Defense and Security Promotion Initiative "Vytis"
Vytis is an initiative of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation dedicated to the growth of the Lithuanian defense and security sector. It is a one-stop shop for defense and security promotion, providing access to information, funding, industrial and international cooperation opportunities, prototyping and testing infrastructure.
The initiative aims to unify all existing and developing defense industry incentive systems, shorten the time of procedures applied to defense equipment and reduce other bureaucratic obstacles. This year, the initiative will provide businesses with access to more than 300 million euros in financing.
Vytis provides targeted investments and specialized measures for those with an idea, startups, SMEs and large companies developing innovative technological solutions for the defense industry.
For those with an idea
Measures to promote defence innovation, especially at an early stage, are aimed at skills development, networking, incubation and access to R&D funding through pre-acceleration and acceleration.
For startups
Measures for startups already operating in the field of defense are aimed at networking and access to R&D&I funding.
Financing options:
- Defense innovation vouchers – a subsidy of up to EUR 100,000 for companies to create and develop defense innovations, cooperate with mature innovators or Lithuanian science and education institutions in the field of R&D, creating and developing products, technologies or services needed for defense needs.
- MilInvest is a tool operating through the ScaleWolf Accelerator and ScaleWolf VC funds, designed to promote innovation, experimental activities in the field of defense and security, and investments in the development and production of dual-use products.
A specialized funding measure for access to prototyping and testing infrastructures (EUR 100,000) has also been announced. This measure is intended to promote the creation and development of innovative defense technologies in Lithuania by providing financial support to companies wishing to test and prototype solutions that meet defense innovation priorities using public or private infrastructure of Miltech Sandbox partners - more information at this link .
At the end of 2025, MilInvest 2 will launch, providing access to an additional EUR 40 million in funding, a specialized acceleration program, and innovation support services.
In 2026-2028, it is planned to create a Testing and Prototyping Infrastructure, which will provide the opportunity to test their technologies in real conditions and receive the necessary consultations.
For SMEs and large companies
Measures for the development of manufacturing for SMEs and large enterprises are aimed at ensuring the availability of prototyping and testing infrastructure, simplifying certification procedures, opening up export markets and promoting international cooperation.
Currently relevant options:
- Billion for Business – direct, subordinated (up to EUR 150 million) and syndicated (up to EUR 250 million) loans are provided to eligible defence and security sector companies to finance investments and working capital. Currently, the balance of the measure for defence companies amounts to more than EUR 228 million.
STEP calls are planned for the end of 2025 for the development or production of products in the field of defence and security of critical technologies, increasing the strategic autonomy of the European Union
In 2026-2028, it is planned to create a Testing and Prototyping Infrastructure, allocate additional funding for innovation activities and certification (EUR 7 million), innovation procurement (EUR 9 million), and bilateral R&D&I projects (EUR 5 million).
One stop shop for information about current and future opportunities: [email protected]
We also inform you about the Ministry of Economy and Innovation's "Green Corridor" for large investment projects. This initiative creates more favorable conditions for the implementation of large investment projects in Lithuania - faster and simpler investor establishment procedures are provided for this. This initiative provides that businesses investing at least 20 million EUR (in Vilnius – EUR 30 million) in long-term capital and committing to create at least 150 new jobs (in Vilnius – at least 200 new jobs) or committing to create from 20 to 149, and when investing in Vilnius – from 20 to 199 new jobs, for which full-time employment contracts have been concluded in accordance with the procedure established by law, and maintaining each created job for at least five years from the first day of the employee's admission to the created job, ensuring that the average gross salary of the persons employed in the 20 new jobs created by the investment project in the relevant year (applied to each employee separately) is not less than 1.25 of the average monthly gross salary of the municipality in which the investment is made, including individual enterprises, as last published by the State Data Agency, and the average gross salary of the persons employed in the new jobs created by the investment project exceeding this number in the relevant year (applied to each employee separately) is not less than lower than the last published average monthly gross salary of the municipality in which the investment is made by the State Data Agency, including individual enterprises (applies only to manufacturing investment projects), is granted the status of a project of national importance and a 0% corporate tax rate is applied for a period of up to 20 years.
More about the "Green Corridor" for large investment projects – www.eimin.lrv.lt
Partners
