Build a Category-Defining Preschool
- Operators planning a new build or major redevelopment
- Groups seeking multi-site growth under a proven international brand
- Investors prepared to commit capital, leadership, and execution discipline
- Markets ready for a premium early-years proposition
Kipinä Flagship is our full franchise model for operators ready to build a premium, purpose-designed international preschool.
This is not a licence or light partnership. Flagship is a complete operating system, combining Finnish-inspired pedagogy, world-class teacher training, proprietary technology, and rigorous brand standards, delivered through a fully supported franchise model.
Flagship schools are designed to become reference campuses in their markets: academically credible, commercially disciplined, and operationally scalable.
For experienced operators with long-term ambition, Flagship offers a clear path to institutional-grade quality and EBITDA in excess of 30%.
Trusted by early childhood operators across multiple countries. Flagship is offered in selected markets only.
Assessment confirms suitability. No obligation.
Most new preschools don’t fail - they launch ordinary
In most markets, parents cannot easily tell the difference between a serious early education model and a well-decorated childcare business.
New schools default to generic branding, inconsistent teaching, and weak operating discipline, often thinking nice furniture is all that's needed.
The result is predictable: slower enrolment, fragile staff performance, and constant reinvention.
The realities serious operators recognise
- Parents pay for trust, not promises
- Teaching quality collapses without a system
- “Premium” positioning fails if delivery looks improvised
- Staff retention becomes a growth constraint
- Expansion becomes chaotic without standardisation
“How do we launch a premium preschool that is systemised from day one and scalable from year one?”
Kipinä Flagship is a full franchise model proven in 12 countries and 9 languages
A flagship build is not a branding exercise. It is a disciplined operating model designed to win trust quickly, deliver consistent teaching quality, and protect standards as you scale. If you want a reference school, not just another school, your launch has to be engineered.
Kipinä Flagship is the full franchise model for new builds or fully redeveloped schools. It combines a premium Finnish-inspired educational platform, mandatory university-certified training pathways, proprietary technology, full brand and marketing systems, and ongoing academic oversight. Flagship partners build the school to Kipinä standards and operate it as a long-term reference campus with a clear path to multi-site growth.
Flagship is not designed for passive investors or low-capex childcare projects. It is intended for operators who want to build a category-defining school and are prepared to execute at institutional standards.
What You Get When You Open a Kipinä Flagship Preschool
Flagship is not “support”. It is a full platform: pedagogy, curriculum, training, technology, brand, marketing, and quality systems - already built and continuously improved across the Kipinä network.
"Is this a comprehensive solution? Will we feel the impact immediately?"
What happens - and when you see results
Phase 1
Feasibility & Flagship Assessment
- Suitability review (operator fit + market fit)
- Site / build approach confirmed (design, new build vs major redevelopment)
- Business plan assumptions aligned (capacity, fees, ramp, staffing).
Impact: decision clarity, reduced execution risk
Phase 2
Build, Setup, and Team Readiness
- Brand and environment specifications set
- Hiring plan + training sequence locked
- Software setup and parent communication framework configured
Impact: confident launch plan, no last-minute improvisation
Phase 3
Visible Professionalism from Day One
- Parents experience structured communication immediately
- Teaching routines and documentation start aligned
- Positioning lands as “premium with substance”
Impact: faster trust, cleaner enrolment conversations
Phase 4
Consistency Becomes the Product
- Teaching quality stabilises across classrooms
- Progress tracking becomes parent-visible
- Staff performance becomes coachable, not guesswork
Impact: retention, referrals, reduced operational firefighting
Phase 5
Scale Readiness
- Standards remain enforceable as headcount grows
- Second-site readiness becomes operational, not theoretical
- The school becomes a market reference point
Impact: scalability, enterprise value
What's Included? A Complete Operating Package
A structured, play-based, teacher-guided curriculum grounded in Finnish early education principles, covering all core developmental areas.
This includes:
- age-specific learning frameworks
- clear learning intentions and progression
- guidance on classroom practice and observation
- alignment across classrooms and year groups
- delivered as a standardised system, not optional interpretation.
Why this matters
It gives teachers clarity, creates consistency, and gives parents confidence in what and why children are learning.
Ready-to-use academic tools that support teachers day-to-day.
This includes:
- lesson planning structures and templates
- activity guidance and pedagogical notes
- observation and reflection tools
- academic documentation standards
- reduces variance and accelerates onboarding of new teachers.
Why this matters
It reduces reliance on individual improvisation and makes quality less dependent on “hero” teachers.
