Funding · Enterprise Estonia

Enterprise Estonia can pay half of an expert's fee for your US market.

EIS's international expert service (Rahvusvahelise eksperdi kaasamine) compensates 50% of an expert's fee, up to €10,000 per expert, for up to 12 months. A company that brings its own expert can use it for markets outside EIS's list, including the US. Here is how it works, what is confirmed and what to check with EIS first.

Ask about an EIS-funded project Run the free check first Read EIS's article

How the support works

These terms come from EIS's own published articles about the service. Sources are listed at the end of the page.

EIS compensates 50% of the expert's fee, at most €10,000 per expert
The company can work with the expert for up to 12 months
The work runs on a three-party contract between the company, the expert and EIS's project partner
EIS helps find an expert for a set list of target markets
A company that brings its own expert can work on other markets too, which is how a US project fits
An expert the company brings itself must meet requirements that EIS sets

The service is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

What to check with EIS first

On 10 November 2026 the service's own page on EIS's site returned "page not found", so a few points need confirming with EIS directly before you plan around them.

Whether the service is open now. Easy.ee and Virol.ee report rolling applications until 15 December 2027 or until the budget runs out; the EIS pages I could read give no deadline
Which requirements apply to an expert the company brings itself, and whether the expert you have in mind meets them
Whether the €10,000 limit excludes VAT. Easy.ee says it does; EIS's articles do not say
How and when the compensation is paid. EIS's articles say EIS compensates the company; the details are in the contract
Which countries EIS currently finds experts for. Its articles name different countries in different years
Your EIS export adviser can confirm all of this in one conversation

Nothing on this page is legal or funding advice. EIS decides every application.

I do not hold any approved-expert status with EIS. Whether I can act as a company's own expert is EIS's decision.

How a US project could use it

If EIS accepts the expert, US-readiness work can be scoped as an expert engagement on the US market. The steps, as I understand them from EIS's articles:

Run the free US-Readiness Check to see where the gaps are
Tell your EIS export adviser you want to use the service with your own expert for the US market
I send the CV, references, scope and price that EIS asks for
If EIS approves, the three-party contract is signed and the work starts
A worked example, not a quote: on a €5,000 expert fee, EIS would compensate €2,500 and the company would pay €2,500

Sources, checked 10 November 2026: EIS article, May 2024 (50%, €10,000, 12 months, own expert for other markets); EIS case study (three-party contract); EIS service launch (requirements for own experts); Easy.ee and Virol.ee (open until 15 December 2027).

Questions

Can the expert work on the US market?

EIS finds experts itself only for a set list of countries. When the company brings its own expert, EIS says the service can be used for other target markets too.

How much does the company pay?

Half of the expert's fee. EIS compensates the other half, up to €10,000 per expert.

Is the service open now?

Easy.ee and Virol.ee say it takes applications on a rolling basis until 15 December 2027 or until the budget runs out. Confirm the current status with EIS.

Do you qualify as the expert?

That is EIS's decision. I can provide the CV, references and project scope EIS asks for, and I make no claim of approved status.

In their words

“We chose Valev for his insight and prior design elements to make our law firm website less like a traditional law firm site. His responsiveness, adherence to timelines set often by him and his clear knowledge of how to implement the vision given by the client were precisely what we were searching for and couldn’t be more pleased with the results.”

Alexander Almazan

Founder, Almazan Law

“Valev created and enhanced the design of our logo, website and theme that reflected our company’s intent and goals. With Valev’s help, we have captured the attention of new customers and have been able to grow our customer base and our business overall.”

David Tanner

Founder, Orchard Breeze Companies

“One of the things we most appreciate about Valev is the time he takes to understand ours/clients’ visions, goals and objectives, and then translate that context into meaningful, engaging design.”

Lori Yuhas

Founder, Marquee Brand Builders

All client testimonials →

Next step

Talk it through before you apply.

A free 20-minute call to scope a US project that could run as an EIS expert engagement.

Ask about an EIS-funded project Book a 20-minute call Email me directly

Valev Laube

Valev Laube is a creative director, web designer-developer and AI strategist based in New York City and Tallinn. He is Director of AI at a US marketing agency, founder of The VL Studios, and founder and editor of The Northern Voices, the only publication covering all eight Nordic and Baltic communities across North America. Estonian-born. Forbes Under 30 nominee. Young European Heritage Makers Award, European Commission, 2022.

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Enterprise Estonia can pay half of an expert's fee for your US market.

How the support works

What to check with EIS first