EUREKA's Eurostars

The EUREKA's Eurostars Programme is the first European funding and support programme to be specifically dedicated to SMEs.

Eurostars will stimulate SME's to lead international collaborative research and innovation projects by easing access to support and funding. Providing funding and support for market-oriented research and development specifically with the active participation of R&D-performing SMEs [The Eurostars definition of research performing SMEs is a company that invests 10% or more of turnover or full-time equivalent to research activities].

In proposing Eurostars the Eureka network seeks to overcome one of the barriers to the implementation of high-quality SME-led transnational R&D projects, the lack of guaranteed public-sector funding.  Eurostars takes a ‘bottom-up' approach to project generation. Projects can address any technological area and should be aimed at the development of a new product, process or service.

Eurostars is open to all sectors for funding applications on a continuous basis until 2013.

2012 Call Closing Dates

1st March 2012 - 20:00 Central European Time – 19.00 UK Time

September 2012 Date TBC

The next Eurostars closing date for proposals will be 1st March 2012.  To receive all information on the call register on the Eurostars website, www.Eurostars-eureka.eu

UK participants in a successful Eurostars project are funded through the Technology Strategy Board whilst other EU partners are funded via their own national funding bodies.

• Under UK rules only innovative intensive and research performing SME's are eligible for up to 50% funding of eligible project costs.
• In the UK the maximum amount of grant funding is 300,000 Euros per UK participant in any single project.
•  The maximum amount of funds a single company can apply for in any one call is €500,000.
• Academics and large companies are welcome to participate in Eurostars projects, but funding has to be secured from other sources.
• To receive UK funding the research performing SME must be a UK based. SME participants must be VAT Registered and have been registered at Companies House and trading for at least 12 months before the closing date for applications.
• Participants Claims under the UK grant must be for project costs incurred in the UK, including subcontracting which is capped at 20% of the UK budget. The project management must be undertaken by a project participant and cannot be subcontracted.

We recommend you view Related Documents on the bottom left of this page for further information and the FULL UK eligibility criteria for participating SME’s from the UK.

It is highly recommended that you contact the Technology Strategy Board, the UK Eurostars funding body, to check your eligibility under the UK rules.

To find out more contact
Graham M Mobbs
European Operations Manager
Technology Strategy Board
graham.mobbs@tsb.gov.uk