KoKoA -Koulutetut Kokemusasiantuntijat ry

What KoKoA -Koulutetut Kokemusasiantuntijat ry does

KoKoA -Koulutetut Kokemusasiantuntijat ry is a Finnish non-profit association founded in 2012 and headquartered in Helsinki that operates as the national coordinating body for approximately 400 trained experiential experts (kokemusasiantuntijat) in Finland. Members and network participants come from diverse lived-experience backgrounds including mental health, substance abuse, disability, somatic illness, bankruptcy, bullying, crime victimization, and religious trauma. The organization's core offering is a nationwide matching and ordering service that connects trained experiential experts with healthcare providers, municipalities, social services, NGOs, and educational institutions that need them as lecturers, panel members, workshop facilitators, group leaders, and expert witnesses. Reach is approximately 169,386 listeners per year across Finland.

KoKoA sets and promotes national training and compensation standards (minimum 50 contact hours over 4 months, leading to PAIKKO competency certificates), coordinates certified training programs (KoVa, KAVE, KEIJO), and curates a knowledge bank (Tietopankki) of research and practical resources. The organization coordinates the Kansallinen kokemusasiantuntijatyöryhmä, a national working group of approximately 60 organizations, and runs the annual Mielen Avain-tunnustus recognition. It operates as a mature volunteer-driven association with approximately 70 volunteers contributing an estimated 2,236 hours of work per year, supported by 10 regional coordinators across major Finnish welfare areas; a prior period of wage-subsidized staffing has ended and the organization is now fully volunteer-operated.

The business model is non-commercial: revenue is limited to membership fees (25€/year regular, 35€/year supporting), book sales (Palasista kokonaiseksi at 24.90€ + shipping), and printed training recommendations (20.95€). The organization uses standard web platforms (WordPress, Membook, Zoom) with no proprietary technology. Compensated expert assignments are billed directly between clients and experts per KoKoA's published compensation recommendations, rather than flowing through KoKoA's books.

Name

KoKoA -Koulutetut Kokemusasiantuntijat ry

Legal name

KoKoA - Koulutetut Kokemusasiantuntijat ry

Website

https://kokemusasiantuntijat.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KoKoA ry is a Finnish non-profit association founded in 2012 that coordinates a national network of approximately 400 trained experiential experts (kokemusasiantuntijat), connecting them with healthcare providers, municipalities, NGOs, and educational institutions for lectures, workshops, and service development across Finland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Business Associations (813910), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

Keywords

• Peer support services
• Experiential expertise
• Peer expert training
• Mental health advocacy
• Nonprofit association

Headquarters

HQ city

Espoo

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Full member annual fee is 25€/year; supporting (kannattaja) member annual fee is 35€/year. Membership fees are the primary sustainable revenue stream for a volunteer-run organization.
2. Book sales: KoKoA publishes and sells the book 'Palasista kokonaiseksi' (From Pieces to Whole) written by 10 trained peer experts, priced at 24.90€ + postage (~6.90€). Book proceeds support the association's voluntary work.
3. Training recommendation publications: Printed copies of training and compensation recommendations are sold for 20.95€. Proceeds support the association's operations.
4. Expert assignment fees (peer expert compensation): Trained peer experts can receive compensation for assignments (lectures, panels, workshops, group facilitation). Compensation is paid by the client organization directly to the peer expert per KoKoA's compensation recommendations. Some experts are employed by background organizations that pay a monthly salary.
5. Donations and supporter contributions: The organization accepts supporter memberships and donations as a volunteer-run NGO. Revenue is supplemented by supporter contributions beyond membership fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

KoKoA ry is a Finnish non-profit association that maintains a national network of approximately 400 trained peer experts (kokemusasiantuntijat) with diverse lived experience in mental health, addiction, disability, somatic illness, and trauma. Its core service is a nationwide matching and ordering system that connects these trained peer experts with healthcare organizations, municipalities, and NGOs that need them as lecturers, workshop facilitators, panel members, group leaders, expert witnesses, and service-development partners. The association also publishes national training and compensation recommendations, coordinates certified peer expert training programs, and facilitates the National Peer Expert Working Group comprising nearly 60 organizations.

