EIS Grants for AI Projects: Up to €35,000 for Your Company's Digitalization

The Estonian government actively supports business digitalization, including AI projects. The Enterprise and Innovation Foundation (EIS) offers two grant programs that are ideal for starting and implementing AI:

• Digitalization Roadmap: up to €10,000 for process mapping and AI strategy planning
• Development Activities: up to €35,000 for building and deploying AI solutions

Many companies leave this money on the table. Either they don't know these programs exist, find the application process too complex, or can't figure out how to fit their AI project into the grant framework.

AI Eesti handles the entire process. We take care of the paperwork. You focus on your business.

Digitalization Roadmap: Up to €10,000

The digitalization roadmap is the first step. It's a professional assessment that gives your company a clear picture: where are the AI opportunities, which processes can be automated, and where to start.

What's Covered?

• Digital consultant services. A professional consultant maps your processes and creates a digitalization roadmap.
• Process analysis. Which workflows are manual, repetitive, and ready for AI improvement.
• AI readiness assessment. Are your data, systems, and team ready to use AI.
• Action plan. A prioritized plan with concrete steps and expected impact.

What Does This Look Like in Practice?

Our AI audit is exactly the type of service that qualifies under the digitalization roadmap. During the AI Eesti audit, we:

1. Interview leadership and key stakeholders to understand the business model, priorities, and pain points
2. Map processes systematically: sales, customer service, production, administration, every department
3. Identify AI opportunities. For each opportunity, we assess business impact, technical complexity, and prerequisites
4. Create a prioritized action plan with 3-5 pilot projects, timeline, budget, and ROI calculations

The result is a concrete document you can act on immediately, either on your own or with our help.

Why Start With the Roadmap?

• Low risk. The investment is small (up to €10,000 with the grant), but the result is clear.
• Strong foundation for the next step. The roadmap becomes the best possible supporting document for a development activities grant application.
• You don't need to know what you'll do with AI. That's exactly what the roadmap figures out.

Development Activities: Up to €35,000

If the roadmap gives you the plan, the development activities grant gives you the funding to execute it. This is for building and deploying actual AI solutions.

What's Covered?

• AI solution development. Custom automations, chatbots, data analysis tools.
• Software customization. Adding AI capabilities to existing systems.
• Integrations. Connecting AI solutions with your business software (CRM, ERP, accounting).
• Pilot projects. Building and testing the first AI solution.
• Training. Team training on new AI tools.

Which AI Projects Qualify?

Practically any AI project aimed at improving business processes:

• AI-powered customer service. Chatbots, automated email responses, inquiry routing.
• Document automation. Proposal generation, contract analysis, reporting.
• Sales and marketing analytics. Customer segmentation, sales forecasts, personalized marketing.
• Production optimization. Quality control, planning, predictive maintenance.
• Internal workflows. Data entry, report generation, moving information between systems.

How AI Eesti Guides the Entire Process

Applying for grants doesn't have to be your headache. AI Eesti helps from start to finish, from the first idea to a working solution.

1. We Help Find the Right Grant

Before applying, we sit down together and review your situation:

• Should you start with the roadmap (up to €10,000) or do you already have a clear plan for development activities (up to €35,000)?
• Which grant program fits your company size and project best?
• Can grants be combined?

2. We Help Prepare the Application

The most critical part of any application is the technical project description and budget. This is what we do best:

• Formulate the project objective so it meets EIS requirements
• Create a detailed budget: consulting, development, training, as separate line items
• Define measurable KPIs: hours saved, cost reduction, efficiency gains with specific numbers
• Build a realistic timeline: month-by-month plan

3. We Execute the Project

Once the grant is approved, you're not alone:

• For the roadmap: we conduct the AI audit, map processes, and deliver a complete action plan
• For development activities: we build AI solutions, integrate them with your systems, and train your team
• Throughout the journey: we manage the process, keep everything on schedule, and ensure grant reporting is in order

4. We Help With Reporting

Grants are paid out after costs are incurred and reports are submitted. We help:

• Document work completed and results achieved
• Prepare reports according to EIS requirements
• Ensure all costs are properly evidenced

The Practical Path: How It Works

The smartest approach is to start with the roadmap and move from there to development activities:

Month 1-2: Digitalization Roadmap

1. AI Eesti helps prepare the roadmap application
2. After grant approval, we conduct the AI audit (2-4 weeks)
3. You receive a prioritized action plan with ROI calculations

Month 3: Development Activities Application

4. Based on the roadmap results, we prepare the development activities application. It's now much stronger because you have a professional analysis behind it
5. Application submitted through the EIS portal

Month 4-8: AI Solution Development and Deployment

6. Once funded, we begin development. First pilot projects launch within 4-8 weeks
7. We train your team on the new tools
8. We measure results and optimize

Result: your company has received up to €45,000 worth of AI services, with a significant portion covered by EIS grants. And more importantly, you have working AI solutions that save time and money every day.

What Does the Grant Cover?

Who Is This For?

EIS grants are available to Estonian companies that meet the following criteria:

• Estonian company. Registered and operating in Estonia.
• At least 2 years in operation. Grants are for established businesses with at least two financial years on record.
• Average revenue of at least €200,000. Based on main activity revenue averaged over the previous two financial years.
• Desire to digitalize. You don't need to know exactly what to do with AI (that's what the roadmap is for), but you need the intent to improve processes.
• Willingness to co-invest. Self-financing covers 30-50% of total project costs, depending on the program.

Who Benefits Most?

• Small and medium enterprises. Enough processes for AI to have major impact, yet flexible enough to implement quickly.
• Manufacturing companies. Many repetitive processes, data-intensive tasks.
• Service companies. Customer service, proposals, reporting.
• Construction and real estate. Documentation, project management, administration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know which AI solution I want before applying? No. The digitalization roadmap is designed exactly for that purpose. Start with the roadmap. It reveals what to build and how.

Is the grant paid upfront or after? Most grants are reimbursed after costs are incurred and reports are submitted. Self-financing covers 30-50% of total project costs depending on the program, and you need to cover this upfront.

How long does the application process take? Preparing the application with AI Eesti takes 1-2 weeks. EIS review typically takes 2-8 weeks, depending on the program.

Can I use both grants at the same time? Yes, but not for the same costs. The typical approach is to use the roadmap grant for the AI audit and then the development activities grant for building solutions.

Does AI Eesti only help with applications, or also with project execution? Both. We're not just application consultants. We're your AI partner for the entire journey. We help prepare the application, execute the project, and deliver results. Our three pillars: we map (audit and roadmap), we build (development and deployment), and we adopt (training and support).

Do I need to be an IT company? No. Grants are available to all sectors: manufacturing, services, retail, real estate, construction, education. AI applies to every industry.

Does AI training qualify for grant funding? Yes, training costs are eligible under the development activities grant. Our AI training programs, Zero to One and Masterclasses, qualify for grant funding.

Don't Leave Money on the Table

EIS grants are genuinely accessible, and applying doesn't have to be complicated. Your only task is to decide that you want to move forward with AI. We handle the rest.

Summary:

• Digitalization Roadmap (up to €10,000): we map AI opportunities and create an action plan
• Development Activities (up to €35,000): we build and deploy AI solutions
• AI Eesti handles the entire process, from application to working solution

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