Eureka Eurostars-3

EUREKA Eurostars (Calls 10 and 11)

Supports international consortia so small companies can turn joint innovation into export-ready products.

Eligibility · EU member states

Eurostars is the world's largest SME-led R&D funding programme, co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe and administered by the EUREKA Network. The programme funds international collaborative research and development projects across all civil technology areas, targeting the creation of innovative products, processes, and services ready for commercialisation. Two cut-offs run in 2026: Call 10 closed March 19, 2026, and Call 11 accepts submissions from July 9 to September 10, 2026 at 14:00 CET via the myeurekaproject.org platform. Eurostars operates in 37 countries including all EU member states, the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Israel, Canada, Singapore, South Africa, and South Korea.

Seven international eligibility criteria apply to every project: the consortium must be led by an innovative SME from a Eurostars country; include at least two independent entities from at least two Eurostars countries, one of which must be an EU or Horizon Europe Associated Country; allocate at least 50 percent of total project budget (excluding subcontracting) to Eurostars-country SMEs; cap any single participant or country at 70 percent of budget; last no more than 36 months; and focus exclusively on civil applications. Average total project budget is approximately €1.4 million, though per-partner funding caps are set by each country's National Funding Body — for example, UK Innovate UK funds UK SMEs up to €360,000 per project. Funding rates also vary by country and organisation type: Austrian SMEs receive up to 50–60 percent of project costs, and Flemish SMEs can receive up to 60–70 percent depending on project type.

Funding flows directly from each National Funding Body to its own consortium members under national rules, so applicants must verify their country's specific caps and eligibility criteria before applying. A Consortium Agreement is mandatory, and all participants need a Participant Identification Code (PIC) number. Ethics appraisal applies to projects in sensitive areas. Organisations from non-Eurostars countries may participate by self-funding their share. Applications are submitted through myeurekaproject.org, and full programme guidelines are available in the Eurostars Resource Library at eurekanetwork.org.