Product overview

KoKoA -Koulutetut Kokemusasiantuntijat ry is a nationwide voluntary organization representing approximately 400 trained experiential experts from diverse backgrounds including mental health, addiction, disability, somatic illness, and trauma. The organization operates as a service intermediary and professional network rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offerings include: (1) a nationwide ordering/matching service that connects trained experiential experts with organizations needing speakers, workshop facilitators, and advisors; (2) development and promotion of national training and compensation recommendations to standardize the field; (3) coordination of certified experiential expert training programs across Finland; (4) a knowledge bank of research and resources; (5) advocacy and awards recognizing contributions to experiential expertise; and (6) a national working group advancing collaboration among organizations working with experiential experts. The organization is run entirely by volunteers with approximately 70 volunteers contributing about 2,236 hours annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kokemusasiantuntija tilauspalvelu (Experiential Expert Ordering Service)
• Koulutus- ja palkkiosuositukset (Training and Compensation Recommendations)
• Kokemusasiantuntijakoulutus (Experiential Expert Training Coordination)
• Tietopankki (Knowledge Bank)
• Palasista kokonaiseksi (From Pieces to Whole) -book
• Kansallinen kokemusasiantuntijatyöryhmä (National Experiential Expert Working Group)
• Mielen Avain -tunnustus (Mental Key Recognition Award)

Quantifiable outcome

• Training increases employment from 30% to 66% among trained peer experts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Espoo Peer Expert Network (EKO-verkosto)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2022KoKoA co-organizes the annual Espoo Peer Expert Webinaari with the EKO-verkosto, which includes the City of Espoo, HUS psychiatry, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, and HyTe ry. The webinar promotes cooperation between peer experts and professional staff in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
• National Peer Expert Working Group (Kansallinen kokemusasiantuntijatyöryhmä)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKoKoA organizes and coordinates a national working group comprising nearly 60 organizations including hospital districts, municipalities, NGOs, and educational institutions. The working group develops national training and compensation recommendations, shares best practices, and establishes common ethical guidelines for peer expertise. Key participants include A-Kiltojen Liitto ry, Aivovammaliitto, Attendo Oy, Betesda-säätiö, Etelä-Pohjanmaan sairaanhoitopiiri, Espoon kaupunki, FinFami Pohjanmaa, Mielenterveysyhdistys HELMI, Suomen Mielenterveys ry, Siun sote, Tampereen yliopisto, and dozens of others. The group aims to standardize peer expert training and create nationally consistent standards.
• VoimaProfi project and Kokemustiedon keskus (Centre for Experiential Knowledge)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKoKoA participated in the VoimaProfi project, which created the Kokemustiedon keskus (Centre for Experiential Knowledge). This platform consolidates research on peer expertise and experiential knowledge, serving as a national resource for the sector.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mind (UK): Major UK mental health charity providing information, peer support, and advocacy services; broadly comparable as a large peer-support-and-advocacy mental health NGO, though operating at much larger scale and across more service lines.
• Mental Health Foundation (UK): UK-based mental health research and advocacy charity producing evidence, training, and resources; broadly comparable in publishing standards/guidance for mental health practice, but at national-charity scale with broader remit.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Largest US grassroots mental health advocacy and peer-education organization, providing peer-led programs and policy influence; broadly comparable mission of advancing lived-experience expertise, but at vastly larger scale and with broader scope including research and lobbying.

Others

• Mental Health Europe: European-level umbrella representing mental health NGOs and user/family movements across Europe on policy and rights; adjacent as a pan-European body supporting the same kind of peer/user-led organizations that participate in KoKoA's working group.

Direct peers

• Intervoice (International Hearing Voices Network): International peer-led network supporting people who hear voices, organized through trained peer facilitators; closely comparable in methodology (peer-experts delivering training, groups, and consulting) and network structure.
• Vates-säätiö: Finnish foundation supporting employment of partially disabled people and connecting employers with disabled jobseekers; directly comparable as a Finnish organization advancing workforce participation of the same partially-disabled population that comprises 67.6% of KoKoA's membership.
• Mieli ry (Finnish Mental Health Association): Finnish national NGO promoting mental wellbeing and supporting people with mental health challenges through peer-style support, advocacy, and member services; directly comparable as a similarly structured Finnish membership-driven mental-health association.
• NSUN (National Survivor and User Network): UK peer-led network of mental health service users and survivors that develops training and standards for user involvement in healthcare; closely comparable as a peer-led network setting experiential-expertise standards for healthcare involvement.
• FinFami ry: Finnish national federation of family associations supporting relatives of people with mental health challenges; directly comparable as a Finnish NGO/network coordinating lived-experience support services across multiple regional member associations.
• A-Kiltojen Liitto ry: Finnish national umbrella for substance-use peer support associations and a named KoKoA working-group partner; directly comparable as a Finnish NGO coordinating trained peer experts and setting training/compensation practices for lived-experience work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kokoa_ry
• Facebookfacebook.com/kokemusasiantuntijat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kokoa
• Instagraminstagram.com/kokoa_ry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about KoKoA -Koulutetut Kokemusasiantuntijat ry