Eurostars Funding Programme for Innovative SMEs

European funding for international R&D and innovation projects

What is the Eurostars funding programme?

Eurostars is a European funding programme for innovative SMEs wishing to collaborate with international partners on research, development and innovation projects. It supports the development of innovative products, processes and services with strong potential for European and global markets. Part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs and co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe, Eurostars combines a centralised international evaluation process with funding provided by national and regional funding bodies. Calls are generally organised twice a year.

Within the European financing ecosystem, Eurostars occupies a strategic position as the benchmark program for international collaborative projects led by innovative SMEs. Unlike other European financing instruments such as Horizon Europe which can target large companies or academic consortia, Eurostars places innovative SMEs at the heart of its system.

Eurostars' strategic objectives are perfectly aligned with the European vision of open innovation and international competitiveness. The program aims to:

For the period 2021-2027, the Eurostars programme has an overall budget of approximately 1.2 billion euros, coming from both participating countries and the European Commission, demonstrating the European commitment to innovation driven by SMEs.

WHAT EUROSTARS IS LOOKING FOR

What makes a strong Eurostars project?

Eurostars is a bottom-up programme open to all technology sectors. Projects must combine genuine R&D and innovation, international collaboration and strong commercial potential. Success depends on the quality of the innovation, the consortium and the project’s expected impact.

A bottom-up funding programme

Eurostars does not impose predefined technological themes or sectoral priorities. Projects from all technology and market areas can apply. This flexibility makes Eurostars particularly suitable for innovative SMEs developing new products, processes or services with international partners and a clear route to market.

Innovative products, processes and services
International R&D collaboration
Energy and clean technologies
Complementary and credible partners
Clear route to commercialisation

What Eurostars evaluates

Eurostars evaluates projects on their innovation, implementation quality and potential impact. Strong applications typically demonstrate:

A clear innovation beyond the state of the art
A credible and well-balanced international consortium
A realistic project plan with manageable technical risks
Strong market potential and a credible route to commercialisation

What makes a strong consortium

Eurostars is built around international R&D collaboration. A strong consortium should demonstrate:

Complementary expertise and clearly defined roles
Genuine added value from international cooperation
Balanced contributions between project partners
Sufficient technical, financial and managerial capacity

Commercialisation and market impact

Eurostars supports market-oriented R&D projects. Applicants should demonstrate:

A clearly identified market need
Strong commercial potential for the project results
A credible competitive advantage
A realistic route to market and commercialisation plan
Economic, environmental or societal benefits where relevant

Types of projects funded

Eurostars supports international collaborative R&D and innovation projects that:

Are led by an innovative SME from a Eurostars country
Bring together at least two independent organisations from at least two Eurostars countries
Develop innovative products, processes or services with strong commercial potential
Focus exclusively on civil applications

Projects can last up to 36 months. Funding amounts, eligible costs and funding rates depend on the national or regional funding rules applicable to each partner.

Examples of projects suitable for Eurostars

As a bottom-up programme, Eurostars can support R&D and innovation projects across a wide range of technological fields, for example:

Innovation and technical ambition

Eurostars supports R&D projects that develop new applied knowledge and address a genuine technological challenge. Strong projects should:

Demonstrate a clear degree of innovation
Generate new applied knowledge
Address a credible technical or technological challenge
Demonstrate technical achievability with clearly identified risks

Projects across all technology fields

Eurostars is sector-agnostic. Applications may address any technology or market area, provided they meet the programme's international eligibility criteria.

Digital technologies and artificial intelligence
Health and medical technologies
Advanced manufacturing and industrial technologies
Energy and clean technologies
Biotechnology and life sciences
Circular economy and sustainable solutions

Support by MarketKaps

Specific expertise on this program

Marketkaps has extensive expertise in the Eurostars program, the result of many years of successfully supporting European SMEs. Our team includes active expert evaluators who are fully conversant with the evaluation criteria and the expectations of the Eurostars jury.

Our experts understand the intricacies of the program and can guide you through every step of the process, from the initial eligibility assessment to post-funding administrative management.