Access to structured teacher training aligned with Finnish pedagogy, delivered in collaboration with Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), Finland, subject to scope.
This includes:
- formal training modules for educators
- certification pathways aligned to Finnish practice
- ongoing professional development opportunities
Why this matters
It raises teaching quality, improves retention, and gives your school credible academic backing.
A suite of digital tools designed specifically for early childhood settings.
This includes:
- educator tools for planning and observation
- child development tracking aligned to the curriculum
- academic and progress documentation
- tools that support clear parent communication
AI is used to assist educators and improve insight, empowering teachers to be better every day.
Why this matters
Your school feels modern, organised, and transparent — without adding administrative burden.
A recognised international preschool brand with a clear educational position and visual identity.
This includes:
- the Kipinä name and brand system
- parent-facing positioning rooted in Finnish education
- consistency across communication and presentation
- full flagship brand expression across campus, marketing, and parent journey.
Why this matters
Parents immediately understand what your school stands for without long explanations.
Clear quality standards and access to ongoing academic guidance from the Kipinä team.
This includes:
- defined, monitored, enforced standards
- safeguarding and wellbeing principles
- structured review and feedback processes
- access to system updates and improvements
Why this matters
Quality is protected as your school grows, and leadership is supported rather than isolated.
World-Leading Preschool Technology
Kipinä’s curriculum and weekly lesson plans run inside our proprietary apps and management system. Teachers communicate with parents in real time, share daily updates, and track development against a structured framework. AI-supported alerts help educators spot risk early and act faster, aligned to upcoming lessons, so issues do not linger unnoticed. The goal is not to replace educators. It is to give them a second set of eyes and reduce administrative load.
What Operators Say
Working with Kipinä has been a great pleasure. Kipinä brings the highest standards and best international practices across all areas from project management to design to teacher training and marketing.
The directors are experts and are always happy to share their knowledge. They have been beside us every step of the way and share our commitment to Indonesia and our excitement in having already opened 10 beautiful successful Kipinä campuses. Our schools are fully subscribed and our staff retention is exemplary.
Sudino Lim - CEO Kipinä Indonesia (Flagship operator)
We chose Kipinä and found strong alignment in educational approach and expectations. The preparation support, training materials, and guidance on learning environments helped us upgrade our school quickly and coherently.
Ongoing support from the Kipinä team has been practical and solutions-focused. Teaching practice has become clearer, children are engaged through play-based learning, and parents have responded positively to their children’s progress.
Delia Ionele - Managing Director, Timisoara, Romania
We partnered with Kipinä in 2019 to strengthen our existing kindergarten rather than rebuild it. The curriculum framework, teacher training through Häme University, and academic guidance helped us raise consistency and quality across classrooms.
During COVID, the structure and support in place allowed us to continue operating with confidence, including remote delivery where needed. Parent trust increased noticeably, enrolment stabilised, and demand grew.
Based on this experience, we are now preparing to open a second location.
Muzaffar Ismayilov - Managing Director, Baku, Azerbaijan
A Complete System, Delivered Consistently
Kipinä Flagship is a full franchise model with clearly defined academic, brand, and operational standards.
What is Standardised
- Brand system and parent-facing positioning
- Architecture, interior design, layout and furnishing
- Curriculum delivery model and academic documentation
- Training pathways and minimum competency standards
- Technology stack and reporting expectations
- Quality assurance framework and review cadence
What You Control
- Ownership and local company control
- Day-to-day management and hiring decisions (within standards)
- Local pricing strategy (within positioning guidance)
- Local marketing execution (using Kipinä assets and approvals)
Flagship protects quality as the organisation grows. Your upside comes from owning a premium asset. The system protects the asset.
How You May Expect Your Parents to React
Based on our worldwide survey of parents conducted directly by Kipinä HQ, here are our 2025 ratings.
"How much support is provided?"
Implementation and Support
- 1Site planning, architecture, and spatial design
Kipinä works with you from the earliest planning stage, providing architectural guidance, spatial standards, and interior design direction aligned with the Finnish learning environment. This applies to both new builds and major redevelopments. - 2Certified teacher training and leadership development
Teaching teams and school leadership complete mandatory training delivered by Kipinä in partnership with Häme University. Training is ongoing, structured, and tied directly to classroom quality and staff development pathways. - 3Full academic programme and curriculum deployment
Your school implements the complete Kipinä academic framework, including curriculum structure, lesson planning models, assessment philosophy, and age-appropriate learning progression across all classrooms. - 4Technology platform, software, and AI tools
Flagship schools deploy the full Kipinä technology stack, including teacher tools, parent communication systems, learning visibility dashboards, and AI-supported quality monitoring and reporting. - 5Launch support and parent-facing positioning
Kipinä supports your pre-opening and relaunch phase with brand positioning, parent communication guidance, and enrolment-focused messaging to establish immediate credibility and demand in your market. - 6Ongoing quality oversight and franchise support
Once operational, Flagship schools benefit from continuous academic oversight, performance reviews, system updates, and direct franchise support to ensure standards are maintained as the school grows.
