Enterprise Development Programme
Connects research teams and institutions for Enterprise Development in artificial intelligence, manufacturing, and hardware.
The Enterprise Development Programme (Ettevõtte Arenguprogramm) is a structured, multi-phase grant programme administered by Estonia's EIS for established Estonian companies executing long-term strategic development plans. Grants are awarded at support rates of 45% for small enterprises, 35% for medium enterprises, and 25% for large enterprises, up to a maximum of €500,000 per company. Equipment purchases within a project are capped at €200,000 and treated as de minimis aid. The total programme envelope is €22,968,000. Minimum applicant co-financing is 55% of total project costs. Eligible expenditures cover organisational development, process improvements, product and service R&D, sales and marketing strategy, staff training, and equipment for new product offerings.
To qualify, a company must be registered in Estonia with at least two years of operating history, eight or more full-time employees, and either €50,000 or more in export revenue in the preceding year or average turnover growth of 5% or more over two consecutive years. Projects must contribute to at least one area of the "triple transition": innovation, digitalisation, or sustainable development, and must align with the TAIE strategy (Estonia's Research, Development, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Plan 2021–2035) and Estonia 2035 principles.
The programme follows a five-phase process: a mandatory two-hour preliminary consultation, a one-to-three-week situation assessment, a development plan preparation phase of up to six months, an implementation phase of up to three years, and a results evaluation period two years after completion. Applications are submitted in Estonian via the E-toetus portal. The total cycle from consultation to post-implementation evaluation can span up to five and a half years. Applicants should engage EIS at +372 627 9700 to initiate the mandatory preliminary consultation before any formal submission.
Organisational process improvement; product/service R&D; sales and marketing; employee skills; equipment procurement. Must align with 'triple transition' (innovation, digitalization, sustainability) and Estonia 2035.
Sign up free to see the funding breakdown
Sign up free to see the industries in scope
Sign up free to see the full eligibility
Sign up free to see how to apply
Sign up free to see what you submit
Sign up free to see the timeline
Sign up free to see where teams trip up