Official call identifier: Eurostars Call 11
Objective of the call
Eurostars Call 11 supports international collaborative research, development and innovation projects led by innovative SMEs. The call enables SMEs to cooperate with international partners to develop innovative products, processes and services with clear potential for commercialisation.
Eurostars is part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs and is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe. Funding is provided through the national or regional funding bodies of the participating countries.
Scope of activities
The call follows a bottom-up approach and is open to R&D and innovation projects in all technological and market areas. Projects must have an exclusive focus on civil applications.
Applicants must propose an international collaborative project focused on the development of an innovative product, process or service that can be commercialised. Project partners should combine complementary expertise and demonstrate the technological, commercial and financial capacity required to implement the proposed activities.
Supported activities may include:
• Industrial research
• Experimental development
• Design and development of new products, processes or services
• Development and testing of prototypes
• Technical validation and demonstration
• Integration of technologies and components
• Performance testing and optimisation
• Activities preparing the project results for commercialisation
The exact activities eligible for public funding are determined by the national or regional funding body responsible for each participating organisation.
Eligible applicants
Applications must be submitted by an international consortium that meets all of the following requirements:
• The consortium must be led by an innovative SME established in a Eurostars country
• The consortium must include at least two independent legal entities
• The participating entities must come from at least two different Eurostars countries
• At least one participating organisation must be established in an EU Member State or a country associated with Horizon Europe
• SMEs established in Eurostars countries must account for at least 50% of the total project costs, excluding subcontracting
• No single participant or country may account for more than 70% of the total project budget
• The project must focus exclusively on civil applications
• The project duration must not exceed 36 months
In addition to innovative SMEs, consortium partners may include other SMEs, large companies, universities, research organisations and other types of legal entities, subject to the funding and eligibility rules of their respective countries.
Organisations established outside Eurostars countries may participate if the consortium continues to meet the international eligibility criteria. However, these organisations must normally finance their participation from their own resources and submit a self-funding declaration.
Countries and regions participating in this call include:
Austria, Belgium – Brussels, Belgium – Flanders, Belgium – Wallonia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
The availability of funding differs between participating countries and regions. Some participating countries may allow organisations to join only on a self-funded basis.
Eligible costs
Eligible costs are determined separately by each participating national or regional funding body. Applicants must therefore review the national funding rules applicable to every consortium partner.
Depending on national rules, eligible R&D costs may include:
• Personnel costs related to research and development activities
• Equipment and instrument costs or depreciation
• Materials, supplies and consumables
• Travel and subsistence costs
• External expertise and subcontracting
• Other costs directly connected to project implementation
Subcontracting between partners participating in the same Eurostars consortium is not permitted.
Funding conditions
Type of support: National or regional grant funding under the Eurostars programme, co-funded through the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs and Horizon Europe.
Funding rate: There is no single Eurostars-wide funding rate. Each participant is funded separately by its national or regional funding body according to its country, organisation type and R&D activity. Organisations from non-Eurostars countries may participate on a self-funded basis.
Country-specific funding rates and limits:
• Austria: Small SMEs up to 60%; large companies up to 30%; research organisations and universities up to 40%, or up to 60% when the consortium includes an Austrian SME. No call-specific maximum grant is stated.
• Belgium – Brussels: No allocated public funding budget for this call. Participation may be possible on a self-funded basis.
• Belgium – Flanders: Small SMEs 60–70%; medium-sized SMEs 50–70%; large companies 40–65%. The maximum is EUR 500,000 for the Flemish part of the consortium. Research organisations and universities are not funded directly but may participate through a funded Flemish company at the company’s funding rate.
• Belgium – Wallonia: Small SMEs 55–80%; medium-sized SMEs 45–70%; large companies 35–60%. Universities and research organisations are not funded directly but may participate as subcontracted partners.
• Bulgaria: SMEs up to 80%; large companies up to 55%. Maximum EUR 200,000 per project.
• Canada: SMEs up to 50%. Maximum CAD 500,000 per Canadian SME per project. Large companies, universities and research organisations are not funded.
• Croatia: Micro and small companies up to 60%; medium-sized companies up to 50%. Maximum EUR 300,000 per project. Where more than one Croatian participant is involved, a maximum of EUR 200,000 is shared between them. Large companies are not funded, while universities and research organisations must participate as subcontractors to a Croatian company.
• Cyprus: No allocated funding budget for Eurostars Calls 9–13. Participation may be possible on a self-funded basis.
• Czech Republic: Small companies up to 80%; medium-sized companies up to 75%; research organisations and universities up to 100%. The Czech main applicant must be an SME. Large companies are not funded.
• Denmark: Funding rates depend on the organisation and national rules. The minimum funding amount is EUR 50,000. The maximum is EUR 300,000 per Danish participant or EUR 500,000 collectively where several Danish participants are involved. The consortium must include a Danish SME.
