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 on a continuous basis throughout the 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

You may apply throughout the year

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 to award the label is based on an overall assessment. Each 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

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.
* A one-star We Support restaurant uses at least one D.O. Saimaa product or raw material on a regular basis.

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.

You may apply throughout the year

The decision to join the We Support D.O. Saimaa network is made by an expert panel appointed by the South Savo Regional Association. The decision to award the label is based on an overall assessment.

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

D.O. Saimaa label for design and craft products (currently not open for applications)

The application criteria for D.O. Saimaa label for design and draft products: 

  • The product is designed for the Saimaa region (approx. 100 km from Lake Saimaa)

  • Most of the manufacturing process of the product has been done in the Saimaa region

  • The raw material for the product is, as far as possible, produced in the Saimaa region

  • The product is manufactured by a professional with a commercial interest in its manufacture

  • The product is a reproducible work of art, design or handicraft, produced in series or small series

  • A sustainable manufacturing process

  • Compliance with social criteria

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 to award the label is based on an overall assessment. Each applicant will receive feedback from the panel, with reasons, irrespective of whether the application is accepted.

We are currently not accepting new label applications for design and craft products. We are refining the criteria for this category and renewing the application process.

Further information: 

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