Development Grant

The Development Grant sits under Ettevõtluse ja Innovatsiooni Sihtasutus, Estonia's state innovation agency under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. It supports Estonian SMEs that want to develop better products or technologies with help from external R&D partners such as research institutions, universities, accredited laboratories, and specialist engineering or biotech and IT service firms. The grant covers up to 70% of eligible costs, with a maximum award of €35,000 and a required 30% co-financing share from the applicant. Eligible work includes prototype manufacturing, technology development and testing, feasibility studies, and patent or IP consultancy. Applicants must be registered and operating in Estonia, apply in Estonian through E-toetus, and work on a rolling basis with no fixed deadline. The program also limits each entity to two applications and is subject to the €300,000 de minimis cap over three years. The best fit is a small or medium-sized company with a concrete product or technology step and an external research partner that can help turn that step into a usable result. Projects need to align with TAIE and Estonia 2035 priorities, so the strongest applications show a specific commercial or technical jump rather than a vague improvement case.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.