Harju Ettevõtlus- Ja Arenduskeskus

What Harju Ettevõtlus- Ja Arenduskeskus does

SA Harju Ettevõtlus- ja Arenduskeskus (HEAK) is an Estonian county-level public-interest foundation (sihtasutus avalikes huvides), founded around 2010 and headquartered at Sirge 2, Tallinn. The organization provides free advisory, training, mentoring, and project management services to three primary client segments: entrepreneurs, civic associations (NGOs), and tourism operators in Harju County and the wider Harju-Rapla-Lääne DMO region. HEAK is a member of the Maakondlike Arenduskeskuste võrgustik (Network of Estonian County Development Centres) and operates under the public-interest mandate of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture.

HEAK's core "products" are organized around three free advisory service lines — Ettevõtjale (Entrepreneur Advisory), Kodanikuühendusele (Civic Association Advisory), and Turism (Tourism Services) — supplemented by recurring programs such as the Harjumaa noorte ettevõtlikkusteadlikkuse programm (Youth Entrepreneurship Awareness Program), the Vabaühenduste omatulu teenimise tugiprogramm (NGO Income Generation Program), the ABCD community-development pilot, the Harjumaa Aasta Tegija annual recognition event, and the Annetamistalgud (Giving Tuesday Estonia) national campaign. Underlying technology is intentionally minimal: standard productivity tooling, WordPress with the WPML multilingual plugin (Estonian and Russian), Zoom for webinars, and Fienta for paid event ticketing. Distribution is delivered through in-person consultations at the Tallinn office, Zoom-based self-serve webinars, and traveling info days across Harjumaa municipalities (Saue, Saku, Kuusalu, Rae, Viimsi, etc.).

The business model is grant-based rather than commercial: HEAK's primary funding comes from the European Regional Development Fund (€144,950 for the youth entrepreneurship program and €29,900 for the NGO income program during 2017-2019), co-financed with Harjumaa Omavalitsuste Liit and supplemented by KÜSK (Civic Society Foundation) grants, ministry co-funding (five Estonian ministries), EIS (Enterprise Estonia), Erasmus+ and CERV EU programme grants, and nominal training fees (e.g., €10 per elder council seminar). Most advisory services and info days are provided free of charge; the foundation employs 11-50 staff and operates events confirmed through at least July 2026.

Name

Harju Ettevõtlus- Ja Arenduskeskus

Legal name

SA Harju Ettevõtlus- ja Arenduskeskus

Website

https://heak.ee

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HEAK is an Estonian public-interest foundation offering free business consulting, NGO capacity-building, and tourism coordination services to entrepreneurs, civic associations, and municipalities across Harju County, funded primarily by EU structural and Estonian government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Business and Civic Development Consulting

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK), Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

Keywords

• Business consulting services
• Civic association development
• Youth entrepreneurship education
• Regional development programs
• Tourism advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. EU Structural Funds Grants: HEAK's primary funding comes from EU structural funds (European Regional Development Fund) co-financed with the Estonian state and Harjumaa Omavalitsuste Liit (HOL). Specific allocations include €144,950 (2017-2019) for the Harjumaa Youth Entrepreneurship Awareness Program and €29,900 (2017-2019) for the Civic Association Self-Income Earning Support Program. Additional funding from measures 21.1.4.11 and 21.1.3.51 supports SME skills development and SME awareness in county development centers.
2. Civic Society Capital (KÜSK) Grants: Funding from the Kodanikuühiskonna Sihtkapital (Civic Society Foundation / KÜSK) supports HEAK's civic association conferences (2010-2012) and related community development programs.
3. Paid Training Events: Some training events charge a participation fee (e.g., 10 euros for the Councils of Elderly seminar, January 2026), with registration and payment handled via the Fienta platform. Most services remain free of charge.
4. EU Program Grants (Erasmus+, CERV): HEAK participates as a partner in EU-funded international cooperation projects, including Erasmus+ KA153-YOU (Mobility of Youth Workers, 2024) and the EU Citizens' Programme-funded KNOTS/KNOTS2 project (2018-2021). These projects receive EU grants disbursed via lead partners in Slovakia, Hungary, etc.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Core offering

SA Harju Ettevõtlus- ja Arenduskeskus (HEAK) is a non-profit foundation operating in Harju County, Estonia that delivers free consulting, training, information days, and development programs to entrepreneurs, civic associations (NGOs), and tourism operators. The foundation runs youth entrepreneurship awareness programs (including a student companies initiative), supports municipal officials, hosts international cooperation projects, and produces educational video lectures on business and civic topics.

