Eurostars European funding

The European innovation program, Eurostars, is an initiative run by EUREKA and the European Commission. With the help of this program, the time-to-market of new technologies can be shortened, and technical risks can be reduced. Small businesses can therefore develop and grow faster.

Who is the Eurostars program for?

This scheme is intended for SMEs in the high-tech research and development sectors. The participating companies must come from one of the partner countries. In addition to companies, knowledge institutions can also participate in the program, as long as the main applicant is an SME.

How much is the subsidy worth?

In the Netherlands, the subsidy amounts to a maximum of 50% of the eligible costs of the Dutch participant(s). The subsidy percentage depends on the project’s activities. Companies receive 35% for research activities and 25% for development activities. SMEs receive an extra 10%. For knowledge institutes, these percentages are 50% and 25%, respectively. The maximum contribution is €500,000 per project.

Budget

A total of €1.1 billion is available for Eurostars. The Dutch budget is €19 million per year.

What are the conditions?

To be eligible, a number of conditions must be met:

• The main applicant is an R&D executive SME from one of the partner countries;
• At least one other independent applicant is from one of the other member countries;
• The applicant consortium itself bears about 50% of the total project costs;
• It is a balanced collaboration. None of the participating parties is responsible for more than 75% of the costs;
• The maximum duration of the project is 3 years;
• The period between the completion of the project and the marketing of the product is no more than 2 years;
• There are no restrictions with regard to the theme, but the project must pursue a social goal.

When is the deadline?

The 15th call of Eurostars 2 was launched at the beginning of December 2020. The deadline for submitting international project proposals was Thursday 4 February 2021, 8:00 PM. Have you submitted an application? Once the project proposal has been approved, the partners must submit the project proposal separately to the agency in the established country. When the project is also approved by the agency, you will receive a subsidy.

What obligations does Eurostars entail?

When you qualify for a Eurostars subsidy, this entails a number of obligations. For example, regular progress reports are expected throughout the duration of the project. There are various requirements for these reports.

Would you like to request or opt for an intermediary?

You can choose to submit an application yourself via the Eurostars website. Here you can register yourself, and then access the English application form. You need to fill in a number of things, such as a project description, technological developments, market applications, participants and estimated project costs. You also send a number of documents along. This includes annual reports from the past two years.

Another option is to choose an intermediary such as De Breed & Partners. Thanks to 40+ years of experience in financing innovation, we are perfectly capable of translating your innovation plans into the language of the government. We are happy to talk to you to discuss the possibilities for your organization.