Exporter 2026

Objective

To recognise smart Estonian companies that create added value and are successful in increasing their exports.

Who can apply?

We invite Estonian companies that export products or services to apply.

Evaluation criteria and process

The following economic indicators are evaluated (comprising a total of 30% of the evaluation):

1. Export revenue in 2025 (10%)
2. Compound sales growth 2023-2025 (10%)
3. Compound growth of value added per employee 2023-2025 (10%)

The company must show a significant achievement in the following areas over the past three years (comprising 70% of the final result):

1. The company’s exports are diversified in terms of markets, which has led to a low dependence on individual markets, and a significant volume of exports is directed beyond Scandinavia and the Baltics. The company’s products or services are visible in foreign markets (e.g. their success stories have been covered in international media, the company has a strong brand or trademark, the product/service has a significant number of customers in foreign markets, unique or differentiating features). (30%)
2. There has been a significant technology or process development or change in the company/product range that has impacted financial results (20%)
3. The company cooperates with research and development institutions or makes targeted investments in research and development or innovation (research, product development, investments in equipment, intangible assets, increasing production capacity) (20%)

Definitions

Value added per employee = (operating profit + expenditure + labour costs) / number of FTEs

Compounded growth = (2025 result / 2023 result) ^ (1/2) – 1

Research and development (including experimental development) includes systematic creative activities designed to increase the scope of knowledge and the ability to use such knowledge to uncover new fields of application. Activities can be classified as research and development if they fulfil five core criteria:

• novel
• creative
• producing uncertain outcome
• systematic
• transferable and/or reproducible.

For research and development, all five criteria should be simultaneously fulfilled, whether it is a constant or intermittent activity.