify social enterprises in a reliable manner. Its purpose is to increase awareness and appreciation of social business activities. Social business activities are not well known in Finland even though enterprises play a significant role in solving social and environmental problems. Social business activities are also confused with charity, social companies and corporate social responsibility.

The mark was launched in 2011. The criteria of the mark is modelled after countries such as the United Kingdom, where social entrepreneurship has long traditions. A working group by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to import the mark to Finland. Its purpose was to create reform and innovations to publicly financed services operating according to this business model. Finnish Work was trusted with the administration of the mark.

Hundreds of marks have been granted so far. You can see the current number as well as descriptions of the companies the mark has been granted to on the “Mark and company search” page (in Finnish).

Social enterprises are not eligible for any public grants that other companies are not eligible for. They carry out profitable business activities and compete on the same market as other companies.

Social enterprises are not eligible for any public grants that other companies are not eligible for. They carry out profitable business activities and compete on the same market as other companies.

Yes, in 2024 the name of the Association of Finnish Work/Suomalaisen työn liitto changed to Finnish Work/Suomalainen työ.

In order to apply for the marks monitored by Finnish Work (the Key Flag Symbol, the Design from Finland Mark and the Social Enterprise Mark), you must be a member of Finnish Work. There are separate applications for applying for a membership in the Association and the right to use the marks. As a member of the Association, you get to be part of a value community that networks and meets regularly in various meetings organised by stakeholders. Member companies are supported in communications with the Association’s channels and materials. In addition, member companies have access to important research data and advice from the Association’s specialists.

Companies can also be members of Finnish Work even if they are not applying for the right to use any of the marks. This is an easy way to communicate the company’s values and responsibility.

The Association was originally founded by the same public enlightenment actors and factory owners who founded the School of Economics and Chamber of Commerce.

In its founding year 1912, Finland was a Grand Duchy in the multinational Russian Empire. The Association of Enlightenment and Industry (Association for Finnish Work) was part of Finland’s efforts for independence.

Originally, Finnish Work was founded for the organisation of the Week for Furthering Finnish Industry, i.e., Finnish Week. The Finnish Week was organised several times between 1913 and 1975. The great national celebration consisted of seminars, concerts, outdoor events, advertising processions, shop window competitions and industrial exhibitions.

Finnish Work has no actual owner. The members of the association-like organisation hold the highest decision-making powers. The Association is a non-profit specialist organisation, funded by its member companies and organisations through member fees.

The Association’s highest decision-making body is with the Council, consisting of representatives of the Association’s member companies and various associations, appointed at an election meeting annually. The Board of Directors appointed by the Council meets six (6) times a year under the leadership of its Chair. The Board of Directors supervises the work of the mark committees for the Key Flag Symbol, Design from Finland Mark and Social Enterprise Mark and the Association’s employees. 

Read more about the organisation here

We do not rely on government subsidies. We are an operator fully independent from labour market organisations and fully funded by our member companies.

Our member companies come from all sectors, from microenterprises to major employers. Most of the members are SMEs.

When you apply for the right to use our marks (the Key Flag Symbol, the Design from Finland Mark or the Finnish Social Enterprise Mark), you are also joining Finnish Work as a member and, in addition to the user rights, you will have access to all of the membership benefits. You can also become a member without applying for user rights of the marks and still have our general membership benefits.

As a member, you can participate in all of our training courses and events free of charge and watch recordings of the events for free. Yearly, we organise joint campaigns together with our members offering materials free of charge for everyone. We cooperate with our members regularly in communication at different levels, and we also promote our members in our channels

Our regular surveys on consumers, B2B buyers and public procurement are available to our members. This valuable research data can be utilised in sales and marketing.

We send our newsletter and event invitations to those member company employees whose contact information we have in our customer database. You can ask us to add your contact details to the database by emailing us at asiakaspalvelu@suomalainentyo.fi. We will also provide you with personal credentials to our Extranet where you can edit the information of your company’s contact persons

You can find all the products, services, online shops and companies that have been granted the Key Flag Symbol, Design from Finland Mark or Social Enterprise Mark on the “Mark and company search” page (in Finnish). You can search and browse information on mark-bearing products and services by mark, type, target group or category

You can log in to the member service in the right-hand corner of our website www.suomalainentyo.fi or by clicking here

Graphic Guidelines for the Social Enterprise Mark.