Eurostars

SMEs that want to bring new products, processes or services to the market more quickly can apply to the Eurostars programme. The program wants to be a springboard for international collaboration. It is the largest international financing program for innovative SMEs that plan to collaborate on R&D projects and bring their innovations to the market.

Eurostars encourages market-oriented technological development, where an SME collaborates with at least one partner from a Eurostars country. This program is open to participation from both companies and knowledge institutes, provided that the primary applicant is a small or medium-sized business (SME).

Eurostars is one of the most accessible European grants for SMEs, and has a high success rate compared to other European grant schemes. The innovation program is an initiative of EUREKA and the European Commission, with financial support provided through the national government of each participating country. Dutch companies have been scoring very well within this grant for years. More than 30% of Dutch applications are approved and the administrative burden is relatively low.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate makes €22 million available annually for the Eurostar programme, divided over 2 calls per year. In general, this grant can cover up to 50% of the project costs for SMEs and up to 25% for larger companies. Research institutions can sometimes receive up to 100% funding for their participation in the project. For the Dutch part of the project, the maximum grant is €500,000.

Please note: are you, as an innovative entrepreneur, collaborating on a sustainable project at European level? Then the Interreg scheme may be interesting for you. If you are an SME entering the foreign market, it is certainly advisable to see whether the DHI scheme suits you. Thanks to years of experience, our experts can offer you support with these two schemes and tell you what is possible.

To qualify for Eurostars, the project must be focused on developing a new product, process or service that leads to an economic benefit. It must have a clear commercial purpose and be aimed at market introduction shortly after the end of the project. Eurostars requires projects to be delivered by a consortium of organizations from at least two different Eurostars countries. This encourages international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

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

• The project duration is a maximum of 3 years;
• A period of no more than 2 years between the completion of the project and the commercialization of the product;
• The main applicant is an innovative SME from one of the partner countries;
• The applicant consortium itself bears approximately 50% of the total project costs;
• It is a balanced partnership;
• None of the participating parties is responsible for more than 75% of the costs;
• There are no restrictions with regard to the theme, but the project must pursue a social purpose.

The Eurostars program normally has two deadlines per year, often in the spring and autumn.

Thanks to our 25 years of experience, we can optimize your grant process and take it almost completely off your hands.

What to think about in terms of work?

• Assess whether your project is eligible for Eurostars.
• If this is the case, you will receive support with writing and submitting.
• Support in setting up the collaboration agreement with other organizations.
• Submit the grant application to the grant provider on time, and in accordance with the latest grant legislation and conditions.
• Act as a contact person towards the grant provider.
• Answer questions from the grant provider about the application.
• Set up project administration and provide support in maintaining grant administration.