Eurostars call for projects – September 2026

Eurostars call for projects – September 2026 is sponsored by Innovate UK (as part of Eureka Eurostars programme). This program supports UK SMEs in collaborative research with businesses in over 35 countries to develop new products, processes, or services. It focuses on helping businesses develop and commercialize new solutions by partnering internationally.

Eurostars Call 11 for projects - deadline September 2026 - Eureka Network Eurostars Call 11 for projects – deadline September 2026 Eurostars is part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs. The partnership is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe .

9 July 2026, 12:00 AM CEST 10 September 2026, 2:00 PM CEST 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.

You can submit your R&D and innovation project application between 9 July 2026 and 10 September 2026 at 14:00 CET using our project platform ( myeurekaproject. org ). 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.

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 If you are from a Eurostars country, you can discover what funding is available for your organisation in our ‘Country information’ section below, and by contacting your national or regional funding body using our contact form .

Your National Funding Body may have maximum funding amount per project or project partner. Organisations from non-Eurostars countries can participate by self-funding their project costs. 10 September 2026, 14:00 CET: Deadline To apply, you must meet seven international 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 a Eurostars country, excluding 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.

You can find more information and definitions of the terms used in these criteria in the detailed Eurostars guidelines. Please read the guidelines and other resources before submitting a project application. If you do not meet all our international eligibility criteria, your application will be rejected.

Additionally, you might need to fulfil national or regional eligibility criteria. Please check with your national or regional funding body. Visit the Eurostars Resource Library Austrian funding agency, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in our Eurostars programme.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying. Type of organisation Amount of funding available SME (small-sized) Up to 60% of project costs in grants Large company Up to 30% of project costs in grants Research organisation or university Up to 40% of project costs in grants or up to 60% of project costs in grants if there is an Austrian SME in your consortium.

FFG has additional national guidelines for projects to be eligible to receive funding. Additional steps for applications from Austria A national application must be submitted to the FFG in addition to the Eurostars application. All Austrian participants must fulfil the national eligibility and funding requirements defined in the Austrian Call Document and Funding Guidelines.

Subcontracting costs are limited to 20% of the approved total project costs for Austrian participants. Funding is granted only for eligible costs in accordance with the applicable FFG Cost Guidelines ( Kostenleitfaden ). The project must comply with Austrian national funding and state aid rules.

Austrian participants must submit national documentation (including a detailed costs plan) on the FFG’s online system within two weeks of the Eurostars deadline. Funding contracts for projects will be sent within six to ten weeks after receiving a project approval. More information is available on the website of FFG .

Flemish funding body, Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in our Eurostars programme. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Type of organisation Amount of funding available SME (small-sized) Between 60% and 70% of project costs SME (medium-sized) Between 50% and 70% of project costs Large company Between 40% and 65% of project costs Research organisation or university See note below The base funding is 25% for a development project and up to 50% for a research project. An additional 15% is added for the collaboration in the Eurostars project.

An additional 10%/20% is added in case of a medium/small company. The funding percentage is a maximum of 60% in case of a development project and 70% in case of a research project. The maximum funding amount is 500,000 euro for the Flemish part of the Eurostars project consortium.

The funding percentage for large companies is 40% for development projects (and up to 65% for research projects). The maximum funding amount is 500,000 euro for the Flemish part of the Eurostars project consortium.

Research organisations and universities Research organisations or universities are not eligible as beneficiaries of the aid, but can be included in the budget as a subcontractor or research partner of the Flemish applicant company that requests funding from Flemish funding body, Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO). The university or research organisation will receive the same funding rate as the Flemish company.

The Flemish company must co-finance the university or research organisation’s remaining project costs. Flanders funds Belgian or foreign universities or research organisations if their expertise is crucial for a Flemish company in the consortium and that company subcontracts them. VLAIO has additional national guidelines for projects to be eligible to receive funding.

More information is available on the website of VLAIO . Additional steps for applications from Belgium (Flanders) Flemish participants must also submit a VLAIO (development or research) project application form and budget template to VLAIO before the Eurostars programme deadline. A funding contract is given approximately two months after receiving a positive evaluation.

Walloon funding body, Service Public de Wallonie (SPW)-Research, funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in our Eurostars programme. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Type of organisation Amount of funding available SME (small-sized) Between 55% and 80% of project costs SME (medium-sized) Between 45% and 70% of project costs Large company Between 35% and 60% of project costs Research organisation or university SPW-Research does not fund R&D costs for universities and research organisations participating in our Eurostars programme, though they may participate as a subcontracted partner.

