ETAG grants: EUR 1,500 for travel and visits to Estonia

On 10 August 2026 the Estonian Research Council (ETAG) opened a travel and collaboration grant scheme for Ukrainian higher education and research institutions. The maximum amount is EUR 1,500 per participant, and applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

The money covers two things: travel to an on-site Horizon Europe matchmaking event, and a short-term visit to Estonia to prepare a joint proposal. Because the support works as reimbursement of documented costs, ETAG transfers nothing up front.

The sum is modest, although the scheme closes a specific gap. Ukrainian teams regularly miss out on consortia precisely because they cannot physically attend the events where those consortia form. So EUR 1,500 removes the question of a ticket, a hotel and a registration fee.

Who provides the money and where it comes from

The Estonian Research Council operates the scheme. ETAG is the national agency that distributes research funding in Estonia and also runs the Horizon Europe national contact points there.

The funding does not come from the agency budget. Instead, the scheme runs under the project Estonian Support for Ukraine’s Integration into the European Research Area (ESTERA-UA), and the money comes from ESTDEV, the Estonian Centre for International Development. So these are Estonian international development funds aimed specifically at integrating Ukrainian research into the European Research Area.

The Management Board of the Estonian Research Council approved the terms, and the full text sits in a separate Terms and Conditions document. Read it before filling in the form, since the news item carries only a shortened version.

One piece of context worth seeing. This is the second ETAG instrument for Ukraine within a single week: on 6 August the agency launched a mentoring programme for Ukrainian Horizon Europe participants. Since Estonia keeps investing in this direction, the Ukraine funding section is worth watching.

What the grant covers: two scenarios

The scheme covers exactly two types of activity, and the conditions differ between them.

Participation in Horizon Europe matchmaking events

These are on-site partner search events held in Horizon Europe Member States and Associated Countries. So the geography is wide and not limited to Estonia: a brokerage event in Brussels, Warsaw or Madrid all qualify.

This scenario returns the most for the money spent. At such events consortium coordinators look for partners on specific topics, and sitting in the room counts for more than any email campaign.

Short-term visits to Estonia

The second scenario carries tighter conditions. A visit must aim at preparing a joint Horizon Europe proposal and, or alternatively, at participating in an international scientific event organised in Estonia.

Three mandatory conditions apply to visits. At least one Estonian host organisation must take part. The visit must rest on a pre-agreed work plan or agenda. And the Estonian host organisation must issue an invitation letter.

In practice this means finding the Estonian partner before you apply. If you have no Estonian contact yet, then starting with the first scenario makes more sense: attend a matchmaking event and meet people there.

Who applies and who can travel

ETAG separates two different things here, and this is where confusion usually starts.

The applicant and beneficiary

A Ukrainian higher education institution or research organisation submits the application, regardless of legal status or ownership structure, provided it is registered and operating in Ukraine. The institution is both applicant and beneficiary of the grant.

One technical detail: for administrative reasons ETAG may reimburse approved eligible costs directly to the individual participant named in the application. So the money does not necessarily pass through the institutional account.

Individual participants

Those eligible to travel are Ukrainian researchers, plus staff involved in Horizon Europe proposal preparation and project implementation at Ukrainian higher education and research institutions.

Two conditions apply at once. The institution that submitted the application must employ the participant. And the participant must be either a Ukrainian citizen permanently residing in Ukraine, or a stateless person or a national of a third country who lawfully resides in Ukraine permanently.

The second condition rules out those who left. A researcher with Ukrainian citizenship who now lives permanently in Germany or Poland falls outside this scheme, even while formally remaining on the staff of a Ukrainian institution.

The amount and the eligible costs

The ceiling is EUR 1,500 per participant. The grant arrives as reimbursement of actual eligible costs incurred and documented by the beneficiary.

• economy-class airfare;
• train and bus tickets;
• local transportation;
• accommodation;
• visa costs, where applicable;
• travel insurance;
• event or conference participation fees;
• daily subsistence allowance of up to EUR 75 per eligible day.

Two clarifications that short retellings tend to drop. First, the scheme covers airfare at economy class only. Second, any cost that another source already covered does not count as eligible, so double funding of the same trip from another grant falls away.

A realistic calculation. A return flight to Brussels, three hotel nights, a registration fee of roughly EUR 200 to 300, and per diems for 4 days. The EUR 1,500 ceiling covers that trip, although the margin is thin, so book early.

How to apply and where the traps sit

Applicants complete the official application form in English and send it electronically to etag@etag.ee. The document package also contains a Travel Claim Form for reporting costs and a Feedback Form.

The qualified electronic signature

The head of the applicant institution or another authorised representative must sign the application electronically, using a qualified electronic signature recognised in the applicant country. For Ukraine that means a KEP.

Here is where the main delay hides. If the rector or institute director has no working QES, or the certificate has expired, sorting it out takes several days. Check this at the very start, before you write the substantive part.

Limits on the number of grants

As a general rule, up to 5 grants may go to participation in the same event or visit. No more than one grant goes to the same institution for the same activity. Each participant may receive support once for a matchmaking event and once for a short-term visit to Estonia.

In duly justified cases, and subject to budget availability, ETAG may make exceptions to these limits. For a large university the practical conclusion is this: if three people from different departments want to attend one event, that fits within the limit of 5, although the institution should submit one coordinated application.

The calendar and the assessment criteria

Applicants learn the funding decision within 30 calendar days of submission. The grant may only fund activities taking place before 15 October 2027. Together these two numbers give a working rule: apply at least six weeks before the trip.

Assessment runs on four criteria: the scientific relevance and expected impact of the proposed activity, the applicant motivation, the quality and feasibility of the planned activities, and the contribution of the activity to integrating Ukrainian researchers and institutions into the European Research Area and Horizon Europe. Because of that last criterion, the motivation section should name the topic you are seeking partners for.