2025 open grants applications for your Estonian company

Estonia offers a range of funding opportunities to support the growth and development of Estonian-registered companies, including those founded by e-residents. This overview highlights grants designed to foster innovation, digitalisation, export capacity, and more – helping you find the best fit based on your company’s sector and development stage.

Most grants can be received up to two times, and applicants must not have received more than €300,000 in de minimis aid in the past three years. Companies must also demonstrate alignment with Estonia 2035 objectives, such as democratic values, social inclusion, cultural identity, and cooperation. Unless noted otherwise (opening soon), all programmes below are currently open for applications. For additional funding sources like accelerators and loans, see How to: Find funding for your Estonian company | Silva Hunt.

Early-stage and innovation support: these grants are intended for startups and SMEs developing prototypes, new products, or R&D projects.

1. The Development grant is open for applications from Estonian SMEs that are developing innovative solutions, hiring staff, and procuring services, and need support and resources. The grant’s amount is up to €35,000 to support your scalable SME.
2. The Innovation grant’stargets are Estonian SMEs developing innovative products or technologies. Applications are currently open, with a total allocated budget of €3,254,309 and the possibility to receive a €7,500 grant, with 20% self-financing, to support your creative solutions.  
3. The Product Development Grant – Eurostars is directed towards SMEs undertaking product development projects with at least one partner from a Eurostars country: the application is submitted jointly with partners on the Eurostars IT platform. Estonian companies can apply through Enterprise Estonia and receive up to €300,000. To receive the funding, a company that has received a positive decision must prove the necessary resources to self-finance 40-60% of the project, and must prove potential for a significant impact on the Estonian economy.
4. The Programme for applied research – small projects, with a total amount of €6,000,000 allocated, can award your project up to €250,000. You may consider this programme if your project is related to digital solutions (e.g., AI, machine learning, anything cyber-related, health technologies and services, smart and sustainable energy solutions). The proportion of the grant awarded depends on the size of the company.

Growth and expansion support: these grants target SMEs aiming to scale, hire R&D staff, or digitalise operations.

1. The Enterprise Development Programme’ssupport is available to Estonian companies that have been operating for at least 2 years and employ at least 8 full-time employees. Further requirements are an export sales turnover of at least €50,000 or an annual growth of at least 5% over the last two years. The grant, up to €500,000, is awarded to companies with international growth potential, innovative products or services, that are aimed at innovation, digitalisation or sustainable development, and that can afford a 55% self-financing. The total grant amount allocated is €27,969,000.
2. The Grant for companies’ R&D employees will be available in early 2026, with a total allocated amount of €2,500,000. The applications will be open for all entrepreneurs who want to invest more in development activities. Upon a positive decision, you shall receive a grant equivalent to 50% of the income tax paid for the R&D employee (Research and Development employees are professionals, including scientists, engineers, and technicians, who are actively involved in carrying out research and development activities).
3. The Support Digitalisation, opening in early 2026, offers grants up to €35,000, with 30-50% self-financing and €2,500,000 allocated for this project. Estonian enterprises of all sizes may apply if they have an average sales revenue of the main field of activity over the previous two financial years of at least €200,000. The support can be used for advisory services and development activities oriented to the development of digitalization.
4. The Support for Investments is targeted towards industrial/production companies expanding operations. Winners receive €3,000,000 per project, with at least 85% self-financing. The candidates must be entrepreneurs who plan new fixed asset investments of at least €6.7 – 10 million.

Moreover, if you operate in a specific sector (tourism, creative industries), or are interested in large-scale opportunities (high-growth firm, very large investments), you can apply to the following targeted Estonian and EU funds:

• The Large-scale investment grant, for companies planning investments of over €100 million
• The EIC Accelerator Horizon Europe, for Startups and SMEs with disruptive innovations and scale-up ambitions, offering grants up to €2.5 million and equity investments up to €15 million.
• The Grant for developing export capacity for creative entrepreneurship and the Grant for implementation of a development plan for creative entrepreneurs, each awarding up to €75 000 per project.
• The Support for integration and interfacing of software in the tourism sector, open for applications from tourism SMEs implementing software solutions
• The product development grant (sectoral/manufacturing), awarding up to €200 000 (~70% of project cost).

To discover more, visit Company in Estonia – EIS

Do you need help to write your grant application and stand out against the competition? Reach out to Silva Hunt!