Are you eligible for Eurostars funding? Funding for collaborative R&D projects.

Eurostars is a funding programme for collaborative projects of innovative products, processes or services (TRL 4-6). It has two cut-offs per year and the next on the 12th of September 2024.

In this short article we’ll uncover the eligibility criteria to participate in the programme.

Keep in mind: the conditions for Eurostars are country-specific, they depend on the national funding conditions of each Eurostars country.

What is Eureka Eurostars?

Eurostars is a funding instrument to support innovative SMEs wishing to collaborate on R&D projects. It is part of the Eureka Network and of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs, co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe.

Eurostars projects require an SME as the lead applicant, with consortium partners including universities, research institutes, hospitals, or large companies.

Are you an R&D – based SME?

If your company fits the EU’s definition of the SME, you are welcome to coordinate and take part in a Eurostars project.

To determine if your company qualifies as a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) according to the European Union’s definition, consider the following criteria:

• Micro-sized:
  • Less than 250 Full Time Employees
  • Annual turnover ≤ €2 million OR annual balance sheet total ≤ €2 million
• Small-sized:
  • Over 50 Full Time Employees
  • Annual turnover ≤ €10 million OR annual balance sheet total ≤ €10 million
• Medium-sized:
  • Over 10 Full Time Employees
  • Annual turnover ≤ €50 million OR annual balance sheet total ≤ €43 million

Are you a large company, University, or Research institution?

Universities, research centers, hospitals, and large companies are permitted to participate; however, they cannot be the primary applicant for a Eurostars project.

Their participation is, countrywise, subjected to the presence of a national SME, such as for Ireland, The Netherlands, or can only be subcontracted by the applicant SME as is the case for Spanish participants.

Is your project eligible for Eurostars?

The Eurostars programme is aimed at technologies with a civil application. Your project should have a strong R&D component with innovative potential and a clear path to market impact.

It should have the proven viability to reach the market in 24 months after finalizing the project or in 5 years maximum.

Projects must develop from an experimental proof of concept at the Technological Readiness Level (TRL) 3-4 to a prototype in a relevant environment.

Is your consortium eligible for Eurostars?

Your Eurostars consortium is eligible if it is:

• Led by an innovative SME from a Eurostars country
• Composed of at least two independent partners from at least two different Eurostars countries.
• No single participant or country can contribute more than 70% of the project budget
• The project duration is less than 36 months.
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Have a look at the detailed eligibility criteria of the Eurostars programme as well as their eligibility guidelines document.

The partners of the consortium must contribute with own know how to synergically develop the innovative solution, and benefit from the results of the project.

The benefits of the Eurostars programme

• The average budget for Eurostars projects is 1.4 million euros – the amount varies depending on the Eurostars country’s conditions.
• The eligible costs include product development, scale-up, preclinical trials, and pre-commercial activities
• Opens up new markets with the potential for rapid growth and impact.

Secure Eurostars funding with Evolution

If you want to apply to Eurostars but you don’t have consortium partners nor experience with grant writing, you are in the right place. Our experts with 20+ years of experience will be more than happy to assist you. 

We have achieved a remarkable 70% success rate for the Eurostars programme (compared to the general success rate of 29%), one of the highest in Europe, and have worked on 700+ R&D business plans across 30+ countries.

We offer comprehensive support, including partner search, grant application assistance, and post-grant project management services.