The Enterprise and Innovation Foundation (EIS) will open a new support measure on August 24, with which Estonian companies can develop and test artificial intelligence solutions and integrate them into existing products, services and business processes. The amount of support per company is 20,000 euros, and the total budget of the measure reaches two million euros.

Acceptance of applications will begin on August 24, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. and will continue until the budget is exhausted. Applications must be submitted in the Structural Funds e-support environment.

The new measure is intended for companies entered in the Estonian business register, whose sales revenue in the previous financial year was at least 200,000 euros. The grant can be used, for example, for the development and preparation of a new artificial branch-based product or solution, as well as for connecting the artificial branch with the company's existing product, service or work process.

The focus of the grant is not on using artificial turf just for the sake of technology. The project must solve a specific problem for the company and bring about a measurable change. The result can be an increase in sales revenue or export turnover, better cost efficiency, increased productivity or a higher level of automation of business processes.

EIS innovation and entrepreneurship expert Siim Akermann has noted that the artificial branch is still a largely untapped opportunity for Estonian companies. "Untapped potential is an artificial branch, the implementation of which EIS will definitely contribute in a targeted manner in its new strategy period," said Akermann, commenting on the Estonian management field study published this year.

According to the survey, Estonian managers see a great opportunity in artificial intelligence, but its implementation is often hindered by internal rules, employee caution, and issues of responsibility, data protection, and intellectual property. The new support creates an opportunity for companies to test and evaluate specific use cases on a limited scale before making larger investments.

The company must contribute at least 5,000 euros

The support is given on the basis of the unit price in a fixed amount of 20,000 euros. The company's own financing must be at least 20 percent of the project's eligible costs. This means that the minimum total cost of the project is generally 25,000 euros, of which the company's own contribution is at least 5,000 euros.

The EIS does not estimate the breakdown of the actual costs of the project, and there is no need to submit the usual cost and payment documents at the end of the project. However, the company must implement all activities permitted in the application and prove that the planned result has been achieved.

Project output must be verifiable at least based on prototype or test results. According to the EIS guidelines, the achievement of the result must also be evidenced with a short video in the final report. Therefore, it is not enough just to prepare an analysis, an action plan or a plan for the deployment of an artificial branch - at the end of the project, there must be a solution that can be tested or implemented.

The project can last up to nine months

The usual project implementation time is up to nine months. In justified cases, the EIS project period can be extended once by up to three months based on the company's written application.

The application must describe the company's problem, the intended use case of the artificial chain, the project's activities, the goal and the expected result. The start and end date of the project and the amount and source of self-financing must also be indicated.

The final report must be submitted within 30 calendar days after the end of the project's eligibility period. In the report, the company must describe the actions taken, the change achieved and the impact of the project on the financial results. The grant is paid out only after the activities have been completed, the final report has been submitted and it has been approved by the EIS. Therefore, the company must first have the ability to cover the costs of the project itself.

You can get support only once

One company can receive support from this measure only once. If the applicant belongs to a group, other companies of the same group cannot apply for support separately from the measure. Therefore, in the case of a group, before submitting an application, it is worth carefully choosing the company and project with the strongest commercial impact.

The grant is granted as de minimis aid. The de minimis aid granted to the applicant and his related companies, together with the new support, may not exceed 300,000 euros within three years.

In general, the company must not have an overdue tax or payment debt of more than 100 euros, and both tax returns and annual reports must be properly submitted. Also, liquidation, forced termination or bankruptcy proceedings must not have been initiated against the applicant. The same activity or result may not be financed at the same time from another national or European Union grant source.

Applications are processed in the order they are received. A request that meets the requirements will be granted if there are still funds for this in the budget of the measure. Since the budget of two million euros allows for the support of approximately one hundred projects, it is worthwhile for companies with a suitable idea to start preparing the application as soon as possible