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Estonia is doubling down on its research and development ambitions, allocating €42M to projects that bring academic science closer to commercial applications. The latest funding call under the Thematic R&D Programmes (TemTA) — run by the Estonian Research Council (ETAG) — opened on 13 March, with applications accepted through the Estonian Research Information System (ETIS) until 22 April.
The round is the second under the TemTA framework, which launched its first call in 2024. The programme’s total investment reaches €102M through 2029, co-financed by the European Union and the Ministry of Education and Research.
A notable addition this year is a dedicated knowledge transfer development grant — introduced jointly by ETAG and Enterprise Estonia — under which researchers will address specific technological challenges defined by companies, rather than setting their own research agendas.
Enterprise Estonia will support researchers in identifying suitable business partners and assessing each project’s commercial potential. Mart Toots, head of the R&D and innovation department at EIS, described it as a first for Estonia: a structured mechanism for turning industry problems into funded research, with institutional matchmaking built in from the outset.
Eligible proposals must align with Estonia’s smart specialisation strategy across four thematic areas: digital solutions, health technologies, valorisation of local resources, and smart and sustainable energy. Projects are also expected to bring in new doctoral researchers, reinforcing the long-term pipeline of Estonian R&D talent.
The indicative timeline runs from evaluation in April–August through to the signing of funding agreements by October. Ready to apply? Further details and application guidelines are available via the Estonian Research Council website.
