Funding opportunities
• Applied Research In Smart Specialisation Growth Areas: Nutikas
The support aims to contribute to growth in the research-intensity of the Estonian economy, supporting collaboration between R&D institutions and companies. Furthermore, the support will help to raise the capabilities of R&D institutions to carry out applied research needed for business in smart specialisation growth areas.
The amount of funding per project ranges from 20 000 to 2 million euros. In order to receive funding, the company itself also has to contribute financing, the amount of which depends on the size of the company and whether the support is being sought for commissioning product development or applied research.
• Development Voucher
The development voucher is essentially a supporting measure for preliminary research. The results of the development voucher should enable the entrepreneur to gain comprehensive knowledge on whether their development idea has the potential necessary for continuing the development process in other stages.
Activities that are supported
In accordance with the conditions of the measure, outsourcing innovation related services is allowed in the following fields of activity:
- consulting regarding product or service development;
- consulting regarding production or technology;
- conducting product tests and industrial experiments;
- carrying out feasibility and cost-benefit research;
- legal protection consultation, tests and registration regarding patents, utility models or industrial design;
- consulting regarding metrology, standardisation and certification;
- development and implementation of technological solutions.
- The staff expenditure of a development employee on the condition that the development employee will work on the project for the company at least 20 hours per week and at a 0.5 workload. The maximum share of eligible expenditure from the entire eligible sum of the grant can be up to 50%. The position of the development employee must be located in Estonia; this employee should have a higher education degree and at least 5-years of working experience in the corresponding field within the last 10 years.
- The cost of materials needed for the implementation of activities on the condition that the maximum share of eligible expenditure from the entire eligible sum of the grant can be up to 20%.
Maximum grant: 20 000.- EUR (the maximum grant percentage from the entire cost is 70%)
• Innovation Vouche
The innovation voucher enables a small and medium-sized entrepreneur (SME) who is cooperating with a higher education institute, test laboratory, or intellectual property experts, to develop innovative solutions for development obstacles, carry out tests with new materials, gather knowledge on technologies, conduct studies in intellectual property databases etc.
Activities that are supported:
- consulting regarding product or service development;
- consulting regarding production or technology;
- conducting product tests and industrial experiments;
- carrying out feasibility and cost-benefit research;
- legal protection consultation, tests and registration regarding patents, utility models or industrial design;
- consulting regarding metrology, standardisation and certification;
- development and implementation of technological solutions.
Maximum grant 4 000.- EUR (the maximum grant percentage from the entire cost is 80%)