Eurostars awaits new applications

Eurostars is a joint programme of EUREKA and the European Union aiming to support innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing products, processes, and services and bringing them to the market. Eurostars is one of the European support programmes that was unaffected by the third country status of Switzerland with regard to Horizon Europe. Swiss startups can therefore benefit from it.

After the successful first edition, the program has launched the second call for SMEs (including startups), large companies, research organisations and universities. Approved participants will receive funding for their market-led, cross-border research, development, and innovative, collaborative projects.

The evaluation of the applications and the reporting on the projects is carried out centrally in Brussels by the EUREKA Association Secretariat for all participating countries. However, as in the previous edition, Innosuisse, the Swiss innovation agency will be responsible for issuing the contracts, paying out the funding and the financial reporting in Switzerland. The Agency will support approved projects with up to 50 per cent of their project costs.

The formal eligibility criteria are:

• The project is led by an innovative SME from a Eurostars1 country.
• The project consortium is composed by at least two entities that are independent of one another.
• The project consortium is composed by 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 project budget.
• The project duration is 36 months or less.
• The project has an exclusively civilian purpose.

The application window closes on 15 September at 2 Pm. Before registering, read more about the funding conditions by clicking here.

(RAN)