Product overview

HEAK (SA Harju Ettevõtlus- ja Arenduskeskus / Harju County Entrepreneurship and Development Centre) is a county-level public-interest foundation offering a service portfolio rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings are organized around three free advisory service lines — Ettevõtjale (Entrepreneur Advisory Services), Kodanikuühendusele (Civic Association Advisory Services), and Turism (Tourism Services) — supplemented by the Koolitused ja Infopäevad (Trainings and Information Days) program and the Harjumaa Aasta Tegija (Harju County Person of the Year) recognition program. Targeted programs include the Harjumaa noorte ettevõtlikkusteadlikkuse programm (Youth Entrepreneurship Awareness Program) with its Õpilasfirmad (Student Companies) and Loengud (Educational Video Lectures) modules, the Vabaühenduste omatulu teenimise tugiprogramm (NGO Income Generation Support Program), the ABCD kogukonna arendamine (Asset-Based Community Development) pilot, the Vanusesõbralik Eesti (Age-friendly Estonia) elderly councils initiative, and the KOV ametnike kokkusaamised (Municipal Officials Meetings) series. The Annetamistalgud (Giving Tuesday Estonia) campaign and Rahvusvaheline koostöö (International Cooperation) projects (Erasmus+ and KNOTS) round out the portfolio. Together these form a coordinated ecosystem supporting entrepreneurship, civic society, community development, youth engagement, and tourism in Harju County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Harjumaa turismiportaal: Harju County tourism portal operated at visitharju.ee
• DMO
• Harjumaa Ettevõtlikud

