Start-up Grant
The purpose of the grant is to support the sustainable growth of turnover and job creation by start-up entrepreneurs with growth potential. Before submitting an application, it is necessary to undergo pre-consultation at a regional development centre. Please read the Start-up Grant FAQ.
The budget of the Start-up Grant measure (€5,011,428) has been fully allocated (according to § 13 (1) of the Regulation, applications may be submitted on a rolling basis until the budget is exhausted or until the end of the application period). A total of 257 projects have been submitted, of which 205 are covered by commitments and 45 by potential commitments (as of 02.04.2025). The budget of the measure allows the funding of a total of 250 projects.
The submission of applications was closed on 03.04.2025 at 16:00.
Applications already submitted will be processed in the order of submission. Please note that not all applications submitted by 03.04.2025 at 16:00 may reach the processing stage. Applications submitted later in the queue after the budget has been exhausted will not be processed.
Who is the grant intended for?
- For starting entrepreneurs (companies up to 3 years old).
- The grant cannot be applied for activities in the following fields of activity. More detailed information about the fields can be found SIIN.
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Legal entities may hold up to 25% participation.
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Based on full-time equivalents, the company employs fewer than 10 people under employment contracts.
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The turnover in the financial year immediately preceding the year of application was €40,000 or less.
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The turnover in the financial year of application, as of the end of the quarter immediately preceding the quarter of submission, was €40,000 or less.
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A shareholder must not have held or hold participation in, nor operate as an entrepreneur in, a company active in the same field of activity as the applicant during the 12 months immediately preceding the submission of the application.
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A shareholder must not be a management board member of another company active in the same field of activity as the applicant.
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A management board member must not hold or have held participation in, nor be a management board member of, another company active in the same field of activity as the applicant during the 12 months immediately preceding the submission of the application.
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Within the last three years, the applicant must not have received de minimis aid exceeding €300,000.
- The project contributes to maintaining the core principles and achieving the objectives of Estonia 2035
What is the grant for?
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The grant can be used for carrying out the actions and activities necessary to start a business (all activities and related expenses required for starting a business).
The start-up grant does not include a fixed list of eligible and ineligible costs. - It should be noted that only those activities and costs that do not significantly harm environmental objectives are eligible for support. Significant harm to environmental objectives under Article 17 can be found HERE. Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (EL) 2020/852.
- The grant is provided on the basis of a standardized unit rate (the unit being the start of business, with a unit cost of €25,000, of which the grant amounts to €20,000).
- The support rate is 80%, therefore the co-financing requirement is 20%.
- The project period is 24 months.
Impact of the grant
Establishment of companies with growth potential
Growth potential – the capacity to achieve a turnover which, for an entrepreneur located in the Tallinn and Tartu urban areas, is at least €80,000 in the final year of the project eligibility period, and at least €40,000 in the rest of Estonia.
Job creation
Creation of at least one full-time equivalent job under an employment contract, with payment of the applicable minimum wage.
Pre-consultation at the regional development centre
Before submitting an application, it is mandatory to undergo pre-consultation and obtain a preliminary assessment at the local regional development centre. After that, the application can be submitted in the e-support environment. Before completing the documents required for pre-consultation, please contact the business consultant of the regional development centre (contacts below).
For pre-consultation, please prepare the following documents:
- business plan form (digitally signed by the entrepreneur)
- Financial forecasts formil (06.03.25)
- CVs / résumés (of shareholders and management board members)
The regional development centre conducting the pre-consultation will prepare a digitally signed assessment within 30 days of the submission of the above-mentioned documents. This assessment serves as proof of the completion of the pre-consultation.
Please contact the business consultant of the appropriate regional development centre:
Application submission
After completing the pre-consultation, the application can be submitted via the e-support environment. In addition to the application, the following documents must be submitted:
- Sample application form. Application completion guide
- Preliminary assessment (digitally signed by a regional development centre employee)
- Business plan form
- Financial projections on the form (06.03.25)
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Balance sheet and income statement as of the end of the quarter immediately preceding the application submission (if the company has no activity, then a zero balance sheet)
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CVs / résumés (of shareholders and management board members)
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Power of attorney, if the authorised representative of the applicant is acting on the basis of an authorisation
Evaluation of the application
Applications are evaluated by the EIS, which involves independent experts in the evaluation process. The processing time, including evaluation, is up to 20 working days. The evaluation criteria and their weight in the overall score are as follows:
Compliance with the publicity requirement
After receiving the decision of approval, the beneficiary must comply with the obligation to inform about the support. Projects supported from the Cohesion Policy and Internal Security Policy Funds for the period 2021–2027 must be marked in accordance with the Government of the Republic Regulation on informing the public about the use of resources from the Cohesion Policy and Internal Security Policy Funds for the period 2021–2027. The publicity obligation may be fulfilled, for example, on the company’s website and social media accounts, if such exist. In this case, in addition to the logo, a short description of the project, its objective, results, and the amount of support must be published. The publicity obligation may also be fulfilled, for example, by placing a poster in the company’s premises. The poster must be displayed throughout the project’s eligibility period.
