Eurostars call for projects MAR 2024 you can submit your R&D and innovation project application between 12 January 2024 to 14 March 2024 at 14:00 CET (Brussels time). Your project consortium must have an innovative SME in the leading role, but it can also include other types of organisations like large companies, universities, research organisations and more.

Eurostars is part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs. The partnership is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe.

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. By participating, organisations can access public funding for international collaborative R&D projects in all fields.

To have a successful Eurostars application you must:

  • Define your project idea.
  • Collaborate internationally, sharing expertise.
  • Develop products, processes or services that can be easily commercialised.

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.

*Innovative SME is any SMEs with the ambition to collaborate on R&D and innovation with international partners to develop new products, processes, and services for European and global markets. Innovative SMEs do not need to have a proven track record of R&D activities.

**Eurostars countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.

***Eurostars countries which are not an EU member state or a Horizon Europe Associated Country: Canada, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Independent evaluators will score your project application against three criteria and their sub-criteria:

  1. Quality and efficiency of the implementation:
    1. Quality of the consortium.
    2. Added value through cooperation.
    3. Realistic and clearly defined project management and planning.
    4. Reasonable cost structure.
  2. Impact:
    1. Market size.
    2. Market access and risk.
    3. Competitive advantage.
    4. Clear and realistic commercialisation plans.
    5. Economic, environmental, and societal impact.
  3. Excellence:
    1. Degree of innovation.
    2. New applied knowledge.
    3. Level of technical challenge.
    4. Technical achievability and risk.

Results are communicated at each step:

  • Eligibility check (within one week of 14 March 2024)
  • Legal and financial viability check (late April 2024)
  • Expert evaluation conducted by three independent experts per project (late April 2024)
  • Independent Evaluation Panel and ranking of project applications (early June 2024)
  • Ethics review (early June 2024)

Applications are considered for funding if:

  • They are among the best 200 projects evaluated by the remote experts which progress to the Independent Evaluation Panel.
  • All project partners receive a positive Legal and Financial Viability outcome.
  • The Independent Evaluation Panel considered the projects to be excellent or good quality.

The amount of funding your organisation receives when you participate in a project is managed by your national funding body. Funding rules vary from country to country and your national funding body decides:

  • which organisations can receive funding,
  • which project activities can be funded and
  • funding rates.

Get in touch with our consultants.