Make a real change with a Kipinä License
For the United States, Canada, Australia & the United Kingdom we offer a license-only option (not a franchise)
If you own and operate an existing nursery school, kindergarten or preschool in the United States, Canada, Australia, or the UK, Kipinä offers you the opportunity to license our curriculum, lesson plans, teacher training certification, software and apps for use in your preschool.
It's Only For
Existing Preschools who want a Proven Curriculum
K12 Schools who want a unique Early Years Program
Montessori Schools that want to embrace the Finnish Approach
You must own or operate an existing facility to qualify for a Kipinä License
The difference between a franchise and a license
Franchise
A franchise involves a comprehensive business model where the franchisee gets the right to operate under the franchisor's brand and use its entire business system. This includes marketing, training, operational support, and access to proprietary systems and processes.
The franchisor maintains significant control over how the franchisee runs the business to ensure consistency in brand experience and quality across different locations. This can include strict guidelines on operations, curriculum delivery, and brand representation.
Franchisees typically pay an upfront franchise fee and ongoing royalties based on a percentage of their revenue. These fees are for the continued support and use of the franchisor’s established business model and brand. For a Kipinä franchise, a typical single school territory fee starts at €55,000 and royalties are 7% of gross revenue.
Franchisees receive extensive initial training and ongoing support from the franchisor. This can include help with site selection, setup, marketing strategies, staff training, and more.
Franchisees operate under the same brand identity, ensuring a uniform look and feel across all franchise locations.
License
A license grants the licensee the right to use certain intellectual property (like the brand name and academic program) but does not provide a comprehensive business model. It’s more about using specific elements in your existing facility rather than adopting a complete business system.
Licensees have more autonomy compared to franchisees. They can operate more independently and are not bound by as many operational guidelines, such as interior design, furniture, building standards. You can keep your own school name and brand.
Licensees pay a small territory exclusivity fee of €10,000 and a monthly licensing fee for the right to use the brand name and academic materials. The monthly fee depends on the size of the preschool and could be as low as €500. No royalties are charged.
Support is limited to initial training on the academic program, certification of teachers, and annual updates.
Licensees can use the brand name and academic program but do not have access to the our full range of proprietary systems, marketing strategies, or operational support.
How It Works
Kipinä grants you an exclusive ten year license to use our curriculum and academic program in your preschool.
Your exclusive area is usually a catchment for a population of around 50,000 people.
We train and certify your teachers in Finnish Pedagogy at post-graduate level.
You may use the Kipinä brand name with the name of your own school with the tag "Powered by Kipinä" or in association with Kipinä