Eurostars 3 launches the first call for the presentation of ideas until November 4

Eurostars will finance the development of market-oriented R&D projects led by innovative SMEs located in the 37 countries participating in this programme (most European countries, as well as others such as Canada, South Africa, South Korea or Singapore). These projects, with an open theme and civil purpose, must give rise to the creation of new products, processes or services that can be quickly commercialized in European and global markets. This will require the creation of consortia of at least two entities belonging to two different Eurostars countries. Apart from SMEs, some countries also allow large companies, research organisations and universities to participate in these consortia.

Regarding the articulation of the programme, the evaluation of the proposals is carried out centrally by the EUREKA Secretariat, while the funding takes place in a decentralized way at a national level through the funding agencies of each country.

Main news of Eurostars 3

Eurostars 3 will be largely continuous concerning to its two previous editions, highlighting as a major difference for this new period the fact of including among the beneficiaries innovative SMEs without previous experience in R&D but with ambition and ability to collaborate internationally in the development of new products, processes or services.

The following new features for Eurostars 3 have also been announced:

• No entity or country can have more than 70% of the budget (previous limit: 75%).
• There is a new platform for the submission of proposals.
• The project must be aligned with the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) set by the United Nations.
• The integration of the gender dimension in scientific methodology will be positively valued.
• Faster time to receive funding.
• New support tools (coaching, mentoring, investor preparation…) to help SMEs reach international markets.

Figures from previous programmes

The main characteristics of a EUROSTARS project, according to an analysis of projects funded in its previous editions, are the following:

• Number of partners: From 2 to 4 partners, from 2-3 different Eurostars member countries.
• Average duration of projects: 2 and a half years.
• Average budget per project: 1.4 M€.
• Most supported technological areas: Biotechnologies, ICT, and industrial (manufacturing).
• Most present market areas: Health, Industry and ICT.
• Type of beneficiary organizations: 70% of the organizations supported have been SMEs, 14% universities, 10% Research Organizations and 6% large companies.

Why Eurostars?

Eurostars can be the gateway to international collaboration R&D projects for SMEs without previous experience in this field, for different reasons:

• The fact of having to set up small consortia (2-3 per project), makes the management of these easier than in other European programs such as Horizon Europe where the number of partners will normally be much larger.
• Eurostars has historically presented a success rate of 29%, higher than other European programmes which involve SMEs such as H2020 (12%) or EIC Accelerator (3%).
• The fact of being open to any topic gives applicants total freedom for making a project proposal according to their needs.
• Finally, the fact that they are projects led by SMEs in all cases avoids competing with projects led by larger organizations, endowed with greater resources to design quality proposals.

How to submit a proposal successfully?

At ZABALA Innovation we have a team with extensive experience in previous editions of the Eurostars programme. We support organizations in the search for the most suitable international partners for the project, as well as in the definition, design and drafting of a winning proposal. With professionals in technological and business fields, we provide continuous support from the initial idea to the subsequent management of all documentation during the signing and execution of the funded project.

Do you have an idea? Request more information: Joseba Merino y Laura Martín.