International conference support
Consultations are available upon request prior to application submission. For this, please contact the business tourism consultants at Tallinn Strategic Management Office. The aim of the preliminary consultation is to provide information on the conditions under which an organiser of an international conference qualifies for a grant and how to prepare an application.
Find out more about the procedure for awarding international conference grants and read the frequently asked questions.
The aims of Tallinn’s international conference support grants are to increase the reputation of Tallinn as a location for international conferences, to increase the number of foreign conference tourists staying in Tallinn as well as tourism profits and to distribute seasonal tourism.
The international conference grant is considered de minimis aid and is awarded by the Tallinn City Enterprise Board in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1407/2013 and section 33 of the Competition Act.
In 2024 the final dates for submitting applications are January 12th, September 6th and November 11th.
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/vahese-tahtsusega-abi. 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
Tallinn Strategic Management Office announces the dates for the admission of applications. The Office will announce the dates for the admission of applications in Päevaleht and on the Tallinn website. The application must be submitted by the admission date but no less than 60 calendar days before the start of the conference. Applications submitted later will be rejected.
Both public and private legal persons can apply for the grant. Applicants cannot be natural persons, local authorities or bodies administered by local authorities, government agencies or bodies administered by government agencies.
The applicant must meet the following requirements:
- The applicant is registered in the Republic of Estonia according to the Commercial Register.
- The applicant has been active for at least one fiscal year and has submitted all mandatory annual reports to the Commercial Register or by other mandatory means established by law.
- The applicant has paid national and local taxes and has no other valid debts to the City of Tallinn. If the debt is deferred, payments must be made according to the payment schedule. The applicant must have submitted the tax returns required by the Taxation Act and other tax laws.
- No liquidation, rehabilitation or bankruptcy proceedings have been initiated against the applicant and no bankruptcy decision has been made about them.
The grant is awarded for organising an international conference in Tallinn. The grant is only applicable for eligible expenses and the amount of the grant must not exceed the grant maximum of €30,000. Self-financing and co-financing must make up at least 40% of the eligible expenses of the conference.
To be eligible for the grant, the conference must meet the following conditions:
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The conference takes place in Tallinn within 12 months of submission of the application.
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The conference takes place between 1 October and 30 April.
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The conference must have a programme of at least two consecutive days, and minimum 4 hours of content (lectures, presentations, discussions) per day.
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Foreign delegates are from at least two foreign countries.
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There are at least 75 foreign delegates in January, February and March, and at least 120 foreign delegates in April, October, November and December.
Eligible expenses:
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Rental of conference rooms
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Cost of technical support services (presentation equipment, interpreting services, voting and polling systems, etc.) necessary for the organisation of the conference, with the exception of the technical implementation for virtual and hybrid conferences
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Cost of marketing materials (publications, videos, digital media, etc.) to promote Tallinn as the conference destination
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Cost of activities promoting the destination and local culture
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Cost of organising a cultural and entertainment programme for one conference reception (local performers’ fees, room rental, catering, etc.)
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Cost of conference organisation services (including budget drafting, reporting, etc.)
The eligible expenses must be justified, transparent, clear in their content and necessary for the organisation of the conference. The eligible expenses must be stated in the application and made during the eligible period. Proof of expenses is provided via bank transfer (copy of the payment order).
The grant is expected to result in the following changes:
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An increase in the number of foreign conference tourists staying in Tallinn and tourism profits
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A reduction in the seasonality of tourism
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More opportunities for local enterprises, scientists and specialists to develop
international cooperation networks and exchange knowhow
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An increase in the popularity of the City of Tallinn as a destination for competence centres in various fields and
conference tourism
The following additional documents must be submitted with the application:
1) Conference programme outline (time of the conference, general daily programme, including events and locations), including the organiser’s name, telephone number, e-mail address and information regarding membership of a professional association or international organisation
2) Information on how the conference meets the conditions stated in section 3 of the regulation
3) Activity plan for promoting the destination (activities for promoting Tallinn as a tourist destination and the local history and culture before and during the conference, the schedule for these activities and communication channels)
4) Information on how sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions will be implemented at the conference
Result
Processing of applications
During the first phase of the processing of applications, 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. if 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 14 working 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 environment of TTR.
The Head of the Office assembles a commission of at least three members to process the compliant applications. The commission will make a proposal on whether to award the grant or to reject the application, the amount of the grant and, if necessary, an extension for processing the application to the Head of the Strategic Management Office.
The evaluation is based on three criteria:
- The number of foreign delegates attending the conference – 40% of the score
- The length of the conference programme – 30% of the score
- The month in which the conference is held – 30% of the score
The Head of the Strategic Management Office decides whether to award a grant to an applicant within 14 working days after receiving a recommendation from the Commission. The Strategic Management Office will forward the decision to the applicant via TTR within five working days of having made the decision. The Strategic Management Office reserves the right to publish the decision to award a grant to an applicant on the Tallinn website. If necessary, the use of the grant will be subject to a contract. The contract form will be approved by the Office.
The beneficiary must submit the final reports (conference report and expense report) to the Office via the self-service of the TTR within 40 calendar days after the conference. Verified and compliant reports are approved by the Office within 30 calendar days of submission.