Products and services

• Entrepreneur Advisory Service Free one-on-one consulting and advisory support for existing and aspiring business owners in Harju County, covering business planning, financing, marketing, and operational development.
• Civic Association Advisory Service Free consulting, training, and development support for registered civic associations (NGO sector) in Harju County, covering governance, project management, funding applications, and capacity building.
• Tourism Development Service Advisory and development support for tourism operators in Harju County, including destination development guidance and tourism product development assistance.
• Trainings and Information Days Group training events, workshops, and information days covering entrepreneurship, civic association management, and current regulatory or funding topics, delivered across Harju County municipalities including via mobile info days.
• Harjumaa Youth Entrepreneurship Awareness Program County-wide program to introduce school-age youth to entrepreneurship concepts, business creation, and career opportunities through practical exercises and exposure to local business owners.
• Student Companies Program School-based student company (Õpilasfirmad) program enabling students to set up and run real mini-companies, developing practical business and teamwork skills.
• Educational Video Lecture Library Curated set of recorded video lectures on entrepreneurship and civic association topics, made available online through the foundation's website.
• ABCD Community Development Pilot Program Pilot program applying the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) methodology to strengthen local communities within Harju County.
• Elderly Councils Support Program Support program for municipal elderly councils, providing facilitation, training, and coordination for senior volunteer councils across Harju County municipalities.
• NGO Income Generation Support Program Program supporting registered civic associations in developing sustainable income-generating activities and social enterprise models to reduce grant dependency.
• Municipal Officials Convening Program Recurring meetings and information exchanges bringing together officials from municipalities across Harju County to share knowledge, align on regional development priorities, and coordinate joint initiatives.
• International Cooperation Projects International cooperation projects in which the foundation participates, enabling knowledge exchange and joint development initiatives with regional development counterparts abroad.
• Annetamistalgud Giving Platform Coordination role in the Annetamistalgud (Giving Tuesday Estonia) campaign, mobilizing giving and volunteering across Harju County civic associations and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 150 youth participants per academic year in the Harjumaa noorte ettevõtlikkusteadlikkuse programm
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Regionaal- ja Põllumajandusministeerium (Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture of Estonia)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of HEAK's primary government ministry partners. HEAK is part of the Maakondlike Arenduskeskuste võrgustik (County Development Centers Network) overseen by this ministry. The ministry co-funds HEAK's strategic partnership for community-centered approach implementation 2023-2026.
• Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeerium (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partner supporting SME development in Harjumaa, including co-funding for SME skills development measures (21.1.4.11) and SME awareness measures (21.1.3.51).
• Rahandusministeerium (Ministry of Finance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partner in HEAK's multi-stakeholder advisory framework.
• Siseministeerium (Ministry of Internal Affairs)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for the Kogukonnakeskse lähenemisviisi rakendamine 2023-2026 (Implementation of Community-Centered Approach 2023-2026) partnership with five organizations. Also co-organizes Kodanikupäev (Citizens' Day) and Ühisnädal.
• Sotsiaalministeerium (Ministry of Social Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the NOVA 2 project of MTÜ Kuldne Liiga for elder council development in Harjumaa.
• Ettevõtluse Arendamise Sihtasutus (EIS / Enterprise Estonia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages the Starditoetus (Start-up Grant) program up to €20,000 which HEAK helps entrepreneurs apply for. HEAK hosts info sessions about EIS's grant measures.
• Harjumaa Omavalitsuste Liit (HOL / Harju County Municipalities Association)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-finances HEAK's youth entrepreneurship program (€144,950 for 2017-2019) and civic association self-income program (€29,900 for 2017-2019) via the European Regional Development Fund. HOL also co-organizes KOV meetings and elder council seminars.
• Eesti Töötukassa (Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as one of HEAK's cooperation partners supporting labor market and entrepreneurship initiatives.
• Tallinna Ettevõtlusamet (Tallinn City Enterprise Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for Tallinn-area business development initiatives.
• Harjumaa Leader tegevusgrupid (Harju County Leader Action Groups)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEADER local action group partner for rural development in Harjumaa.
• Kodukant Harjumaa (Harju County Village Movement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizes Harjumaa village events, conferences, and Saaremaa experience trips (Sep 2018).
• Junior Achievement Eesti (JA Estonia)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates the nationwide Õpilasfirma (Student Company) program. HEAK collaborates with JA Estonia to train student company supervisors (mini- and Õpilasfirma juhendajate koolitused) and runs the Harjumaa Best Student Company contest. JA Estonia leads the Töövarjupäev (Job Shadowing Day) nationwide initiative.
• Vabaühenduste Liit (Estonian Nonprofit Liaison Network)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Annetamistalgud (Giving Tuesday Estonia) together with HEAK and the President's Office. Vabaühenduste Liit produces the annetuste kogumise hea tava (good practice guide for donation collection).
• INPORO (Slovakia) and Erasmus+ KA153-YOU partnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Erasmus+ KA153-YOU project CollabYou(th) – Empowering Youth for Workplace Success (March-October 2024). Other partners: Valmieras Attīstības aģentūra (Latvia), Development Center of Vojvodina (Serbia), Mikádo – středisko volného času (Czech Republic), Associazione Culturale Lighthouse Languages (Italy). HEAK consultant Ege Kirik served as Estonian project manager.
• KNOTS! European Citizens Programme consortium (Hungary-led)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the EU Citizens' Programme-funded KNOTS/KNOTS2 (Knowledge, not Skepticism!) city-network project (2018-2021) with 16 countries. Estonian partner MTÜ Töötuba ratastel collaborated with HEAK. Project addressed xenophobia, nationalist propaganda, and euroskepticism at community level.
• MTÜ Maakondlikud Arenduskeskused (County Development Centers)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEAK is a member of this nationwide network of Estonian county development centers. Joint partner in the Siseministeerium strategic partnership for Community-Centered Approach 2023-2026.
• Tartu Ülikooli ühiskonnateaduste instituut (University of Tartu Institute of Social Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development) model adapted for Estonian communities. Two University of Tartu master's program alumni (Kaisa Timmi and Mari Krüüner) serve as ABCD facilitators alongside HEAK consultants.
• MTÜ Kuldne Liiga (Golden League NGO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-implementer of the NOVA 2 (Vanad-noored võrgustuvad koos) project 2022-2024 for elder council development. HEAK consultant Külli Vollmer was Harjumaa partner 2022-2024 and co-launched the Harjumaa elder council network. Joint seminars on legal topics for elderly councils.
• Fienta (event ticketing platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform used for paid event registration and invoicing (e.g., 10-euro elderly council seminars). Fienta also partnered to deliver a March 2026 webinar on effective use of the platform.
• Hooandja (Estonian crowdfunding platform)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard member Elena Zhovnikova delivered an info seminar for HEAK on running successful Hooandja crowdfunding campaigns (February 2026).
• Swedbank EesticoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported the 2025 Annetamistalgud (Giving Tuesday) campaign and contributed €40,000 to the Ma armastan aidata (I Love to Help) platform donations. Long-time partner of HEAK-coordinated Annetamistalgud initiative.
• Not Perfect Tallinn (creative agency)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesigned and executed the Annetamistalgud 2025 campaign creative (the "same side" theme).
• Ülemiste City and Ülemiste keskusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartners supporting the Annetamistalgud 2025 campaign promotion.
• JCDecaux EstoniaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner supporting the Annetamistalgud 2025 campaign via outdoor advertising.
• Changemakers AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted youth training on event organization and project development for Harjumaa youth in 2018 and 2019.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Tallinna Ettevõtlusamet: Tallinn City Enterprise Department that serves as HEAK's cooperation partner for Tallinn-area business development. Operates in the same SME advisory space but exclusively within Tallinn, which HEAK's youth program explicitly excludes.

