Digitalisation grants: funding tech for small businesses

Short answer: small and medium businesses in Lithuania can fund technology through EU structural-fund measures (administered via esinvesticijos.lt and the Innovation Agency), through innovation vouchers and digitalisation consulting formats, and through incentive financial instruments (soft loans, guarantees). Grants usually cover part of a project's value — typically 30–70%, depending on the measure and company size — with the rest financed by you. The point is not "is there money" but tracking the live calls and preparing a suitable project on time.

Up front: the specific measures, amounts, intensity and deadlines change every year, so all the figures below are illustrative (2026). Before budgeting, always check the live call on the official esinvesticijos.lt site and the Innovation Agency website — this article explains the logic; it does not replace the official call documentation.

Why the EU funds digital and green transformation

The EU and Lithuania's 2021–2027 funding period prioritise two things clearly: the digital and the green transformation. The logic is simple — more productive, digitalised companies are more competitive, create more added value and are more resilient in a crisis.

For a small business, this is a concrete opportunity: part of the technology investment you would make anyway (an online store, process automation, AI solutions, cybersecurity) can be covered by a non-repayable grant or a soft financial instrument. Instead of financing the whole amount from working capital, the grant covers a share and your payback accelerates.

It helps to understand the state's motive too: a grant is not a "gift" — its purpose is to make companies actually adopt more productive processes and grow. So calls often assess what concrete change (productivity, exports, new jobs, energy efficiency) the project will create.

What gets funded: e-commerce, process automation, AI solutions

While the exact lists of eligible costs depend on the call, digitalisation measures typically fund similar investment types:

• E-commerce and sales channels: building or modernising an online store, integrations with payments, delivery and accounting, booking systems.
• Process automation: digitalising production, logistics, warehouse or administrative processes, connecting systems (ERP, CRM, accounting), workflow automation.
• AI and data solutions: artificial intelligence tools, chatbots, forecasting and analytics systems, AI-driven workflow automation.
• Cybersecurity: security audits, protection measures, data backups.
• Consulting and capabilities: digital maturity assessments, technology roadmaps, staff training.

A good example of what real funded projects look like are the publicly published contracts in the esinvesticijos.lt system — for instance, implementing a workflow-automation platform using AI solutions. This shows that automation and AI projects already fall within the field of fundable activities.

The "Encourage businesses to digitalise" measure and similar programmes

One of the best-known directions is the measure "Encourage businesses to digitalise", aimed specifically at SME digital progress. Measures of this type usually work like this:

1. Goal: raise the company's digital maturity level — adopt technologies that automate processes, connect systems and increase productivity.
2. Funding form: part of the project value is covered by a grant; the company contributes the rest (the so-called own contribution).
3. Eligible costs: software, implementation services, integrations, sometimes equipment and training — the exact list is set out in the call description.
4. Selection: projects are often assessed competitively on benefit, maturity change and justification, so a well-prepared project has an edge.

Alongside it there are usually other directions: production modernisation, export promotion, green investment, cybersecurity measures. The specific set of measures and their names change, so do not rely on the name alone — always check which call is currently open and what its conditions are.

Innovation vouchers and consulting formats

Larger investments need more preparation, but lighter formats are often a good way to start:

• Innovation vouchers — small-value support that lets a company buy R&D or technology consulting, feasibility studies, a prototype or a technical solution from a science or technology partner. A convenient way to "test" an idea with low risk before a bigger project.
• Digitalisation consulting and maturity assessment — some programmes fund an independent assessment of the company's digital maturity with recommendations on what to adopt first.
• Training and skills programmes — developing staff digital and AI skills, which is often an eligible cost both on its own and as part of a larger project.

An important caveat: the conditions and call timing for innovation vouchers and similar measures change regularly, so before planning, be sure to check the live call at esinvesticijos.lt or the Innovation Agency — whether the measure is currently open, the maximum amount, and who counts as an eligible service provider.

Eligibility conditions for small and medium businesses

While every call has its own requirements, the following are typically assessed:

• Company size: whether you meet the SME definition by headcount, turnover and balance sheet. SME status is also affected by related or partner companies.
• Sector of activity: some sectors (e.g. primary agricultural production, fisheries or certain financial activity) may be ineligible or subject to separate rules.
• Company standing: it is often required that the company is not in difficulty, has no tax debts to VMI and Sodra, and has filed financial statements with the Register of Legal Entities.
• Project justification: a clear goal, a measurable result, a realistic budget and assured own contribution.
• De minimis ceiling: some measures are granted as de minimis aid, subject to an overall ceiling of aid received over several years — worth checking how much such aid you have already received.

A grant covers part of a project, not all of it. Plan your budget so you can fund the own contribution and VAT (often an ineligible cost) up front.

A practical nuance: a grant is often paid on a reimbursement basis — you incur the costs first, then recover them. That means you need working capital or bridge financing until the grant is disbursed.

How to align a grant with an automation project

A common mistake is to "chase the grant" first and only then think about what to actually implement. Better the other way round: start from the business need, and use the grant as a bonus if it fits.

A practical alignment plan:

1. Define a concrete process and benefit. For example, invoice automation, online-store integrations or an AI chatbot. Calculate the payback without the grant — a good investment should make sense on its own.
2. Prepare a project description. A clear goal, an expected result (e.g. hours saved, higher sales conversion) and a budget — this helps both the application and the choice of implementer.
3. Check whether a suitable call is open. If yes — fit the project scope to the call's eligible costs; if not — don't delay a useful project just for a grant, run a pilot with your own funds.
4. Plan the cash flows. Account for the own contribution, VAT and the reimbursement logic so the project doesn't stall on a temporary cash shortfall.
5. Document properly. Grants require tidy invoices, contracts and proof of results — worth planning for from the start.

Seen this way, an automation or digitalisation project pays back even without a grant, and the subsidy becomes a welcome accelerator rather than the core assumption.

Where to track new calls

The key practical rule: funding works in waves, so you need to track calls systematically rather than hope for a one-off win:

• esinvesticijos.lt — the main source on EU investment measures, open and planned calls, conditions and application deadlines.
• The Innovation Agency — administers innovation, digitalisation and export measures and provides consulting for business.
• Invega — incentive financial instruments: soft loans and guarantees that can be useful alongside a grant or instead of one.
• Municipal and sector programmes — there are sometimes local or specialised calls worth checking depending on your activity.

Tip: calls often open and close on a schedule, and preparing an application takes time. So prepare the project in advance — with a description and budget ready, you can react quickly when a call opens rather than rushing on the last day.

All figures and conditions mentioned in this article are illustrative (2026) and may change — before applying, verify the current information at esinvesticijos.lt and the Innovation Agency.

Want to turn a funding opportunity into a concrete project? Start with what is genuinely worth implementing: review which processes can be automated, which AI tools would suit your operations, and what funding options are currently available. Together we can work out the project payback and prepare a clear scope so that, when a suitable call opens, you can move fast.