Company Development Program (Ettevõtte arenguprogramm)

Company Development Program (Ettevõtte arenguprogramm)

Helps startup and industry teams with commercialization support for Company Development Program in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and climate technology.

The Company Development Program (Ettevõtte arenguprogramm) is a continuously open grant instrument operated by Ettevõtluse ja Innovatsiooni Sihtasutus (EIS) that supports established Estonian businesses pursuing international growth through innovation, digitalization, or sustainable development — the so-called "triple transition" required by Estonia's TAIE 2021–2035 enterprise development plan. The program funds organizational development, process improvement, product and service development, sales and marketing strategy, staff training, and equipment purchases aligned with new offerings.

Maximum grant per company is €500,000, with co-financing rates of 45% for small enterprises, 35% for medium enterprises, and 25% for large enterprises — the applicant must fund the remainder from its own resources. Equipment purchases are capped at €200,000 under EU de minimis rules, and total de minimis aid from all sources over any rolling three-year period cannot exceed €300,000. Eligible companies must be registered and operating in Estonia, have at least 2 years of operating history, employ at least 8 full-time staff, and demonstrate either €50,000 or more in export revenue in the prior year or 5%+ annual growth over two consecutive years. Companies must also show clear international expansion ambitions and alignment with TAIE focus sectors.

The program follows a structured five-phase process: a mandatory pre-consultation session of approximately 2 hours, a situation assessment lasting 1–3 weeks, a development plan preparation phase of up to 6 months, an implementation phase of up to 3 years, and a results evaluation period of 2 years after completion. Formal applications are submitted through the etoetus.rtk.ee portal. Contact EIS at +372 627 9700 or via the EIS website for pre-consultation scheduling. Because the development plan and implementation phases span multiple years, applicants should engage EIS early and treat the pre-consultation as a substantive scoping exercise rather than a formality.