Broad incumbents

• Töötukassa (Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund): National labour-market institution listed as a HEAK cooperation partner for entrepreneurship and workforce initiatives. Provides overlapping career counselling, training, and entrepreneurship-start support at national scale.
• Ettevõtluse Arendamise Sihtasutus (EIS / Enterprise Estonia): National-level Estonian state foundation that operates SME support instruments (e.g., Starditoetus startup grant) which HEAK helps entrepreneurs apply for. Functions as a broader national incumbent in the same SME advisory and grant-administration space.
• SA Kodanikuühiskonna Sihtkapital (KÜSK): National civic-society foundation that funds HEAK's programs (elderly councils, civic conferences). Operates at a broader national level in the same civic-society development space and co-funds several HEAK initiatives.

Direct peers

• Junior Achievement Eesti: Flagship HEAK partner that leads Estonia's nationwide Õpilasfirma (Student Company) and Töövarjupäev (Job Shadowing Day) programs. Operates the same youth entrepreneurship education model that HEAK delivers at the Harjumaa level.
• SA Virumaa Arenduskeskus: County development centre for Lääne- and Ida-Virumaa, part of the same Estonian county development centre network. Provides comparable SME and civic-society advisory services with similar ERDF co-financing structures.
• SA Vabaühenduste Liit: Estonian open civic associations network that co-organizes Annetamistalgud (Giving Tuesday) with HEAK. Functions as the national-level parallel to HEAK's Kodanikuühendusele advisory line.
• SA Tartumaa Arendusselts: Tartu County LEADER-type local action group and development association, comparable to HEAK in supporting local development, civic initiatives, and rural entrepreneurship in its county.
• Pärnumaa Arenduskeskus: County-level development centre for Pärnu County, member of the same Maakondlike Arenduskeskuste võrgustik as HEAK. Delivers parallel free advisory services to entrepreneurs, NGOs, and tourism operators in its region, making it the closest structural peer.
• Kodukant Harjumaa: Harju County village movement and HEAK partner for rural community events, conferences, and study visits. Comparable in scale and geographic scope, focused on community development within Harjumaa.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SAHEAK

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harju Ettevõtlus- Ja Arenduskeskus