EIS Business Development Grant

Purpose of the measure

Support for companies registered in the Estonian Commercial Register to implement a comprehensive development plan and increase international competitiveness, added value and export capacity. Applicants must meet at least three of the eight conditions specified in the regulation. The development plan must combine at least three eligible areas of activity, and applicants must receive preliminary advice from EIS and approval of their development plan before submitting an application. The project eligibility period is generally up to 24 months. The regulation has entered into force, but the blog post does not confirm the opening date of the application round.

Funding rate

Grant of 100 000–500 000 € per project. For micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, up to 50% of eligible project costs; for large enterprises, up to 15% under the block exemption or up to 50% under de minimis aid (§ 9 lg-d 1–3).

Eligible activities

• Organisational and process development: developing and implementing new or significantly improved operational and business processes and supporting software solutions.
• Quality and compliance management development: audits, certification and compliance with target market requirements; implementation of baseline standards excluded by the regulation is not supported.
• Development of export activities in a new target market: sales and marketing strategy, target market advice, preparation for client meetings, advice on adapting products or services, international trade fairs and marketing materials; routine direct sales activities are not supported. Support for export activities and testing in the target market is granted only as de minimis aid (§ 2 subsection 2 clause 3).
• Strategic intellectual property management: strategy, freedom-to-operate analysis, initial protection and extension of intellectual property rights, and licensing expertise; trade mark protection is not supported.
• Digitalisation, automation and artificial intelligence: analysis, development and implementation of data management, information systems, interfaces, and artificial intelligence and data analytics solutions.
• Testing a product or service in a real-world operating environment: pilot projects, engaging pilot customers, collecting feedback and making limited adaptations to test performance and market fit.
• Machinery and equipment related to digitalisation and automation: equipment directly and inseparably linked to a digital, automation or artificial intelligence solution in the development plan, subject to the conditions set out in the regulation; conventional production or service equipment is generally not supported.