Project implementation – first instalment of the grant
The beneficiary shall submit an interim report in the e-support environment. The interim report must be submitted within four months of the decision approving the application. The interim report must demonstrate the creation of one full-time equivalent job within three months of the approval decision.
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An employment contract signed by both parties
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An extract from the Employment Register (TÖR) concerning the job related to the employment contract (available from the Estonian Tax and Customs Board e-services). More detailed information on employment registration can be found on the website of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board.
After the interim report has been approved, the first instalment of the grant (€15,000) will be disbursed. If the job has not been created, the grant will not be paid out. Forms of the interim and final reports sample.
Verification of project results – second instalment of the grant
The beneficiary shall submit the final report in the e-support environment. The final report must be submitted within 30 calendar days after the end of the project eligibility period. The final report must demonstrate that the created full-time equivalent job has been paid at least the applicable minimum wage and that the growth potential has been achieved.
The following must be submitted:
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Submit Form TSD Annex 1, or in the case of declared remuneration paid to a non-resident, Form TSD Annex 2, as well as the employment contract signed by both parties (if it was submitted with the interim report, it does not need to be submitted again). Forms TSD Annex 1 and Annex 2 can be obtained from the Estonian Tax and Customs Board’s e-service.
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Income statements (to prove the turnover generated from the project’s field of activity during the second eligible project year).
After the approval of the final report, the second instalment of the grant (€5,000) will be disbursed. If the job has not been retained, the applicable minimum wage has not been paid, and the growth potential has not been achieved, the
Forms of the interim and final reports sample.
Information session
Before submitting an application, it is mandatory to undergo pre-consultation and obtain a preliminary assessment at the local regional development centre. After that, the application can be submitted in the e-support environment. Before completing the documents required for pre-consultation, please contact the business consultant of the regional development centre (contacts below).
For pre-consultation, please prepare the following documents:
- business plan form (digitally signed by the entrepreneur)
- Financial forecasts formil (06.03.25)
- CVs / résumés (of shareholders and management board members)
The regional development centre conducting the pre-consultation will prepare a digitally signed assessment within 30 days of the submission of the above-mentioned documents. This assessment serves as proof of the completion of the pre-consultation.
Please contact the business consultant of the appropriate regional development centre:
After completing the pre-consultation, the application can be submitted via the e-support environment. In addition to the application, the following documents must be submitted:
- Sample application form. Application completion guide
- Preliminary assessment (digitally signed by a regional development centre employee)
- Business plan form
- Financial projections on the form (06.03.25)
-
Balance sheet and income statement as of the end of the quarter immediately preceding the application submission (if the company has no activity, then a zero balance sheet)
-
CVs / résumés (of shareholders and management board members)
-
Power of attorney, if the authorised representative of the applicant is acting on the basis of an authorisation
Applications are evaluated by the EIS, which involves independent experts in the evaluation process. The processing time, including evaluation, is up to 20 working days. The evaluation criteria and their weight in the overall score are as follows:
After receiving the decision of approval, the beneficiary must comply with the obligation to inform about the support. Projects supported from the Cohesion Policy and Internal Security Policy Funds for the period 2021–2027 must be marked in accordance with the Government of the Republic Regulation on informing the public about the use of resources from the Cohesion Policy and Internal Security Policy Funds for the period 2021–2027. The publicity obligation may be fulfilled, for example, on the company’s website and social media accounts, if such exist. In this case, in addition to the logo, a short description of the project, its objective, results, and the amount of support must be published. The publicity obligation may also be fulfilled, for example, by placing a poster in the company’s premises. The poster must be displayed throughout the project’s eligibility period.
The beneficiary shall submit an interim report in the e-support environment. The interim report must be submitted within four months of the decision approving the application. The interim report must demonstrate the creation of one full-time equivalent job within three months of the approval decision.
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An employment contract signed by both parties
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An extract from the Employment Register (TÖR) concerning the job related to the employment contract (available from the Estonian Tax and Customs Board e-services). More detailed information on employment registration can be found on the website of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board.
After the interim report has been approved, the first instalment of the grant (€15,000) will be disbursed. If the job has not been created, the grant will not be paid out. Forms of the interim and final reports sample.
The beneficiary shall submit the final report in the e-support environment. The final report must be submitted within 30 calendar days after the end of the project eligibility period. The final report must demonstrate that the created full-time equivalent job has been paid at least the applicable minimum wage and that the growth potential has been achieved.
The following must be submitted:
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Submit Form TSD Annex 1, or in the case of declared remuneration paid to a non-resident, Form TSD Annex 2, as well as the employment contract signed by both parties (if it was submitted with the interim report, it does not need to be submitted again). Forms TSD Annex 1 and Annex 2 can be obtained from the Estonian Tax and Customs Board’s e-service.
-
Income statements (to prove the turnover generated from the project’s field of activity during the second eligible project year).
After the approval of the final report, the second instalment of the grant (€5,000) will be disbursed. If the job has not been retained, the applicable minimum wage has not been paid, and the growth potential has not been achieved, the
Forms of the interim and final reports sample.
Support for applicants
Customer service [email protected] 627 9700 Merit Tints [email protected] 529 2926
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