Leader Tunturi-Lappi / Leader Fell Lapland

What Leader Tunturi-Lappi / Leader Fell Lapland does

Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry is a Finnish non-profit association (yhdistys) founded in 1999 and headquartered in Kittilä, Finland, that operates as the designated Leader local action group for the Tunturi-Lappi region, covering the municipalities of Enontekiö, Kittilä, Kolari, and Muonio. The organization's core function is distributing EU rural development funding (EAFRD/Maaseuturahasto) and national co-funding in the form of grants to local entrepreneurs, village associations, youth (13-25), and community organizations, while also providing project advisory services, innovation programming, and training through projects such as Arktinen Viisaus, Kyläkompassi, and Kyvykkäät kyläverkot.

The organization operates with a small staff of approximately 6 employees, led by Executive Director Tuuli Kinnunen (appointed November 2023) and Project Advisor Helena Nevalainen (appointed May 2024), and is governed by a 12-member board structured on the tripartite ("kolmikanta") principle representing residents/entrepreneurs, the public sector, and associations. Its technology stack is non-proprietary and operational rather than commercial: applications are processed through the Hyrrä digital platform operated by Ruokavirasto (Finnish Food Authority), the public-facing website (redesigned in April 2025 with agency Höyry) serves as an information and advisory channel, and the organization runs a podcast series (Arktinen Viisaus) on Spotify plus social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Revenue is not commercially generated. The association is funded by EU, national, and municipal contributions, and distributes grants rather than selling services. Over the 2023-2025 period, it allocated €1.7 million in grants to Tunturi-Lappi communities and entrepreneurs, runs a €422,901 European Regional Development Fund (EAKR)-backed innovation project through 2026, and operates a €10,000 annual preparation funding (valmisteluraha) allocation. Grant tiers range from €50-€500 for youth projects to up to 65% co-financing for general-benefit development projects.

Name

Leader Tunturi-Lappi / Leader Fell Lapland

Legal name

Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry

Website

https://leadertunturilappi.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry is a Finnish non-profit association acting as the designated Leader local action group for the Tunturi-Lappi region (Enontekiö, Kittilä, Kolari, Muonio), distributing EU and nationally co-funded rural development grants and providing innovation and advisory services to entrepreneurs, village associations, youth, and communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development Funding and Community Development

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Growth, Livelihoods & Private Sector Development (BPADAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Program & Project Implementation (TA Delivery) (BPADAEAA), Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA), SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

Keywords

• Rural development funding
• EU agricultural grants
• Community development programs
• Youth micro-grants
• Village vitality projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Kittilä

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. EU Rural Development Funding (Maaseuturahasto): Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry acts as a local action group (Leader-ryhmä) that receives and distributes EU rural development funding (Euroopan maaseuturahasto) and national co-funding. Funding is awarded as grants to local entrepreneurs, village associations, youth, and community organizations for investment, development, and innovation projects. The organization itself is funded by EU, national, and potentially municipal contributions, not by commercial revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry is a non-profit Leader action group that distributes EU and nationally co-funded rural development grants to entrepreneurs, village associations, and youth across the four municipalities of Tunturi-Lappi (Enontekiö, Kittilä, Kolari, Muonio). It runs three core funding streams (Yritystuet, Kylät ja yhteisöt, Nuoriso-Leader) plus innovation and development projects, providing project advisory, application processing, and rural innovation programming.

