Support for International Sports and Cultural Events 2026

The goal of the grant is to increase Estonia's recognition as a destination for international sports and cultural events, bring more foreign visitors to Estonia, and increase the number of tourism entrepreneurs involved in organizing events and serving visitors. Support is provided for organizing public and internationally attractive sports or cultural events taking place in Estonia, as well as their marketing abroad.

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Agency	EIS
Region	EU
Country	EE
Legal form	Company, NGO, Government organization
Start date	31 Aug 2026
End date	14 Oct 2026
Max funding	The minimum grant amount is 30,000 euros., The maximum grant amount is 75,000 euros., The total cost of activities supported in the project may be up to 200,000 euros. The total event budget may be larger.
Budget	The budget for the 2026 application round is 525,000 euros. The total amount of support displayed on the measure's page is 2,250,000 euros.
Coverage	The grant may cover up to 70% of the total eligible project costs. Self-financing must constitute at least 30% of the total eligible project costs. Self-financing must be monetary and must cover the part of eligible costs not reimbursed by the grant. Support from the state, local government, or an EU institution or fund, whether repayable or non-repayable, is not considered self-financing.

Grant application conditions

Applicant	The applicant must be the organizer of the supported event. The applicant may be a legal entity registered in Estonia, including a business entity, non-profit association, or foundation. The applicant may be an Estonian state institution, local government unit, or local government agency. A partner may participate in the project, who may also be an Estonian state institution, local government unit or agency, or a legal entity registered in Estonia.
Type of event	International sports or cultural events taking place within one year are supported. An international sports event must be a public event or competition that follows the rules or code of conduct of the relevant sport. An international cultural event must be a public event aimed at promoting and advancing culture. The event must be of international interest and must be marketed abroad.
Venue of the event	The event must take place in Estonia.
Duration of the event	The event must be conducted as a unified program over at least two consecutive days. Content-related activities of the event must take place on both days of the program.
Minimum number of foreign visitors	An event held in Tallinn must have at least 600 foreign visitors. An event held outside Tallinn must have at least 300 foreign visitors. The number of foreign visitors planned in the application is a mandatory project indicator, and its achievement is a prerequisite for payment of the grant.
Foreign marketing	Marketing activities for the event must be planned in at least one foreign market. Information about Estonia's tourism opportunities must be provided during the event. Prior to and during the event, the event's marketing channels and venue must inform about the website visitestonia.com.
Involvement of tourism entrepreneurs	At least two small or medium-sized enterprises serving foreign visitors must be involved in planning and implementing the event. The roles of the involved enterprises in serving foreign visitors and the principles of cooperation must be described in the application. The number of involved SMEs is a mandatory project indicator.
Definition of SME	A small or medium-sized enterprise must have fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million euros or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding 43 million euros.
Time of application compared to the event	The application must be submitted at least four months before the event.
Project eligibility period	The earliest possible project start date is the date of submission of the application to EIS. The project must be implemented within 24 months of the submission of the application. All project activities must be concluded no later than October 31, 2029. Beginning activities before the grant approval decision is at the applicant's own risk and does not guarantee receipt of the grant.
Horizontal principles	The principles of sustainability must be followed in organizing the event. The event must comply with the principles of accessibility, gender equality, equal opportunities, and equal treatment. The project must be in line with the principle of 'do no significant harm' and must not cause significant harm to the EU's environmental objectives.
State aid for sports event	The support given to the sports event is de minimis aid. The applicant and partner must have enough remaining de minimis aid allowance. The concept of a single undertaking and the accumulation rules apply when accounting for de minimis aid.
State aid for cultural event	The organizer of a cultural event may choose between de minimis aid or block exemption aid for the promotion of culture and preservation of cultural heritage. For cultural aid, the total amount of public sector cultural aid for the project must not exceed the limit allowed in the block exemption regulation.
Other public funding	The applicant must disclose if support is being simultaneously sought from other state, local government, EU, or foreign aid sources for the project or any project activity. The same cost cannot be funded more than once. The same event cannot be supported simultaneously as both a sports and a cultural event.
Project budget	The total cost of project activities eligible for support can be up to 200,000 euros. The project budget must be justified and cost-effective. The total event budget may be larger than the budget for supported project activities.
Financial capacity	The applicant must have sufficient financial capacity for project implementation and to cover self-financing. The assessment considers the organizational, project team, and financial capacity of the applicant.
Documentation	https://eis.ee/teenused/rahvusvaheliste-spordi-ja-kultuurisundmuste-toetus/

Eligible expenses

Evaluation criteria

Business exclusions

Reporting

Application process

Application requirements

Application form completed in the e-support environment.

Detailed project budget including the full event budget, activity schedule, and risk analysis.

Price calculations that form the basis of the budget. Comparable price offers do not need to be attached to the application but calculations must be justified.

Marketing and media plan prepared on the EIS form.

Event program.

Description of the event's objective, activities, venue, and start and end dates.

Description of foreign marketing activities and justification for the selected target markets.

Customer journey analysis of the event.

Analysis of event organization principles and of sustainability and accessibility.

Description of activities planned to introduce Estonia as a tourism destination.

Planned number of foreign visitors and justification for its achievement.

The names, registration codes, roles in serving foreign visitors, and cooperation principles of at least two involved SMEs.

Description of the impact of the project on involved SMEs, the field of the event, the region, and Estonia's tourism sector.

Description of project team members' experience in event organization and marketing.

The applicant's balance sheet and income statement for the current financial year as at the end of the quarter preceding submission, unless the applicant is a state institution, local government unit or agency, or public-law legal person.

For a non-profit applicant, a list of members of the non-profit association.

For a foundation applicant, a list of those entitled to appoint members of the foundation council.

For a procurement-obliged applicant, a project procurement plan.

Power of attorney if the applicant's representative acts on the basis of an authorization.

In case of a partner, the partner's confirmation letter and description of the partner's activities and financial contribution.

For a group applicant or partner, a scheme of group members.

Confirmation of compliance of the project with environmental legislation and the do no significant harm principle.

Confirmation of compliance with the principles of gender equality, equal treatment, and accessibility.