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Apply for the D.O. Saimaa label or join the We Support D.O. Saimaa network

You can apply for the Designation of Origin Saimaa (D.O. Saimaa) label on products from the Saimaa region that meet the set requirements. 

Restaurants can join the We Support D.O. Saimaa network if they use a sufficient number of D.O. Saimaa products. Applications are accepted in three application periods per year​.

Application criteria for food and food products

These are the requirements for D.O. Saimaa -labelled ingredients and food products. The label can also be applied for individual products. 

  • Produced, handled and processed in the Saimaa region (within a radius of about 100 km from Lake Saimaa)

  • High quality manufacturing process

  • Compliance with gastronomic criteria

  • Compliance with social responsibility criteria

  • Production process in line with sustainable development

Application periods

You can apply for the label in three application periods per year:

  • first period 1.1.–30.4
  • second period 1.5.–31.8
  • third period 1.9.–31.12.

Applications are processed no later than two months after the end of the application period. The decision to award the D.O. Saimaa label is made by a panel of experts appointed by the South Savo Regional Council. The decision is based on an overall assessment. Every applicant will receive feedback from the panel with reasons, irrespective of whether the application is accepted.

How to apply for the D.O. Saimaa label

Download the PDF application (in Finnish), fill in the form carefully and send the completed form as a PDF file by email to the South Savo Regional Council's office at kirjaamo@esavo.fi

Download PDF application

Apply for a membership in the We Support D.O. Saimaa network 

A restaurant that uses D.O. Saimaa products can apply for the We support D.O. Saimaa label. The label tells the customers that the restaurants invests in sustainability and that it offers unique gastronomic experiences that the customers may not find elsewhere.

Benefits of the We support D.O. Saimaa label to the restaurant

  • Opportunities to welcome new customers, who appreciate sustainably produced, high-quality delicacies and pure flavours from the Saimaa region

  • Support for local production and heritage as part of the D.O. Saimaa network

  • Added value for the company's brand

  • The company plays an essential role in enhancing the value of local food tourism

  • The company has the opportunity to gain more visibility through D.O. Saimaa products and the network

Requirements for the use of D.O. Saimaa labelled products or ingredients

***** A five-star We Support restaurant uses at least five D.O. Saimaa products or ingredients on a regular basis.
*** A three-star We Support restaurant uses at least three D.O. Saimaa products or ingredients on a regular basis.

* The one-star rating has been removed and We Support restaurants with one support star will gradually switch to regularly using D.O. Saimaa products or ingredients worth three or five stars.

The network also brings responsibility for the restaurant

The restaurant can use the We support D.O. Saimaa label in marketing and visibility for products awarded the D.O. Saimaa label. The restaurant also commits to educating its staff in the use of the label and in communicating its importance to customers. The restaurant also commits to responding to the annual survey carried out by the South Savo Regional Council on the purchase and use of D.O. Saimaa products.

Application periods

You can apply for the label in three application periods per year:

  • first period 1.1.–30.4
  • second period 1.5.–31.8
  • third period 1.9.–31.12.

Applications are processed no later than two months after the end of the application period. The decision to award the D.O. Saimaa label is made by a panel of experts appointed by the South Savo Regional Council. The decision is based on an overall assessment. Every applicant will receive feedback from the panel with reasons, irrespective of whether the application is accepted. 

How to apply for the We support D.O. Saimaa network

Download the PDF application (in Finnish), fill in the form carefully and send the completed form as a PDF file by email to the South Savo Regional Council's office at kirjaamo@esavo.fi

Download PDF application

Further information: 

Jaana Virtaniemi, South Savo Regional Council
Tel. 044 770 0584
Email: jaana.virtaniemi(at)esavo.fi