Preliminary assessment : In-depth analysis of your project, its technological maturity and its suitability with Eurostars criteria
Identification of partners : Mobilization of our European network to constitute an optimal and complementary consortium
Project structuring : Definition of work packages, deliverables, milestones and distribution of tasks between partners
Drafting the proposal : Development of a complete and convincing file, highlighting the technical, commercial and financial aspects
Preparation for the assessment : Interview simulation and preparation for assessors' questions

Eligibility diagnosis and strategic positioning
Search for qualified European partners
Technical and financial structuring of the project
Complete drafting of the application file
Optimized financial and budgetary assembly
Assistance in Drafting the Consortium Agreement
Project monitoring and reporting to national authorities

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Eligibility conditions

Eligibility criteria for organizations

To be eligible for the Eurostars program, the consortium must meet the following conditions:

Be coordinated by an innovative, R&D-intensive SME (devoting at least 10% of its turnover or workforce to R&D)
Understand at least two independent legal entities from two different participating countries
Present a balance between partners (no partner or country should support more than 70% of the total budget)
Include only entities legally established in a country participating in the Eurostars program

Types of businesses concerned

Eurostars mainly targets:

innovative SMEs : Companies with fewer than 250 employees investing significantly in R&D
Other SMEs : Can participate as partners without necessarily carrying out the project
Large companies : Can join the consortium but without funding
Universities and research centers : Can participate as partners, providing their scientific and technological expertise

Geographic criteria

The Eurostars programme is open to organisations established in:

The 27 member states of the European Union
Countries associated with Horizon Europe (Canada, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, etc.)
Non-EU EUREKA member countries (such as the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, etc.)

In total, more than 35 countries participate in the program, providing extensive opportunities for international collaboration.

Technical or scientific prerequisites

Eurostars projects must meet several technical criteria:

Demonstrate a clear innovative character and an advancement compared to the state of the art
Present a technological maturity level (TRL) generally between 4 and 7
Aim for rapid commercialization after the end of the project (within 2 years)
Present a balance between technological risk and commercial potential
Hold the necessary intellectual property rights or a clear strategy for acquiring them

Financing arrangements

Financing rates by type of organization

Funding rates in Eurostars vary depending on the type of organization and the country, as funding is provided by national funding bodies:

SMEs : Between 40% and 80% of eligible costs depending on the country
Research organizations and universities : Between 70% and 100% of eligible costs

For companies with more radical or higher-risk innovations, theEIC Accelerator can be an interesting alternative or complement to Eurostars, particularly for individual projects with high growth potential.

Grant ceilings

Funding ceilings also vary among participating countries:

Most countries set a ceiling of between €300,000 and €500,000 per national partner
Some countries like Germany, France or the Netherlands may grant higher amounts in certain cases
The average total cost of a project is around €2 million.

Eligible costs

Generally eligible cost categories include:

Personnel costs involved in R&D activities
Equipment and materials (in proportion to their use in the project)
Subcontracting (depending on the candidate's country – on average limited to 25% of its eligible costs)
Travel expenses related to consortium meetings
Indirect costs/overheads (calculated according to national rules)
Intellectual property protection fees

Co-financing required

The Eurostars programme operates on the principle of co-financing:

The grant never covers 100% of the costs for businesses
SMEs generally have to co-finance between 25% and 60% of the budget
Co-financing may come from equity or other non-public sources
In some countries, repayable advances may be offered in addition to grants.

Application Process

Calendar and calls for projects

Eurostars operates with a system of regular calls for projects:

Frequency : 2 calls for projects per year (generally in February and September)
Deadline : A single deadline for all participating countries
Assessment : Process of approximately 4 months after the call closes
Contractualization : 2 to 3 months after the announcement of the results
Startup : Projects can typically start 6-8 months after submission

Required documents

The Eurostars application requires several key documents:

Online application form : Administrative information and detailed description of the project
Technical description : Details on innovation, methodology and work packages
Operating plan : Marketing strategy and market potential
Description of the consortium : Presentation of partners and their added value
Technical annexes : Diagrams, preliminary data, scientific references
National specific documents : Required by some national funding bodies

Marketkaps supports you in the preparation of each of these documents, ensuring their consistency and quality.

