Can I apply to Eurostars?

By country

• Can a company from an EU country apply?Yes
• Can a company from Poland (a Widening country) apply?Yes
• Can a company from the UK apply?Yes
• Can a company from Switzerland apply?Yes
• Can a company from Norway apply?Yes
• Can a company from Israel apply?Yes
• Can a company from Ukraine apply?Yes, ifOrganisations in Ukraine can join a consortium as a partner, but not lead it. Partners outside Eurostars countries get no public money and must sign a self-funding declaration.
• Can a company from Türkiye apply?Yes
• Can a company from Canada apply?Yes
• Can a company from Japan apply?Yes, ifOrganisations in Japan can join a consortium as a partner, but not lead it. Partners outside Eurostars countries get no public money and must sign a self-funding declaration.
• Can a company from South Korea apply?Yes
• Can a company from the United States apply?Yes, ifOrganisations in the United States can join a consortium as a partner, but not lead it. Partners outside Eurostars countries get no public money and must sign a self-funding declaration.
• Can a company from India apply?Yes, ifOrganisations in India can join a consortium as a partner, but not lead it. Partners outside Eurostars countries get no public money and must sign a self-funding declaration.

By organisation

• Can a founder without a company yet apply?Yes, ifRegister a company first: the applicant must be an incorporated SME.
• Can a startup apply?Yes
• Can an established SME apply?Yes
• Can a mid-cap company apply?Yes, ifA mid-cap can take part as a partner, not as the applicant.
• Can a large company apply?Yes, ifA large company can take part as a partner, not as the applicant.
• Can a university apply?Yes, ifA university can take part as a partner, not as the applicant.
• Can a research organisation apply?Yes, ifA research organisation can take part as a partner, not as the applicant.
• Can a company apply on its own, without partners?NoYou need a consortium of at least 2 organisations from 2 different countries.

By stage

• Can I apply with an idea or early research?Yes
• Can I apply with a proof of concept?Yes
• Can I apply with a prototype?Yes
• Can I apply with a pilot with real users?Yes
• Can I apply with a product on the market?Yes

The rules in full

Where you must be based

Eurostars countries

The lead SME must be based in one of the 37 Eurostars countries. Organisations from other countries can only join as self-funded partners.

Who can apply

a startup or an SME

Only an innovative SME (EU definition: under 250 staff, turnover up to €50M or balance sheet up to €43M, counting linked companies) can lead. Universities and large companies can join but never coordinate.

Who can join as a partner

a startup, an SME, a mid-cap, a large company, a university, a research organisation, a public body or a non-profit

Partners outside Eurostars countries get no public money and must sign a self-funding declaration.

Alone or with partners

Consortium of at least 2 organisations from 2 countries

At least two independent organisations from two Eurostars countries. At least one must be in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country (UK and Switzerland count). Canada, Singapore, South Africa and South Korea alone are not enough.

Stage

No set TRL

No programme-wide TRL band. Some national funders set one (Germany funds R&D up to TRL 6).

What you get

grants

No programme cap. Each national funder sets its own: for Call 12, €500k for all German partners, €400k per Spanish participant, €500k for Dutch partners, NOK 6M per Norwegian project, CAD 500k per Canadian SME. Average project cost is about €1.5M.

Funding rate

Set by each national funder: Call 12 SME rates run from up to 40% (France) to up to 80% of eligible costs