The use of various EA simulations in public procurement and tendering is problematic

In public procurement and tendering, the use of various EA slogans is prohibited, as they often refer to trademarks. Misunderstandings in terminology are often due to the persistence of old language, which can restrict the principle of open competition, favouring certain operators in advance. It is important that we constantly communicate the change and work together to use terminology that is in line with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

In 2023, Occupational Safety and Health Administration updated its first aid training guidelines, with a new "first aid preparedness" section replacing old guides and acronyms with new terminology. This change was due to the fact that the EA acronyms previously used in the OSH guides are trademarks and there is no right to freely use them. For example, a two-day first aid course is now referred to as the "Basic First Aid Course".

Adopting the new terminology has been slow, but Uskalla Auttaa Oy has actively intervened in tenders where old terminology is used. For example, in the tender by the City of Helsinki where the term 'EA' was used, Uskalla Auttaa Oy took the matter to the Market Court. The tender was suspended by the City of Helsinki before it could be considered by the Market Court.

Uskalla Auttaa Oy has corrected dozens of inaccurate procurement descriptions over the past year. Marko Ahtonen, the CEO of Uskalla Auttaa Oy, emphasizes that the company's goal is to promote fair and equal treatment in the education market. The work we have done benefits not only us but also smaller entities, particularly those who, without this effort, would be excluded from competitions, unable to challenge inaccurate procurement descriptions due to their limited resources. We have received positive feedback on our activities even from our competitors, and this instills confidence that we are not the only ones who see this as a meaningful initiative.

During the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, significant changes have occurred in the first aid training industry, including the closure of many small operators. Uskalla Auttaa Oy believes that diverse training offerings benefit everyone and actively seeks to ensure that public procurements and tenders are fair and transparent, thereby preventing unfair practices. This contributes to strengthening our and smaller operators' opportunities for future operations.

Uskalla Auttaa Oy's commitment to developing a diverse first aid training field extends beyond current actions. We are actively working on a comprehensive training and material package that enables individual first aid instructors to operate independently without the need for expensive training organizations' services. This resource will be provided free of charge to all qualifying instructors by next year, together with our simultaneously launched training search service, aiming to revolutionize the first aid training industry. We believe that with these initiatives, first aid and other safety training in the future will not be limited to large players but will offer broader opportunities for the entire training field.