Grants

The ERC Starting Grant supports excellent Principal Investigators who are starting or have recently started their own independent research team or programme. It targets researchers who have demonstrated research independence by producing significant publications and are within ten years from their PhD defense. The grant encourages ground-breaking research in any field of science carried out in EU Member States or Associated Countries, fostering independent research careers.

Objective: Only competent organisations, based on designations by Member States, are eligible to apply to the call. Scope: EFSA has been conducting horizon scanning on plant pests since 2017 to support EU crisis preparedness and inform plant health policy decisions. This activity is mainly carried out through the EIOS system, with technical support from WHO and the JRC. Relevant information is screened daily and synthesised into monthly newsletters for EU risk managers. Over the years, additional tools and tasks have been integrated, and a shift towards more advanced, foresight-oriented approaches has become essential. This call aims to identify the most suitable partner to support the evolution of the horizon scanning mandate, including the development and implementation of methods and tools, and to strengthen the integration of plant health within the One Health framework.

The aim of the support is to initiate and continue nationwide public major events that develop civil society, involving cross-sectoral various NGOs, communities, and residents. The support strengthens the capacity of civil society, increases residents' participation in societal life, develops cooperation and networking among NGOs, and improves the visibility and impact of NGOs in society.

The European Union CERV Programme Daphne call supports projects that prevent and combat gender-based violence against women and girls, domestic violence, violence against children, and violence against youth and other at-risk groups. Support is provided for the protection of direct and indirect victims of violence, development of victim-centered support services, prevention programmes, specialist training, inter-institutional cooperation, strengthening of integrated child protection systems, and funding of small civil society organisations through intermediary bodies. Projects may be implemented nationally or internationally.

The aim of the programme is to support projects in Ida-Viru County that alleviate or help to cope with the consequences of environmental changes resulting from oil shale mining or processing. The 2026 application round focuses on the establishment and reconstruction of public water supply and sewerage infrastructure, including improving the quality and reliability of drinking water, increasing the efficiency of wastewater treatment, and reducing the risk of pollution to surface and groundwater.

LIFE is the European Union's funding programme for environment and climate action, supporting the protection of nature and biodiversity, circular economy, zero pollution, environmental quality improvement, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the transition to clean energy. Funding is provided for innovative, demonstrative, best-practice-based, and large-scale deployment projects that have a measurable environmental or climate impact and clear European added value. Support is a direct grant from the European Commission, and applications are submitted via the Funding & Tenders Portal. The Environmental Investment Centre (KIK) advises Estonian applicants in the development of project ideas and in finding partners.

The financial instrument of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014–2020 offers loans through the Rural Development Foundation to entrepreneurs starting or engaged in fish processing and aquaculture production. The purpose of the financial instrument is to improve access to capital for fisheries sector entrepreneurs and to support the establishment of new processing and production units, expansion of existing units, improvement of production efficiency, and the adoption of new or significantly improved products and processes. This is a repayable loan, not a non-refundable grant.

The funding instrument of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2021–2027, via the Foundation for the Development of Rural Life (MES), offers investment loans to producers of aquaculture products, as well as processors of fishery and aquaculture products. Economically sustainable investments are financed, which strengthen the competitiveness of companies, improve the quality of products, increase added value, or promote environmentally sustainable aquaculture, but for which the company cannot obtain sufficient funding from the market. This is a repayable loan granted together with a credit or financial institution, not a non-repayable grant.

The Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023–2027 funding instrument provides loans through the Rural Development Foundation for investments in agricultural production and processing, food industry, agricultural cooperation, and rural entrepreneurship. The funding instrument targets economically sustainable projects that cannot secure sufficient financing from the market due to reasons such as insufficient collateral, small company size, location, or investment risk. This is a repayable loan, not a non-repayable grant.