Foreign trade fair grant for small enterprises
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Find out more about the procedure for granting the foreign trade fair grant for small enterprises
Foreign Trade Fair Grant for Small Enterprises (pdf)
The objective of the grant is to support the participation of Tallinn entrepreneurs as exhibitors in sectoral foreign fairs in order to promote the expansion of the business contact network and increase their international competitiveness and export capacity.
The foreign trade fair grant for small enterprises is considered de minimis aid and is awarded by the Tallinn City Enterprise Board in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1407/2013 and § 33 of the Competition Act. For further information on de minimis aid, please visit the website of the Ministry of Finance at https://www.fin.ee/riigihanked-riigiabi-osalused-kinnisvara/riigiabi
You can check the balance of de minimis aid granted to your enterprise in the Register of State Aid and de Minimis Aid.
Where to start
Applications are submitted via the self-service system of the Tallinn Project and Operating Support Information System (TTR).
PLEASE NOTE: After logging in to the self-service system with your ID card, please select Tegevustoetused (not Projektitoetused) from the upper menu bar.
Only companies that are registered in Tallinn according to the Estonian Commercial Register and that meet the following conditions are eligible for the grant:
· The enterprise has been operating for at least one financial year and has submitted at least one annual report to the Commercial Register.
· The turnover of the enterprise in the last financial year was between 20,000 and 400,000 euros.
· If the enterprise has been in business for more than two financial years, the number of the their full-time employees in the last six months must be at least one.
· In order to be more visible in foreign markets, the enterprise must have a website with content in at least one foreign language, English (if markets in other languages are targeted, the website can also be in that target language).
· The enterprise has no debts.
· At least 51% of the shareholders of an applicant that is a company are physical persons.
· The following areas of activity do not comprise more than 50% of the enterprise’s sales revenue:
wholesale and retail trade and brokerage
advertising and market research
real estate activities
production of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products
See more on the excluded areas of activity in the grant procedure.
Up to 8000 euros per applicant per calendar year can be applied for. The maximum rate of the grant is 80% of the eligible expenses actually incurred. One applicant is given support for participating in up to two trade fairs per calendar year.
Eligible expenses:
· Trade fair registration expenses
· Stand rental and the inevitable administrative and utility costs involved
· Trade fair insurance expenses
· The cost of a trade fair ticket and the cost of accreditation for the trade fair if the applicant participates in the trade fair as an exhibitor
· The cost of entering the exhibitor in the official catalogue and electronic database of the trade fair
Special conditions of the grant:
· The application is submitted at least 30 calendar days before the start of the trade fair! Applications submitted later will not be reviewed.
· Expenses are eligible on the assumption that they have been paid to the organiser.
· The expenses incurred as of the registration of the applicant to the trade fair until the submission of the final report are eligible.
· VAT is not an eligible expense.
The following additional documents must be submitted with the application:
· Price quotes for all eligible acquisitions specified in the budget of the project
· Action plan for participation in trade fair
Result
Processing of applications
During the first phase of the processing, the applications are assessed for conformity (eligibility of expenses and compliance with the conditions set out for the application and applicant) and possible shortcomings are identified (e.g. the applicant does not comply with the procedure, expenses are not eligible or the applicant has tax arrears). If the applicant fails to remedy any shortcomings or does not submit the requested additional information on time, a decision declaring the non-conformity of the application is adopted.
The conformity or non-conformity of an application is decided within 30 days of receipt of the application. If there are shortcomings in the application, the proceedings will be suspended until the shortcomings have been remedied. The decision is sent to the applicant by e-mail via the self-service of TTR.
The payment of the grant is based on the report on participation in the fair, which must be submitted via the TTR self-service within 21 calendar days after the end of the foreign fair.
The following documents must be submitted with the report:
· Documents evidencing that the eligible expenses were incurred and paid and/or copies of such documents (invoices and payment orders)
· Photos that prove participation in the trade fair
· Report on participation in trade fair
A checked and compliant report will be confirmed. The amount of the grant to be disbursed depends on the application, the decision declaring conformity of the application and the documents enclosed with the expense report that prove eligible expenses were incurred. The grant will be transferred to the bank account of the beneficiary within 21 calendar days of the declaration of conformity of the expense report.
Forms to be enclosed with the application and expenses report (links to Word documents)
Action plan for participation in trade fair
Report on participation in trade fair
Tallinn Strategy Center
Tallinn Strategy Center
Tallinn Strategy Center