Product overview

Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry is a rural development association that functions as a Leader group for the Tunturi-Lappi region (Enontekiö, Kittilä, Kolari, and Muonio municipalities). The organization does not offer a traditional product but provides a portfolio of funding programs and project initiatives. Core services include business support (Yritystuet) for entrepreneurs and companies, youth funding (Nuoriso-Leader) for 13-25 year olds, and community development support (Kylät ja yhteisöt) for village associations. The flagship initiative is the Arktinen Viisaus project (EAFRD-funded, 422,901 EUR budget through 2026) which provides innovation pathways, workshops, podcast content, and networking for regional entrepreneurs. Supporting projects include Kyläkompassi for village training, Kyvykkäät kyläverkot and Valokuidulla elämää ja turvaa Lapin kyliin for rural broadband development, and Innovaatiokompassi for business R&D guidance. All services are delivered through the Hyrrä e-service platform for applications and the organization's website for information and advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nuoriso-Leader: Youth Leader funding program for 13-25 year olds to implement their own project ideas, events, or entrepreneurship experiments
• Arktinen Viisaus
• Kyläkompassi
• Älykkäät kyläverkot
• Innovointipolku
• Kyläkoutsi

Products and services

• Yritystuet (Business Support) Funding and advisory services for entrepreneurs and businesses in Tunturi-Lappi, including start-up grants, development grants, and investment support for small and medium-sized enterprises and tourism businesses.
• Nuoriso-Leader Youth funding program for 13–25 year olds in Tunturi-Lappi to implement their own project ideas, events, or entrepreneurial experiments. Provides €50–€500 grants with no own contribution required and a simplified application process.
• Kylät ja yhteisöt (Villages and Communities) Funding and advisory support for village associations and communities to develop local vitality, amenities, broadband, and living conditions in rural areas of Tunturi-Lappi. Maximum support level up to 65% of project cost, with volunteer labor accepted as own contribution.
• Arktinen Viisaus -hanke (Arctic Wisdom project) EU-funded project developing Arctic competence, strengthening regional innovation activities, and promoting sustainable solutions for Tunturi-Lappi entrepreneurs. Delivered through Innovointipolku (Innovation Pathway) workshops, Oivallus workshops, Nordic Business Forum Live Stream events, and the Arktinen Viisaus podcast on Spotify.
• Kyläkompassi (Village Compass) Village development project supporting the vitality and retention of smaller peripheral villages in Tunturi-Lappi by offering free training courses and development support for village associations, leveraging the Kyläkoutsi® training concept from Suomen Kylät ry.
• Kyvykkäät kyläverkot (Smart Village Networks) Project supporting the construction and development of rural broadband networks in Lapland, helping villages establish fiber optic infrastructure through cooperative models. Includes guidance on planning, tendering, implementation, and network maintenance phases.
• Valokuidulla elämää ja turvaa Lapin kyliin (Fiber for Life and Safety) Project led by Annika Lompolo ('Valokuitusoturi') to inform Lapland villages about fiber optic network opportunities and support villages in obtaining reliable internet connections, including a digital-security village evening component (Digi tutuksi ja turvaksi).
• Innovaatiokompassi (Innovation Compass) Innovation compass advisory service providing guidance to companies on research, development, and innovation (TKI) activities, structured around four phases: explore (Tutki), refine (Tarkenna), develop (Kehitä), and test (Kokeile).

