Eureka Eurostars - March 2026

The primary goal of the Eureka Eurostars program is to support innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their partners in developing international collaborative R&D. The program aims to foster the creation of new products, processes, or services that could be commercialised by the end of the project, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of participating organisations on a global scale. By encouraging cross-border collaboration, Eurostars seeks to leverage diverse expertise and resources, accelerating the development and market introduction of innovative solutions across various fields.

Eligibility for Eurostars requires the formation of a project consortium led by an innovative SME. While the SME must take the leading role, the consortium can also include large companies, universities, research organisations, and other types of organisations. This inclusive approach allows for a broad range of expertise and capabilities within each project. Most countries fund up to 50% of each applicant’s project costs up to €0.5M grant. A typical project with three partners could then receive a €1.5M grant to support an overall project budget of €3M.

The impact of the Eurostars program is significant, as it provides public funding to support international R&D collaboration, enabling SMEs and their partners to bring innovative ideas to market more efficiently. This not only strengthens the participating organisations but also contributes to economic growth and technological advancement across participating countries.