ETTEVOTLUSE JA INNOVATSIOONI SIHTASUTUS

Their core work

Estonia's national enterprise and innovation foundation (EAS), responsible for supporting SME growth, innovation procurement, and entrepreneurship policy at the national level. They participate in EU-wide coordination actions focused on sharing best practices in SME support, innovation financing, and public procurement of innovation. Their role in H2020 projects is typically as a national agency contributing Estonian policy experience and implementing pilot programmes for innovative enterprises.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 involvement (2015-2017) centred on energy building regulations and basic SME finance access — traditional national agency functions. From 2018 onward, they shifted toward broader innovation ecosystem topics: procurement of innovation, cultural tourism policy, and structured peer-learning networks for SME support agencies. The trajectory shows a move from narrow regulatory coordination to wider innovation policy design and cross-border institutional learning.

Moving toward structured peer-learning among national innovation agencies, with growing interest in connecting SME support to EIC Accelerator selection and cultural economy sectors.

How they like to work

Always a participant, never a coordinator — consistent with their role as a national implementing agency that joins EU-wide policy networks rather than leading research. With 71 unique partners across just 5 projects, they operate in large, multi-country consortia typical of Coordination and Support Actions. This makes them an accessible partner who brings national-level policy implementation experience without competing for project leadership.

Remarkably broad network for a modest project count: 71 unique partners across 29 countries, reflecting participation in large pan-European coordination actions. Their reach spans nearly all EU member states, indicating strong connections to peer innovation agencies continent-wide.

What sets them apart

As Estonia's national enterprise foundation, they offer direct access to Estonian innovation policy implementation and SME support infrastructure. Estonia's reputation as a digital-first economy and startup hub adds credibility to their SME and innovation expertise. For consortium builders, they bring both a national agency mandate and practical experience running programmes that select and support high-growth SMEs.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IMPACTOUR
  Largest single funding (EUR 140,000) and an unusual diversification into cultural tourism policy — signals expanding scope beyond traditional enterprise support.
• Procure2Innovate
  Core mission alignment — building European competence centres for innovation procurement, directly tied to their national mandate of helping innovative companies access public contracts.
• GO - SME
  Most recent project (2021-2023) focused on EIC Accelerator selection practices, indicating direct involvement in shaping EU-level SME funding decisions.