Statistics
600+
Trained Teachers
4,000+
Children
28
Preschools
12
Countries
Which Kipinä pathway fits your starting point?
If you are building a new school (or doing a major redevelopment), Flagship is the intended model. Kozy is for established schools upgrading without rebuilding.
Transition | Kozy | Flagship | |
|---|---|---|---|
Intended For | Schools that would not meet Kozy requirements who are exploring alignment | Established operators | New or fully redeveloped schools |
Permanence | Temporary, Time-Bound | Permanent | Permanent |
Physical redevelopment | None | None, Superficial | Usually new build or major renovation |
Academic framework | Full | Full | Full |
Teacher training | Kipinä in-house training | Kipinä + Hamk University. Mandatory and Ongoing | Kipinä + Hamk University. Mandatory and Ongoing |
Brand expression | No Public Branding. Parents informed. | Fully branded as Kipinä Kozy | Fully branded as Kipinä |
Academic Oversight level | Consultative | Defined and Ongoing | Full |
Typical scale | Single School | Single School or Small Group | Reference or Multi-site |
Final pathway selection is confirmed through assessment, based on readiness, intent, and long-term fit.
Before You Apply
Commercial expectations
Kipinä Flagship is a full franchise model. Commercial terms vary by market, site size, and build scope (new build versus major redevelopment).
The model includes an initial franchise territory fee of USD 65,000, together with ongoing royalty fees linked to the operating system, training framework, technology platform, and academic quality oversight.
Flagship is designed for experienced operators with a long-term growth plan and the capital discipline required to deliver a genuinely premium early years campus.
As a guide, minimum capital requirements typically start at USD 500,000 in emerging markets. In Western markets, total capital requirements more commonly range between USD 1–2 million, depending on location, size, and positioning.
Well-operated Flagship schools typically target EBITDA margins in excess of 30% once operating at full capacity, subject to local staffing costs, occupancy, and pricing discipline.
What Kipinä Requires in Return
Kipinä does not sell franchises indiscriminately.
Flagship partners are expected to:
• commit fully to the Kipinä academic model
• invest properly in facilities, staffing, and systems
• participate in training and ongoing quality processes
• uphold brand, safety, and educational standards consistently
When you open a Kipinä Flagship, you become a custodian of the brand in your market — not just a license holder.
Area Development Opportunities
In addition to single flagship school franchises, Kipinä offers Area Development Opportunities for established or experienced operators.
A typical catchment for an Area Developer may include (a) a part of a very large city, (b) all of a city, (c) a state or county, (d) a country.
Commercial terms are subject to agreement based on the capacity of the market, the number of planned schools and the roll-out schedule.
Key Franchise Terms
A Kipinä franchise starts with a minimum term of seven years. Thereafter the franchise may be renewed (at no additional cost) for ten years, up to 4 times - a total of 47 years.
Royalties for a single school are 7%, Reducing to 6% for Area Developers.
Minimum Suitability Criteria
Kipinä Flagship is intended for operators who are:
• properly capitalised for a premium preschool build or redevelopment
• committed to long-term ownership and quality
• aligned with child-centred, play-based education
• willing to operate within structured brand and quality systems
• prepared to build a leadership team, not just a school
Assessment exists to confirm fit on both sides before any commitment is made.
Flagship Assessment Process
Every Kipinä partnership begins with a short assessment to confirm alignment, readiness, and fit - on both sides.
Initial enquiry
operator profile + intended market + site approach
Suitability review
fit, readiness, initial commercial assumptions
Discussion & scope
build approach, launch plan, territory, timeline
Recommendation
Flagship / alternative pathway / pause
If you are planning a serious, premium early years project and want to build a long-term education asset with international credibility, we invite you to begin with a preliminary assessment.
Assessment confirms suitability. No obligation. Assessments booked 4–6 weeks ahead
Prefer more details first?
Download the Kipinä Flagship information pack