Applied Research Programme – Defence Sector Call for Proposals
The Applied Research Programme supports the development of innovative products and offers you the opportunity to grow your company’s revenue by developing new or significantly improved technologies, processes, products, or services. This specific call for proposals is aimed at projects in the defence sector.
The programme consists of business advisory services and grants for applied research.
Prior to applying for funding, participation in a mandatory preliminary consultation is required.
Applications for projects has ended.
Who Is the Programme Intended For?
- The programme is designed for companies operating in the defence industry.
- All companies registered in the Estonian Commercial Register are eligible to participate, regardless of their size or length of operation. Participating companies must not be in financial difficulty.
The amount of support available ranges from €250,000 to €500,000.
The funding rate varies between 25% and 80%, depending on the company’s size and activities (de minimis aid: 50%).
What Types of Projects Are We Looking For?
- Drone technology solutions and cost-effective drone manufacturing technologies
- Urban-based electronic warfare (EW) defence solutions
- Development of combat systems
- Solutions that enhance unit situational awareness
- Development of explosives, explosive materials, and the production of ammunition and munitions
- Deception devices (including imitation devices and electronic decoys)
- Tactical food supplies and soldier equipment (including medical supplies)
- National security platforms
- Unmanned vehicles
- Cybersecurity and software (e.g., simulation environments, communications)
What qualifies for a grant?
Proportion of applied research grant depending on the size of the company:
- 70% (small business)
- 60% (medium business)
- 50% (large business)
Proportion of applied research grant depending on the size of the company in the context of effective cooperation:
- 80% (small)
- 75% (medium)
- 65% (large)
Proportion of experimental development grant depending on the size of the company:
- 45% (small)
- 35% (medium)
- 25% (large)
Proportion of experimental development grant depending on the size of the company in the context of effective cooperation:
- 60% (small)
- 50% (medium)
- 40% (large)
We will grant support for conducting feasibility studies as a preliminary step for conducting applied research or developing products. Grants are only given to feasibility studies that precede applied research or experimental development activities.
- 70% (small)
- 60% (medium)
- 50% (large)
The percentage of support for this grant is 50% if support is applied under GBER (applies for SMEs only) or 80% if support is applied under de minimis aid (applies to all enterprises).
The Research and Innovation Programme has been certified as an EIC Accelerator Plug-In, which significantly simplifies the EIC application process. The EIC Accelerator supports high-risk and high-impact development activities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Successful RUP projects can be further developed by submitting a full application to the EIC after our assessment. A short pre-advice is required to participate in the Plug-In programme.
Contact: Mart.Toots@eis.ee
Preliminary Evaluation
Applying for funding for defence projects under the Applied Research Programme (RUP) takes place in two stages:
- First, the project must be submitted for preliminary evaluation no later than June 9, 2025
- After receiving a positive preliminary evaluation from the RUP committee, the full funding application can be submitted (no later than July 7, 2025)
Submitting the Application
You can prepare and submit your application through the Structural Support e-Grant Environment after completing the mandatory preliminary consultation and preliminary evaluation.
The call for proposals has ended.
The applicant’s confirmation of the start-up company’s compliance with the requirements
Confirmation of the applicant’s compliance with the requirements of the scale-up company
Group membership scheme (if the applicant is a part of a group and the group’s data is not viewable in the business registry) (in Estonian)
Power of attorney sample (if the signatory of the application is not a representative of the applicant)
Instruction for determining level of technical preparedness in projects
Evaluation of Applications
Submitted applications will be evaluated by experts and an evaluation committee.
All submitted materials will be reviewed, and a substantive assessment of the project will be conducted. In evaluating the application, both the content of the application and other publicly available data will be taken into consideration.
Additional information may be requested if necessary. Based on the evaluation committee’s recommendation, the Management Board of the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency will make the final decision on whether to fund the project or not.
You will be informed of the decision in writing.
Project Implementation
- The grant recipient must declare their research and development activities in the annual report collected by Statistics Estonia.
- If the applicant outsources research and development services during the project, the service provider must be a company or research organization with recognized references in the relevant field. The service provider can be based either in Estonia or abroad.
Reporting
Project-related reports and payment requests must be submitted via the Structural Funds e-Grant Environment.
If you have any ongoing questions, we are always here to support you!
The reporting templates are currently being prepared.
How to apply?
Applying for funding for defence projects under the Applied Research Programme (RUP) takes place in two stages:
- First, the project must be submitted for preliminary evaluation no later than June 9, 2025
- After receiving a positive preliminary evaluation from the RUP committee, the full funding application can be submitted (no later than July 7, 2025)
You can prepare and submit your application through the Structural Support e-Grant Environment after completing the mandatory preliminary consultation and preliminary evaluation.
The call for proposals has ended.
The applicant’s confirmation of the start-up company’s compliance with the requirements
Confirmation of the applicant’s compliance with the requirements of the scale-up company
Group membership scheme (if the applicant is a part of a group and the group’s data is not viewable in the business registry) (in Estonian)
Power of attorney sample (if the signatory of the application is not a representative of the applicant)
Instruction for determining level of technical preparedness in projects
Submitted applications will be evaluated by experts and an evaluation committee.
All submitted materials will be reviewed, and a substantive assessment of the project will be conducted. In evaluating the application, both the content of the application and other publicly available data will be taken into consideration.
Additional information may be requested if necessary. Based on the evaluation committee’s recommendation, the Management Board of the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency will make the final decision on whether to fund the project or not.
You will be informed of the decision in writing.
- The grant recipient must declare their research and development activities in the annual report collected by Statistics Estonia.
- If the applicant outsources research and development services during the project, the service provider must be a company or research organization with recognized references in the relevant field. The service provider can be based either in Estonia or abroad.
Project-related reports and payment requests must be submitted via the Structural Funds e-Grant Environment.
If you have any ongoing questions, we are always here to support you!
The reporting templates are currently being prepared.
Assistance for applicant
Read more about the terms and conditions in the grant regulation:
Grant regulationFor a comprehensive overview of defense industry-related measures in Estonia and other useful information in the field of defense industry, see here:
Find more information about the previous projects and the grants they received here
Funded projects database