Grants for building a website or web shop in Croatia in 2026

Grants for building a website in Croatia in 2026 come mostly from smaller calls by cities, municipalities and counties. There is money available, and it goes to the businesses that find the call in time and get the paperwork right. In this guide I go through which grants exist, how much they pay, how the process works and where people most often go wrong.

Which grants cover building a website

City and municipal grants. This is the most reliable source today. Cities and municipalities adopt a programme of small grants every year, and more and more of them include a measure for going digital or directly for building a website. For example, the City of Mali Lošinj covers up to 90% of the cost of a website and promotional material, up to €3,500, for businesses founded in 2026. The City of Poreč also has a digitalisation measure in 2026.

County grants. Counties more often fund new businesses and investments than websites directly, but a website often fits among the eligible costs. Koprivnica-Križevci County gives new businesses up to €2,000 in 2026, or up to €4,000 in manufacturing and shortage occupations.

Self-employment grant (HZZ). It’s meant for people opening a company or a sole proprietorship. Eligible costs change from year to year, so check on mjere.hzz.hr whether a website can be part of your business plan.

State digitalisation vouchers. The Ministry of Economy gave a digital marketing voucher of up to €9,990 covering 50% of the cost, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan. It covered websites, landing pages and web shops, hosting and domain for 12 months, and training. That round has ended. New digital vouchers were announced for 2026, but by the end of September the call had not been published, and they target more complex solutions and AI. I wouldn’t wait for it if you need a website this year.

How much you can get

Type of grant	Amount	Share of the cost covered
City and municipal grants (example: Mali Lošinj)	up to €3,500	up to 90%
County grants for new businesses	€2,000 to €4,000	depends on the call
State digital marketing voucher (ended)	up to €9,990	50%

The amounts come from the calls linked in this article. Your city may have different conditions, so the call text is always the only reliable source.

How the process works, step by step

1. Find the call. Watch the websites of your city, municipality and county. In 2026, calls came out between March and August.
2. Get an offer before you apply. Most calls ask you to attach a provider’s offer or pro forma invoice to the application, so you effectively choose the provider before the grant is approved.
3. Submit the application. You submit it yourself, with a Tax Administration certificate that you have no debts and a statement on small grants you received in the last three years.
4. Build and payment. After approval the provider builds the site and you pay the invoice.
5. Payout request. You send the invoice, proof of payment and proof of delivery. The grant usually arrives only then, as a refund of part of the cost.

What to check in a provider

The offer has to follow the call. If the call requires hosting and domain to be part of the same delivery, or training of a set number of hours, the offer has to say so. Any item the call doesn’t accept comes out of your pocket.

The provider can’t be a related party. The digitalisation vouchers explicitly excluded providers related to the applicant by family or ownership. Check the same rule in your call.

Delivery deadline. A grant has a deadline by which the work must be finished and paid. A provider who runs late can cost you the whole grant.

Payment. Since the grant arrives after payment, agree in advance on a payment schedule that works for you.

What comes after the build. The grant covers the build, but a website without visitors brings no enquiries. Plan from the start how customers will find you on Google, for example through local SEO.

A grant-funded website with Vrh Agency

I build websites and web shops funded by city, municipal, county and HZZ grants. I build the offer around the text of your call and fit it to the grant amount, and I prepare every document the call asks from the provider, from the offer for your application to the delivery report. We agree on payment based on when the grant arrives. Read more on the grant-funded website page, and see prices without a grant in how much a website costs.