SPW-Research has additional national criteria for projects to be eligible to receive funding. More information is available on the website of SPW-Research . Additional steps for applications from Belgium (Wallonia) Walloon participants must also submit a SPW-Research submission form in French including information on eligible costs, percentage of funding and types of activities the project involves.

Bulgarian funding body, the Bulgarian National Innovation Fund (NIF), funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in our Eurostars programme. Funding is available as a grant with a maximum of 200,000 euros per project. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Type of organisation Amount of funding available SMEs Up to 80% of eligible project costs Large companies Up to 55% of eligible project costs Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Bulgaria National Innovation Fund(NIF) has additional national guidelines for projects to be eligible to receive funding. More information is available on the website of NIF .

Additional steps for applications from Bulgaria After the evaluation under the Eureka Call is completed by the Eureka experts, NIF opens, on the national level, a session for evaluation for the dedicated approved applicants.

Canadian funding body, the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), provides eligible Canadian SMEs with advisory services and funding support for R&D costs resulting from participating in our Eurostars programme. NRC IRAP covers up to 50% of project costs for SMEs. The maximum funding amount is 500,000 Canadian dollars per Canadian SME participant per project.

The funding is a non-repayable contribution against approved work completed and invoiced. Large companies, research organisations and universities NRC IRAP has additional national criteria for participants to be eligible to receive funding support for a Eurostars project.

Eligible participating Canadian SMEs must: register with NRC IRAP prior to the submission of the Eurostars application (see registration instructions on NRC IRAP’s Eurostars web page ) be eligible for funding as an NRC IRAP client Canadian SMEs that are not yet NRC IRAP clients (or are uncertain) must register at least 4 weeks before the Eurostars application deadline in order to review their eligibility for NRC IRAP funding with an NRC IRAP representative.

For full NRC IRAP funding eligibility criteria, registration instructions, and application details please visit the NRC IRAP EU Partnership on Innovative SMEs / Eurostars web page . More information is available on the website of NRC IRAP . Additional steps for applications from Canada All Canadian participants must also submit an NRC IRAP project proposal.

You may be asked to provide additional information (e.g. your latest financial statements and a cash-flow projection covering the duration of the project). Project cost information must follow NRC-IRAP cost categories. Contact the NRC for more information.

The NRC will carry out an additional assessment of your company and project (of e.g. financial, business and managerial capabilities, the potential of achieving expected results and outcomes, commercialisation plans, etc.). A funding decision should be made within 7-8 months after the Eurostars deadline.

Croatian funding body, the Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovations and Investments (HAMAG-BICRO), funds R&D costs for SMEs participating in our Eurostars programme. HAMAG-BICRO covers up to 60% of project costs in grants per project for micro or small companies and up to 50% of project costs in grants per project for medium-sized companies. The maximum funding amount is a grant of 300,000 euro per project.

If there is more than one Croatian participant in your consortium, the maximum grant amount of 200,000 euro will be split between the partners. These amounts are for a duration of up to three years. Croatia currently has no allocated budget for large companies participating in our Eurostars programme.

If you are a Croatian large company wanting to participate in a Eurostars consortium, contact the Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovation and Investment (HAMAG-BICRO) to talk to them about self-funding. Research organisations and universities Croatian universities and research organisations must be subcontracted by a Croatian company in their consortium.

HAMAG-BICRO has additional national criteria for projects to be eligible to receive funding. More information is available on the website of HAMAG-BICRO .

Additional steps for applications from Croatia Croatian participants must also send additional national documentation to [email protected] : a certificate (less than 30 days old when sent) from the tax office confirming that there are no payments due to the state a certificate confirming that there are no criminal records for all those authorised to represent the organisation your GFI POD (if it is not publicly available) your TI POD for the most recent full quarter a statement on used state aids proof that you have sufficient private funding to support Croatian partners More information is available on the website of the Research Innovation Foundation .

Czech funding agency, the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA CR) , funds R&D costs for SMEs participating in our Eurostars programme. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Type of organisation Amount of funding available Small companies Up to 80% of eligible costs Medium-sized companies Up to 75% of eligible costs Research organisation or university Up to 100% of project costs The Czech main applicant must be an SME. For the Czech applicants – Applied research (i.e. industrial research / experimental development) is the only eligible type of supported research.

