SMV:Digital: The Danish Grant That Covers Up to 50% of AI Advice
Danish SMEs can get up to 50% of the advisory part of a digital or AI project covered. Here is who qualifies, what the grant pays for and how the process runs.
By Nichita Railean, CTOPublished 4 min read
Most small companies that want to use AI start with the same questions. Where would it actually save time? Which tools fit? What should we do first? Answering them well is advisory work, and in Denmark a state programme can pay part of it.
The programme is SMV:Digital, and the grant is called "Digitalisering, rådgivertilskud". This article explains what it is, who can apply, what it pays for and what it doesn't, the steps, and the mistakes that cost companies the grant. The figures come from the programme's page on Virksomhedsguiden, linked at the end.
What the grant is
The grant covers up to 50% of the advisory work in a digitalisation project. Grants run from DKK 50,000 to DKK 150,000, which is 50% of a project costing DKK 100,000 to 300,000. The next round opens on 9 November 2026 at 09:00 and closes on 16 November 2026 at 23:55.
Two points are easy to miss. First, it is a refund, not money up front: your company pays the advisor, reports on the project when it is done, and then receives the grant. Second, it is not first come, first served. Applications are scored on the company, so there is nothing to gain from submitting in the first minute. Use the week to get the application right.
Who qualifies
Your company has to meet every point on this list. If one is missing, the application fails, however good the project is.
- A Danish CVR number.
- An SME under the EU definition: fewer than 250 employees, and a turnover of no more than €50 million or a balance sheet total of no more than €43 million.
- Not in the primary sector, such as farming or fishing.
- At least one annual report filed (aflagt årsregnskab).
- At least two full-time equivalents (årsværk) at the time you apply.
- No other public business support for the same project.
For a young company, the annual report and the two full-time equivalents are the points to check first.
What it pays for, and what it doesn't
The grant covers the advisory part of a project, and only that. In practice:
- an analysis of how your company works today and where digital tools or AI would help
- a plan and a roadmap: what to do, and in what order
- a scan of the tools that fit your needs
- follow-up on the plan
It does not cover building software, licences or generic prompt courses. If the roadmap points to a system worth building, the build is a separate project, outside the grant.
The steps, from first call to refund
- Check eligibility. Go through the list above with your CVR details and your latest annual report.
- Agree the scope. Decide what the advisor will look at, what you will receive, and what the advisory project costs in total.
- Prepare the application. We prepare it with you on one call. You review it and submit it from your own MitID between 9 and 16 November 2026.
- Wait for the decision. The programme scores the application and decides. Work starts only after approval.
- Run the project. The advisory work is carried out and your company pays the advisor.
- Report and receive the grant. When the project is finished, your company reports on it and then receives the grant.
Mistakes that cost the grant
- Starting before approval. Work starts only once the application is approved, so plan the start around the decision.
- Asking the grant to pay for the build. Software development, licences and generic prompt courses are outside it.
- Counting on money up front. The grant is paid after the project, so your company needs to be able to pay the advisor first.
- Missing a gate. No filed annual report, fewer than two full-time equivalents, or other public support for the same project: each one rules the application out.
- Racing the clock. Applications are scored, not handled in order of arrival. Use the week to get the application right.
How we help
David Nabeiro, co-founder of NovaGate, is an approved SMV:Digital advisor. We go through the eligibility list with you, agree a clear scope for the advisory work, and prepare the application with you on one call. You review it and submit it from your own MitID. You only pay us if it's approved.
The programme makes the decision, so we never promise a grant. What we can do is make sure the application describes your company and the advice clearly, and that nothing on the eligibility list catches you out late.
If you want to know whether your company qualifies before the 9 November round, book the free workshop. The key figures are also on our funding page.