Eureka Eurostars

Eurostars is a funding instrument that supports innovative SMEs and project partners (large companies, universities, research organisations, and other types of organisations) by funding international collaborative R&D and innovation projects. Grant size and intervention rates vary between participating countries.

Eligibility

To apply, you must fulfil seven eligibility criteria:

• The project consortium is led by an innovative SME from a Eurostars country.
• The project consortium is composed of at least two entities that are independent of one another.
• The project consortium is composed of entities from at least two Eurostars countries with at least one organisation coming from an EU or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
• The budget of the SMEs from the participating countries (excluding any subcontracting) is 50% or more of the total project cost.
• No single participant or country is responsible for more than 70% of the budget of the project.
• The project duration is 36 months or less.
• The project has an exclusive focus on civil applications.

The United Kingdom currently has no allocated budget for large companies participating in our Eurostars programme.

National criteria

To qualify as an R&D SME, you must either:

• invest 10% or more of your turnover into research, OR
• have 10% of full-time equivalent employees working on research activities, OR
• have five or more full-time employees working on research activities if the SME has 100 employees or fewer, OR
• have 10 or more full-time employees working on research activities if the SME has more than 100 employees.

Innovate UK will only fund one live Eurostars project at a time. You may participate in additional Eurostars projects; however, this will be on a self-funded basis. You must submit your end-of-project report prior to the next call application deadline if you are seeking funding for the next call.

• UK-funded participants must be registered, as an entity, at Companies House at least 12 months and active, before the Eurostars call deadline.
• Project costs incurred and the activities undertaken by UK participants that are funded through Eurostars must be conducted in the UK.
• Your labour costs must be on a pay as you earn (PAYE) basis.
• Overheads are flatlined at 20% of your labour costs.
• Contributions in kind are not an eligible cost.
• UK participants can only subcontract up to 20% of a UK partner’s eligible costs.
• Partners in your consortium must follow their respective national eligibility criteria.
• UK-led projects must be managed by an R&D-performing SME. Project management cannot be subcontracted.