For definitions of applied research see the Framework and the Regulation . The Czech applicants must also meet the conditions of the SIGMA programme , sub-objective 4: International cooperation.

The Czech small companies can receive a grant covering up to 80% of the participant’s eligible costs, medium-sized companies can receive a grant covering up to 75% of participant’s eligible costs (funding rates depend on the industrial research / experimental development ratio; in line with the Regulation ).

The Czech applicants are requested to prove the national eligibility through the submission of eligibility-documents as well as of the administrative information. All the national requirements (including the mandatory documents and the process of submission at the national level) will be published on the TA CR website .

Large companies may participate in a Eurostars project, but they are not eligible for Eurostars funding in the Czech Republic. If large companies want to participate – they must act as self-funding partners. Research organisations and universities For the Czech applicants – Applied research (i.e. industrial research / experimental development) is the only eligible type of supported research.

For definitions of applied research see the Framework and the Regulation . The Czech applicants must also meet the conditions of the SIGMA programme , sub-objective 4: International cooperation. Czech universities and research organisations must classify themselves as the Czech “project partners” and cannot act as the Czech “main applicants” – the main applicant may only be an SME.

The Czech Republic funds R&D costs for universities and research organisations participating in our Eurostars programme up to 100% of the eligible project costs in grants (in line with the Regulation ). The Czech applicants are requested to prove the national eligibility through the submission of eligibility-documents as well as of the administrative information.

All the national requirements (including the mandatory documents and the process of submission at the national level) will be published on the TA CR website . Danish funding body, Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in our Eurostars programme. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Costs IFD covers include: Some national subcontracting The exact funding amount depends on your organisation and follows national rules.

For SMEs applying before the next Eurostars deadline, the IFD will fund projects that focus on: Green research, technological development and innovation Life science, health and welfare technology Research and innovation within new technologies The maximum funding amount for projects is a grant of 300,000 euro per participant.

If the project has more than one Danish participant, the maximum funding amount is 500,000 euro for all Danish participants and the minimum funding amount is 50,000 euro. Projects without a participating Danish SME will not be eligible for funding from IFD.

Research organisations and universities For universities, public hospitals, GTS institutes and research organisations applying before the next Eurostars deadline, the IFD will fund projects that focus on 1) Green research, technological development and innovation, 2) Life science, health and welfare technology and 3) Research and innovation within new technologies.

The maximum funding amount for projects is a grant of 300,000 euro per participant. If the project has more than one Danish participant, the maximum funding amount is 500,000 euro for all Danish participants and the minimum funding amount is 50,000 euro. Projects without a participating Danish SME will not be eligible for funding from IFD.

IFD has additional national criteria for projects to be eligible to receive funding: Projects without a participating Danish SME will not be eligible for funding from IFD. Danish participants must be registered as legal entities based in Denmark. Subcontracting is allowed, but foreign subcontracting must be pre-approved.

Any subcontracting must be clearly described in your application and budget overview. If it is decided at a later stage (i.e. after the project has been approved), you must submit a formal change request for it to be approved by the IFD and Eureka. An SME must fill the criteria outlined in the EU definition and must not qualify as an undertaking in difficulty according to EU state aid rules.

More information is available on the website of IFD . Additional steps for applications from Denmark After the Eurostars call deadline, each Danish participant will automatically receive a national e-grant file number via e-mail and be asked to upload the full Eurostars application. Eurostars application must be uploaded on e-grant no later than 14 days after receiving the e-mail.

Estonian funding body, Enterprise Estonia, funds R&D costs for SMEs participating in our Eurostars programme.

For small companies, Enterprise Estonia covers up to 60% of project costs in grants for experimental development and up to 80% of project costs in grants for applied research For medium-sized companies, Enterprise Estonia covers up to 50% of project costs in grants for experimental development and up to 80% of project costs in grants for applied research. The maximum funding amount is a grant of 500,000 euros per participant.

From Eurostar Call 11, Estonia also funds large companies. Enterprise Estonia covers up to 40% of project costs in grants and asks applying companies to differentiate their activities between applied research and experimental development which are funded using different support rates.

The maximum amount of support per project is 500,000 euros, in case the project involves more than one participant from Estonia support is still 500,000 euros per project.