Quantifiable outcome

• €1.7 million in grants to Tunturi-Lappi communities and entrepreneurs over 3 years (2023–2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lapin ELY-keskus (Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Lapin ELY-keskus oversees rural development funding and broadband infrastructure projects across Lapland. Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry collaborates on village broadband (kyläverkot) projects and shares programme alignment with ELY's rural development strategy. The ELY centre also processes broadband investment applications from cooperatives.
• Metsähallitus (Parks & Wildlife Finland)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Metsähallitus collaborated with the Arktinen Viisaus project on the Sitran megatrendien 2026 release viewing event at Luontokeskus Kellokas. The CLAP (Climate change communication and adaptation in Arctic protected areas) project under Metsähallitus co-organized the event.
• Suomen Kylät ry (Village Association of Finland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Suomen Kylät ry provides the Kyläkoutsi® training concept which Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry offers free of charge to village associations in its region. The partnership enables access to a standardized but locally adaptable village development training programme covering topics such as communications, volunteer management, event production, and village planning.
• Lapin yliopisto (University of Lapland)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Lapin yliopisto conducted a survey on innovation network needs for Tunturi-Lapin entrepreneurs as part of the Arktinen Viisaus project. The university is involved in preparing the establishment of a cross-regional entrepreneur innovation network.
• Lapin AMK (Lapland University of Applied Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Lapin AMK's Liikuntamatkailusta arktisen alueen vetovoimaksi project organized training days for tourism, sports, and accommodation entrepreneurs in the Tunturi-Lappi area, in collaboration with Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry.
• Kideve (Kittilän kehitys Oy)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Kideve collaborated on the Ympärivuotinen Tunturi-Lappi (Year-round Tunturi-Lappi) innovation workshop held at Levi, alongside Arktinen Viisaus. Kideve also organizes the Kipinäpäivät (Spark Days) development event series.
• Visit LeviminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Visit Levi co-organized the Ympärivuotinen Tunturi-Lappi innovation workshop with the Arktinen Viisaus project, contributing tourism marketing and visitor economy expertise to the event.
• Outokaira tuottamhan ryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Outokaira tuottamhan ry runs the Vasara ja nauloja (Hammer and Nails) project providing free advisory services for construction-related rural development projects across Lapland. Their expertise is recommended to Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry applicants planning building projects (village halls, laavut, kodat).
• Municipalities of Tunturi-Lappi (Enontekiö, Kittilä, Kolari, Muonio)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The four municipalities of Tunturi-Lappi co-finance the Arktinen Viisaus project alongside EU funding, host municipal facilities for hankevastaanotot (consultation sessions), and are represented on the board of Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry. They are the primary local government partners in regional development.
• Sitra (Finnish Innovation Fund)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Sitra's annual megatrends release event was viewed at Luontokeskus Kellokas in Tunturi-Lappi, organized by the Arktinen Viisaus project in collaboration with Metsähallitus. Sitra provides foresight knowledge that informs regional development planning.
• Ruokavirasto (Finnish Food Authority)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Ruokavirasto operates the Hyrrä digital application service through which all rural development funding applications (including those administered by Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry) are submitted and processed. The platform is the official channel for all EU rural development programme applications.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Lapin ELY-keskus: Regional government agency overseeing rural development and broadband funding in Lapland. Not a competitor for Leader grants but a parallel funding channel and strategic partner; the subject's Executive Director was previously employed there.

Direct peers

• Leader Peräpohjola: LEADER group serving the Peräpohjola sub-region of Lapland with the same EU rural development mandate, business and community grant programmes, and tripartite governance structure as Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry.
• Leader Pohjois-Lappi: Adjacent Finnish LEADER local action group covering the northernmost Lapland municipalities. Operates under the same EU EAFRD framework, distributing rural development grants to entrepreneurs, villages, and youth using the same kolmikanta governance model — making it the most direct functional peer.
• Outokaira tuottamhan ry: Lapland-based LEADER group running complementary rural development programmes (e.g., Vasara ja nauloja construction advisory). Named as a strategic partner in the subject company's data; operates the same EAFRD-funded funding model in an adjacent Lapland territory.
• Leader Aisapari ry: LEADER local action group for the South Ostrobothnia / Keski-Pohjanmaa region. Same EU mandate, same kolmikanta governance, same tripartite grant offerings for entrepreneurs, villages, and youth — differing only by geography.
• Leader Sepra ry: LEADER group operating in Central Finland with the same EAFRD-driven model for distributing rural development grants to SMEs, communities, and young people. Closely comparable in mandate, structure, and beneficiary mix.

Broad incumbents

• Suomen Kylät ry: National umbrella association for Finnish village associations. Provides the Kyläkoutsi training concept to Leader Tunturi-Lappi ry and operates as a broader, more established organization in the same rural-vitality mission space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ltlry
• Facebookfacebook.com/leadertunturilappi
• Instagraminstagram.com/leadertunturilappi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leader-tunturi-lappi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Leader Tunturi-Lappi / Leader Fell Lapland