Eureka Eurostars 3: Call 2 now open

Latest €360,000 Grant Available For UK SMEs

This competition is aimed at micro, small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) working on high-quality research and development (R&D) projects across national borders. This competition opened last month and Eurostars will award up to €360,000 funding for each UK project partner or 60% of eligible project costs, whichever is the least.

Eurostars supports SMEs in leading international collaborative research and innovation projects by helping them get access to guidance and funding. A Eurostars project must have a civilian purpose and be aimed at the development of a new product, process or service.

The competition closes at 1pm on 24th March.  It typically takes around 40 to 60 hours to prepare an award winning application, and we recommend you do this over a 3 to 4 week period.

Please get in touch if you'd like to know whether your project would likely qualify for this grant or would like any assistance in preparing the application.

Who can apply?

In the UK, only UK registered research-performing SMEs are eligible for funding. More than one UK SME can be involved in each project.

Each of the UK research-performing SMEs must meet one of these conditions:

• invest 10% or more of their turnover into research
• have 10% of their full-time equivalent staff working on research activities
• have 5 or more full-time staff working on research activities if the SME has 100 or fewer employees
• have 10 or more full-time staff working on research activities if the SME has more than 100 employees

Innovate UK will not fund any other types of organisations, including:

• academic institutions, including universities
• research and technology organisations (RTOs)
• charities
• large companies

These organisations can take part but must self-fund or use funds from other sources.

You must follow the Eurostars eligibility criteria and the Innovate UK criteria detailed in this competition at the application deadline and throughout your project:

1. UK SMEs can only take part in one Eurostars project at a time.
2. If any UK partner has an existing project, it must declare that all project deliverables are met. You cannot apply for new Eurostars projects until your previous projects have been completed.
3. UK partners must be separate, non-linked legal entities.
4. UK partners must have been trading for 12 months at the competition application deadline.
5. All work must be carried out in the UK and your project costs must be incurred in the UK.
6. UK subcontracting is capped at 20% of the UK partners’ total eligible costs.
7. UK-led projects must be managed by a research and development (R&D) performing SME. You cannot subcontract project management.
8. Your labour costs must be on a pay as you earn (PAYE) basis, following the PAYE rules below.