Research organisations and universities To receive EIS funding, a company that has received a positive decision must meet the following conditions: The company is an enterprise registered in Estonia The company is not an undertaking in difficulty The company has the necessary resources to cover the self-financing of the project The company has a significant impact on the Estonian economy The following components are generally considered in terms of impact on the Estonian economy: Location of development activities Location of sales revenue In addition, we look at the overall picture, how the company’s economic activities and the added value generated by them are related to Estonia.

Additional steps for applications from Estonia It is mandatory to contact Enterprise Estonia for advice before applying is mandatory through their website . Estonian participants must also submit a funding application to Enterprise Estonia when you receive a positive evaluation and funding availability letter. You must justify your financial situation and strategic position with supporting documents.

Finnish funding body, Business Finland, funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in our Eurostars programme. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying. Type of organisation Amount of funding available SME Up to 50% of eligible project costs.

See note below for details. Large company Up to 40% of eligible project costs. See note below for details.

Research organisation or university Up to 80% of eligible project costs. See note below for details As a Finnish growth-oriented SME, you receive a grant of 50% of your eligible project costs. If your company strategy justifies your project, there is no maximum funding amount in euro/upper limit to your project costs.

Project costs must be reported to Business Finland. As a Finnish large company, you receive a grant of 40% of your eligible project costs. If you are a Finnish growth-oriented midcap company (large companies with a turnover of less than 300 million euro) and your company strategy justifies your project, there is no maximum funding amount in euro/upper limit to your project costs.

If you are a Finnish large company with a turnover of more than 300 million euro, the maximum funding amount is 60,000 euro. Project costs must be reported to Business Finland. Research organisations and universities Finnish funding body, Business Finland , funds R&D costs for universities and research organisations participating in our Eurostars programme if the consortium includes a Finnish SME or mid-cap company.

As a Finnish university or research organisation, you could receive a grant of 80% of your project costs. If there is one Finnish SME or mid-cap company in your consortium, the maximum funding amount is a grant of 80,000 euro. If there are two or more Finnish SMEs or mid-cap companies in your consortium, the maximum funding amount is a grant of 160,000 euro.

Business Finland has additional national criteria for projects to be eligible to receive funding: Finnish participants must have the financial resources to cover the remaining part of their project costs. Implementing your project must be viable in view of your company’s income and funding. Finnish companies must have a growth-oriented strategy.

Finnish companies cannot be an “undertaking in difficulty” according to EU regulation 651/2014 Article 1 4c . The project budget will be approved following EU state aid rules and national legislation and practices. Business Finland strongly recommends that your project should involve an SME or midcap company from Finland if you are applying for funding.

More information is available on the website of Business Finland . Additional steps for applications from Finland When you submit your Eurostars application, you also must submit the application with obligatory attachments into Business Finland’s application system. See instructions on the Business Finland website .

If your project receives a positive evaluation, Business Finland will validate a funding contract on receiving: Joint project plan of the consortium (same as submitted to the Eureka system) Latest financial statements (profit and loss statement and balance sheet, max.

2 months old, and the most recent financial statements) Company background information form French funding body, Bpifrance, funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in our Eurostars programme. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Type of organisation Amount of funding available SME Up to 40% of project costs Large company Up to 30% of project costs. See note below for details.

Research organisation or university Up to 40% of project costs After receiving funding, French partners can apply again to a new call after a minimum period of three years (e.g., if your company’s project application to our Eurostars programme’s first call for projects was successful, you can only apply again from the seventh call for projects).

French participants are limited to submitting only one application per call, as they are allowed only one funding request per call. Bpifrance’s eligibility and financial viability rules (based on European rules) apply to all French partners.

You must contact a “ chargé d’affaires innovation ” from your region’s headquarters and the Eurostars advisor in Bpifrance to inform them about your project application before the call for projects deadline. As a French SME (companies with fewer than 250 full time equivalent employees), you could receive a grant covering up to 40% of your project costs.

If eligible, French partners can also apply to a Diag Partenariat Tech International if you plan on working with an external expert to help you build you consortium, project or application. The Diag is a grant covering 50% of the expert’s consultancy services up to 25,000 euro. More information is available on the website of Bpifrance .

Bpifrance covers up to 30% of project costs in grants for large companies with fewer than 2,000 full time equivalent employees. France currently has no allocated budget for large companies with more than 2,000 full time equivalent employees participating in our Eurostars programme. More information is available on the website of Bpifrance .

