City of Tallinn international conference support grant
General information
Consultations for applying for Tallinn's international conference support grant are available upon request prior to application submission. To do this, please contact the business tourism consultants at the 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 support grants and read the frequently asked questions.
The application for the conference grant can be submitted using the online self-service platform. It is also the main tool used for informing applicants about the decision of their application, signing contracts, sending notifications about changes in or cancellation of events and submitting interim reports, final reports as well as cost statements of the used grant.
After logging into the website, choose “International conferences” from the list of project and activity grants.
What is the purpose of the Tallinn international conference grant?
The primary 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 and tourism profits and to distribute seasonal tourism. The goal is also to encourage organisers to hold conferences following the best sustainability practices.
Which conferences qualify for support?
- Conferences taking place in Tallinn within 12 months of submitting the application
- Conferences taking place between 1 October and 30 April
- Conferences which have a programme of at least two consecutive days, and minimum 4 hours of content (lectures, presentations, discussions) per day
- Conferences with an attendance of foreign delegates from at least two foreign countries
- Conferences with an attendance of at least 75 foreign delegates in January, February and March, and at least 120 foreign delegates in April, October, November and December
Events ineligible for the grant include meetings attended by employees of the same company, clients, cooperation and/or business partners, study trips, training sessions, competitions, trade fairs, work meetings, information days, exhibitions, festivals, or hackathons.
Who can and cannot apply for the grant?
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 be registered in the Republic of Estonia according to the Commercial Register.
How much is the subsidy?
The maximum grant per conference is €30,000.
The application is evaluated based on three criteria: the number of international delegates attending the conference, the duration of the conference program, and the month in which the conference takes place. These criteria are assessed with varying weights.
Higher support is granted to conferences with a larger number of international delegates, longer durations, and those held during the tourism low season (January-March).
What is the required self-financing rate?
The prerequisite for receiving the grant is an own contribution and co-financing obligation of 40% of the eligible costs. The grant will cover up to 60% of the eligible expenses actually incurred.
Which expenses can be covered by the grant?
The grant can only be requested for eligible expenses. The following conference organisation expenses are considered eligible:
- Rental of conference rooms
- 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
- Cost of marketing materials (publications, videos, digital media, etc.) to promote Tallinn as the conference destination
- Cost of activities promoting the destination and local culture
- Cost of organising a cultural and entertainment programme for one conference reception (local performers’ fees, room rental, catering, etc.)
- Cost of conference organisation services (including budget drafting, reporting, etc.)
How can the organiser introduce Tallinn to their delegates?
- Event organiser will introduce Tallinn as a tourism destination to their delegates, and carry out all the activities listed in the action plan for introducing the destination. Link to visittallinn.ee must be added to event webpage and other marketing materials. For that you can use a short introduction as follows:
- For useful advice and inspiration on Tallinn’s top attractions, activities, events, and places to eat and drink, check out the city’s official tourism portal, visittallinn.ee, or follow @VisitTallinn on social media.
- The event organiser will name the City of Tallinn as a supporter in the event’s marketing materials (including website) and during the conference. For this purpose, it is possible to use both the official logo of Tallinn and the logo of Visit Tallinn.
In addition to the above, the event organiser can include hashtags #VisitTallinn and #Tallinn when promoting the event on social media.
Find out more about the conference grant and how to apply
Applying & calls for applications
Useful information for applicant
If you need advice on applying for the conference support grant, don’t hesitate to contact us – we’re happy to help!
e-mail: convention@visittallinn.ee
Phone: +372 640 4763