Financing

Achievement sports

The state supports achievement sports with the aim of contributing to the success of Estonian athletes in international title competitions. To this end, the state supports sports organisations, organises international competitions and invests in sports facilities.

Exercise

The Ministry of Culture supports the financing of exercise with the aim of increasing the physical activity of Estonians. Through various grants, the infrastructure needed to engage in physical activity is built and modernised, and sports organizations are supported, which provide people with opportunities to be physically active.

Scholarships and awards

The Ministry of Culture annually awards national lifetime achievement awards, annual prizes, and scholarships in the field of sports. Two lifetime achievement awards and six annual prizes are awarded each year. As of 2012, the amount of the lifetime achievement award is €64,000 and the amount of the annual prize is €9,600.

Applications can be submitted for the national sports scholarships for athletes twice a year.

Infrastructure

The Ministry of Culture, together with the Estonian Ski Association and Otepää Rural Municipality, is the founder of the Tehvandi Sports Centre Foundation and the sole founder of the Jõulumäe Health Sports Centre Foundation.

In some cases, the Ministry of Culture supports the construction and renovation of sports facilities. These are either sports facilities of national or local importance, and the allocation of funds depends on the state budget and usually requires getting additional money from the Government of the Republic.

The objective of an application round for Support for Regional Recreational Sports Centres is to support the development of up to two regional health sports centres in each county, which provide people with a wide range of opportunities to engage in various types of year-round outdoor exercise, free of charge. By the end of the support period, high-quality illuminated exercise tracks and artificial snow production capacity should be established.

Since 2020, the Ministry of Culture has allocated support to 11 local governments for the construction of multifunctional indoor football halls. The further allocation of subsidies depends on the availability of state budget funds and the capabilities of local governments. The construction of the halls is carried out in cooperation with the Estonian Football Association.