Estonian Business and Innovation Agency and cities of Tallinn and Tartu offer a range of tailored destination supports for international conferences taking place in Estonia.

Estonian Business and Innovation Agency’s Conference Support 

Launched in 2016, the aim of the measure is to raise Estonia’s profile as a country hosting international conferences. Support can be applied to cover both the organisational costs of the conference and the external marketing costs. The maximum grant per conference is €30,000, however, the maximum grant will not exceed 70% of the project’s eligible costs. Legal entities registered in Estonia, as well as Estonian public authorities and local authorities, are eligible to apply for conference grants.  See more information on Estonian Business and Innovation Agency’s web site

Bid Support Funding

The Estonian Convention Bureau provides support to help with the bidding process to enable you to create fantastic bid documents and presentations. In addition, support for the cost of travel, accommodation, and conference registration fee to present the bid at the preceding conference may also be offered. If necessary, our team can help you to prepare bid documents for the conference application, a presentation introducing the destination, organise a site inspection visit to Estonia for an international organisation. Feel free to contact our team anytime!

Tallinn Conference Grant

From 2023, the City of Tallinn will support international conferences that meet the following criteria:

• foreign delegates come from at least two countries
• min 50 foreign delegates attending
• conference programme lasts for at least two consecutive days in Tallinn
• conference takes place between 1 September to 31 May
• conference takes place within 12 months from the grant application
• eligible to apply: private or public legal entity, registered in Estonia
• applicable conference types include academic/association and business conferences.

The maximum grant for one conference can be up to 30,000 euros. Compensated costs may include venue rent, organising costs, reception costs, AV services, promotional materials and tours.

Conferences will be evaluated based on the number of foreign delegates taking part in the conference, the duration of the conference programme, the conference month, and the type. The grant recipient must organise the conference in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way.

Additional information: Visit Tallinn Convention Bureau

Free public transport for conferences in Tallinn

Tallinn offers the opportunity to apply for free public transport for delegates of international events (conferences, cultural and sports events). Public transport in Tallinn includes buses, trams and trolleybuses. The system works through the conference QR ticket, of which there will be two versions for each successfully applied event: a printable QR code and a virtual code to be displayed on a smart device. The QR pass can be sent to the delegate via e-mail ahead of the event, so they would be able to use the ticket immediately after arriving in Tallinn. The QR code can also be printed on event badges.

For more information on the conditions and how to apply, see Visit Tallinn’s website

Tartu Conference Grant

The City of Tartu also greatly supports the organization of various types of conferences by both private and public legal entities. To be eligible, the conference must take place in Tartu, the total number of overnight stays in Tartu must be at least 100 and the conference programme must last at least two consecutive days. The grant is applied for through the Tartu City Government’s application and processing information system. Applications for conference grants are submitted to the City Administration no later than October 1st of the previous calendar year for conferences taking place between January 1st and June 30th, and no later than April 1st for conferences taking place between July 1st and December 31st. More information can be found at Visit Tartu web site.

Site Inspection Funding

If you are thinking about hosting an Association Conference in Estonia, get in touch with us early in the decision-making process.We can support costs associated with in-person site inspections, including travel and accommodation for key decision-makers visiting Estonia for a future event.