Research organisations and universities Bpifrance covers up to up to 40% of project costs in grants. The maximum funding amount is a grant of 120,000 euro per participant if there is a French SME in your consortium or a grant of 50,000 euro per participant if there are no French SMEs in your consortium. More information is available on the website of Bpifrance .

Bpifrance has additional national criteria for projects to be eligible to receive funding. French companies must confirm that they can finance their part of the project (with e.g. equity capital or funds raised). More information is available on the website of Bpifrance .

Additional steps for applications from France French participants must also send a financial plan, a summary of your Eurostars project (in French) and a draft consortium agreement to Bpifrance. The German funding body for Eurostars is the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) . The contact point for Eurostars in Germany is hosted by the DLR Project Management Agency .

Germany funds R&D costs for SMEs, research organisations, and universities participating in our Eurostars programme. Large companies may participate in a Eurostars project, but they are not eligible for Eurostars funding in Germany. If large companies want to participate, they must submit a self-funding declaration.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying. Type of organisation Amount of funding available SME Up to 50% of eligible project costs Research organisation or university Up to 100% of eligible project costs if there is a German SME in your consortium which is taking over a considerable amount of the R&D work Germany has additional national criteria for projects to be eligible to receive funding.

Clinical trials will not be funded. For more information, contact the German Eurostars team at the DLR Project Management Agency. Only R&D activities up to Technology Readiness Level 6 are eligible for funding.

The maximum funding amount is a grant of 500,000 euro for all German partners per project. To calculate costs, use the DLR’s online tool . Submit the calculation together with the Eurostars application.

Due to changes in the European Commission’s “general block exemption regulation” (see GBER, regulation (EU) 2023/1315 ), which has a substantial impact on the eligible overhead costs, all German SMEs should contact the German Eurostars team before applying to the next call for projects. National applications must be submitted within two weeks of being requested by the DLR.

This request will be sent out after your application has received a positive evaluation and if funding for your project has been secured. Greek funding agency, the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in our Eurostars programme. The total national budget is one million euro.

Funding is available as a grant. The maximum amount of funding per project is up to 200,000 euro. This amount can be increased to 250,000 euro per project if the Greek partner is responsible for the project coordination.

The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Type of organisation Amount of funding available Startups and small companies Up to 70% of eligible project costs Midcap companies Up to 60% of eligible projects costs Large companies Up to 50% of eligible project costs Research organisations or universities Up to 100% of eligible project costs Additional steps for applications from Greece Greek entities will have to provide further documentation in a later stage at national level, only if selected for funding.

Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Greece The General Secretariat for Research and Innovation has additional national criteria for projects to be eligible to receive funding. More information is available on the website of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation .

Hungarian funding body, the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDI), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in our Eurostars programme. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Type of organisation Amount of funding available SME Up to 80% of industrial or applied research project costs Up to 60% of experimental development project costs Large company Up to 65% of industrial or applied research project costs Up to 40% of experimental development project costs Research organisation or university Up to 100% of project costs For SMEs, the NRDI covers up to 80% of industrial or applied research project costs in grants or up to 60% of experimental development project costs in grants.

Start-ups are eligible (limited companies with less than 1 closed financial year) The yearly budget (for two Eurostars calls) is 1 million euros. For large companies, the NRDI covers up to 65% of industrial or applied research project costs in grants OR up to 40% of experimental development project costs in grants. The yearly budget (for two Eurostars calls) is 1 million euros.

Research organisations and universities The NRDI covers up to 100% of project costs in grants for universities and research organisations. Universities and research organisations must have a Hungarian company in your consortium to be eligible for funding. The yearly budget (for two Eurostars calls) is 1 million euros.

NRDI has additional national criteria for projects to be eligible to receive funding. More information is available on the website of NRDI . Additional steps for applications from Hungary Hungarian participants must also submit a proposal to the NRDI office on receiving a positive Eurostars evaluation.

Icelandic funding body, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, through the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannìs), funds R&D costs for SMEs, research organisations and universities participating in our Eurostars programme. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.

Type of organisation Amount of funding available SME Up to 80% of project costs for industrial research Up to 60% or project costs for experimental development Mid-sized company Up to 75% of project costs for industrial research Up to 50% of project costs for experimental development Research organisation or university Up to 80% of project costs As an Icelandic small company, you could receive up to 80% of project costs in grants for industrial research or up to 60% of project costs in