Kaustinen-based mining company Keliber recently confirmed that it will start the construction phase of its long-awaited project. The end product will be lithium, essential for the electrification of the world. For some time now, the largest wind farm in Finland has been under construction in Lestijärvi. Wind power projects are also under way in Halsua, Toholampi and Veteli.

There are already budget allocations for the above-mentioned projects, and often hundreds of millions per project are being talked about. The nomination of Kausti's violin tradition to UNESCO's World Intangible Heritage List is also an interesting possibility, even if it does not have the same price tag. And I wonder what will happen around bioenergy and solar power?

Entrepreneurial opportunities to become a supplier to major projects - Suurhanketoimisto.fi

One of the things an entrepreneur should do is to sign upSuurhanketoimisto.fiSuurhanketoimisto is a networking service created by the Kase Kasvuprogramm project.

- It is quite common practice in major projects to split the project into a few large contracts. These big contracts often go to really big companies, but they in turn split their own work into smaller parts, where our local companies can be an important resource.Suurhanketoimisto.fiacts as a service where it is easy to find a local company by filtering by industry and getting in touch with the operator. Creating a profile is a matter of minutes for an entrepreneur, and has already been proven to generate business. Of course, it is also good to be active through other channels," says Tomas Luoma, project expert for the Kase Growth Programme.

Suurhanketoimisto.fiis a new service and is being developed all the time. An English version is already in use, and soon Swedish will follow. The language versions are essential because large projects also involve foreign companies looking for accommodation or rental machinery, for example.

- We are constantly learning more about major projects and developing the site. We hope to create a service that will make it easier for many large companies to find expertise in our region. Often, big players have projects all over the world, and a regional network has to be built from scratch. We already have that network, and it is growing all the time," Luoma continues.

SuurhanketoimistoBut .fi is only part of the whole. Many companies are already networking with large companies and the business services team is also helping in other ways. You can also always contact them directly for help.

- Of course, the companies will eventually agree on the contracts and details, but we will help in any way we can in the meantime," says Timo Pärkkä, Project Manager of the Kase Kasvuohjelma project.

- We provide information on major projects, tell major projects about companies in our region, enable rapid interactionsuurhanketoimisto.fi-website and bring together companies that may be too small on their own but could together offer contracts and services during the projects," Pärkkä continues.

OX2 and photo by Petteri Löppönen.

The standards are high, but help is at hand

Jarmo Finnilä, a business developer in the Kaustinen sub-region, has observed high standards in at least some of the major projects. The business services team is there to help him meet the requirements.

- Companies, and especially those aiming for large contracts, should start planning to acquire an environmental quality system or at least build up a corresponding systematic and verifiable operating model. Similarly, safety issues and safety management procedures should be put in place at this stage at the latest. Large-scale projects in the region emphasise the various aspects of responsible operations, and everyone involved must demonstrate their mastery of these issues," says Finnilä.

Thebusiness services provided by the Kaustinen sub-region include services such as setting up and changing ownership, business development and investment, training, internationalisation and finding funding. There is a lot more to the basic package than major projects, but it is good to identify the opportunities they bring.

TheKaustinen Region Business Services team recommends contacting them directly, and adding your business to Suurhanketoimistoon. The Kase Growth Programme is funded by the Kaustinen sub-regional municipalities and the ELY Centre of Central Finland.