Submission Steps

The Eurostars submission process includes the following steps:

Registration : Creating an account on the Eureka platform
Project creation : Entry of basic administrative information
Invitation of partners : Connecting partners to the project on the platform
Collaborative writing : Development of the different sections of the file
Validation by partners : Final approval of all participants
Central submission : Final submission of the complete file on the Eureka platform
National submissions : Submission of additional documents to national agencies depending on the country

Proposal evaluation criteria

Eurostars projects are evaluated according to three main axes:

Quality and efficiency of the consortium (30%)
- Complementarity of partners
- Financial and technical capacity to carry out the project
- Experience in managing collaborative projects
Innovation and R&D (40%)
- Degree of innovation and advancement compared to the state of the art
- Quality and credibility of the R&D methodology
- Technical feasibility and risk management
Impact and market (30%)
- Market potential and business model
- Clear and realistic marketing strategy
- Societal, economic and environmental impact

Marketkaps optimizes your file to maximize your score on each of these criteria.

Success rates and key factors

Success statistics for this program

The Eurostars program has the following characteristics in terms of success rate:

Average success rate : 25% to 30% projects are funded
Variation by country : Between 15% and 35% depending on the participating countries
Variation by sector : The health, biotechnology and ICT sectors generally have the highest rates
Evolution : Declining success rate trend due to increasing popularity of the program

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Our experience has allowed us to identify the main errors that penalize applications:

Unbalanced Consortium : Partners with redundant skills or lack of complementarity
Insufficiently differentiated innovation : Low added value compared to existing solutions
Superficial market analysis : Lack of concrete data on commercial potential
Vague operating plan : Lack of a detailed marketing strategy
Neglected Intellectual Property Management : Lack of a clear strategy for protecting and exploiting results
Poorly structured budget : Unbalanced distribution or insufficiently justified costs

Marketkaps optimizes your project before submission to maximize your chances of success.

Differentiating factors for a successful application

The factors that make the difference in obtaining Eurostars financing are:

Balanced International Consortium with complementary and credible partners
Disruptive innovation clearly positioned in relation to the state of the art
Significant commercial impact demonstrated by solid market data
Optimized time-to-market with a realistic marketing strategy
Rigorous risk management with contingency plans
Overall consistency between the technical objectives, the means deployed and the expected results

Marketkaps feedback

Our experience in supporting numerous Eurostars projects has enabled us to identify best practices:

Partner research should begin at least 3-4 months before submission
Early involvement of end users or potential customers significantly strengthens the application
Prior demonstration of concepts (prototypes, preliminary data) significantly improves the chances of success
Particular attention should be paid to the impact/market section, often underestimated by tech-savvy candidates
The balance between ambition and realism is crucial to convince evaluators

FAQ about the Eurostars Eureka program

Frequently Asked Questions by Businesses

Can a newly created start-up apply to Eurostars?

Yes, Eurostars is particularly suited to innovative start-ups, provided they meet the definition of an R&D-intensive SME (at least 10% of turnover or staff dedicated to R&D). A young company without a financial history will have to demonstrate its ability to co-finance its share of the project.

How to calculate the status of “R&D-intensive SME”?

An SME is considered R&D-intensive if it devotes at least 10% of its turnover or 10% of its full-time equivalents (FTEs) to research and development activities. Marketkaps can help you validate this status and prepare the necessary supporting documents.

Can universities participate in a Eurostars project?

Yes, universities and research organizations can participate as partners in a Eurostars project, but cannot coordinate the consortium. Their participation is generally limited to 40% of the total project budget.

What are the chances of success for a first deposit?

First-time deposits without professional support have a success rate of less than 15%. With Marketkaps' support, this rate rises to more than 60% even for a first deposit, thanks to our in-depth knowledge of the evaluation criteria.

How does the Eurostars evaluation process work?

The Eurostars evaluation follows a multi-step process:

Administrative eligibility check
Technical assessment by three independent experts
Ranking by the Eurostars panel of experts
Final validation by the Eureka high-level group
Confirmation of funding by national bodies

The entire process takes approximately 4 months after the call closing date.

Can a rejected proposal be reused?

Yes, approximately 30% of funded projects are improved resubmissions. Marketkaps analyzes the evaluation report, identifies weaknesses, and restructures the proposal to maximize its chances of success upon resubmission. Our success rate exceeds 80% for the resubmissions we support.

Maximize your chances of success with our expertise

Ready to launch your Eurostars project?

Marketkaps supports you every step of the way, from initial assessment to final submission, to maximize your chances of obtaining Eurostars financing.

Do not hesitate to contact us for any questions or to discuss your innovation project.

Make an appointment with one of our experts for a free evaluation of your project