• Estonia: Small companies receive up to 60% for experimental development and up to 80% for applied research. Medium-sized companies receive up to 50% for experimental development and up to 80% for applied research. Large companies receive up to 40%. Maximum support is EUR 500,000. Universities and research organisations are not funded.
• Finland: SMEs up to 50%; large companies up to 40%; research organisations and universities up to 80%. Growth-oriented SMEs and midcaps with turnover below EUR 300 million may have no fixed upper grant limit. Large companies with turnover above EUR 300 million are limited to EUR 60,000. Research organisations and universities may receive up to EUR 80,000 where one Finnish SME or midcap participates, or up to EUR 160,000 where two or more participate.
• France: SMEs up to 40%; large companies with fewer than 2,000 employees up to 30%; research organisations and universities up to 40%. Large companies with more than 2,000 employees are not funded. The maximum for a research organisation or university is EUR 120,000 when a French SME participates and EUR 50,000 where no French SME participates.
• Germany: SMEs up to 50%; research organisations and universities up to 100% where a German SME undertakes a considerable share of the R&D work. Large companies must self-fund. Maximum EUR 500,000 collectively for all German participants in one project.
• Greece: Start-ups and small companies up to 70%; midcaps up to 60%; large companies up to 50%; research organisations and universities up to 100%. Maximum EUR 200,000 per project, increased to EUR 250,000 where the Greek participant coordinates the project. The stated national call budget is EUR 1 million.
• Hungary: SMEs up to 80% for industrial or applied research and up to 60% for experimental development. Large companies receive up to 65% for industrial or applied research and up to 40% for experimental development. Research organisations and universities receive up to 100%. The stated annual national budget for two Eurostars calls is EUR 1 million.
• Iceland: Small companies up to 80% for industrial research and 60% for experimental development; medium-sized companies up to 75% for industrial research and 50% for experimental development; research organisations and universities up to 80%. Maximum ISK 45 million per project. Large companies are not funded.
• Ireland: SMEs up to 60%; large companies up to 40%; research organisations and universities up to 100%. The maximum for research organisations and universities is EUR 250,000, and an Irish company must participate. Company funding may vary depending on the responsible national agency.
• Israel: No allocated funding budget for this call.
• Italy: No allocated funding budget for this call.
• Latvia: SMEs up to 80%; large companies up to 50%; research organisations and universities up to 100%. Maximum EUR 100,000 per participant per year.
• Lithuania: SMEs up to 80% for applied research and up to 60% for pre-competitive development; large companies up to 65% for applied research and up to 40% for pre-competitive development; research organisations and universities up to 100% where a Lithuanian SME participates. Maximum EUR 300,000 per project.
• Luxembourg: Start-ups and small companies up to 80%; medium-sized companies up to 75%; large companies up to 65%; research organisations and universities up to 100%. The maximum for research organisations and universities is EUR 300,000 per project.
• Malta: Small companies up to 70% for industrial research and 45% for experimental development; medium-sized companies up to 60% and 35%; large companies up to 50% and 25%, respectively. Additional funding may apply for effective collaboration. Universities and research organisations are not funded.
• Norway: SMEs up to 50%; large companies up to 30%; research organisations and universities up to 70%. Maximum NOK 6 million per project. Every consortium requesting Norwegian funding must include a Norwegian SME.
• Poland: Micro and small companies up to 80% for industrial research and 70% for development work; medium-sized companies up to 80% for industrial research and 60% for development work. Large companies, universities and research organisations are not funded.
• Portugal: SMEs and small midcaps up to 80%; research organisations and universities up to 85%. For activities located in the Lisbon NUTS II region, funding is limited to 40%. Large companies are not funded. A Portuguese SME or small midcap must participate.
• Romania: A national funding budget has been allocated, but the applicable funding rates, limits and procedures are still under revision.
• Singapore: No allocated funding budget for this call.
• Slovakia: SMEs, large companies, research organisations and universities receive up to 50%. Where another Slovak SME or research organisation participates, the SME rate may increase by 20 percentage points for micro companies, 15 percentage points for small companies and 10 percentage points for medium-sized companies. Maximum EUR 450,000 per project.
• Slovenia: Micro and small companies up to 60%; medium-sized companies up to 50%; large companies up to 40%. Universities and publicly funded research organisations are not funded directly and may participate as subcontractors to Slovenian companies or on a self-funded basis.
• South Africa: SMEs up to 80%; large companies up to 30%; research organisations and universities up to 80%. Maximum EUR 300,000 per project.
• South Korea: SMEs up to 67%; medium-sized companies up to 50%; large companies up to 33%; research organisations and universities up to 100%. Maximum KRW 1.5 billion, approximately EUR 1.1 million, per project. Research organisations and universities require a South Korean SME in the consortium.
• Spain: Small companies up to 60%; medium-sized companies up to 50%. Subject to national budget availability, the rate may increase to 70% for SMEs. Maximum EUR 400,000 per Spanish participant. Large companies, universities and research organisations are not funded directly.
• Sweden: SMEs up to 50%, with a maximum of SEK 5 million per project. Large companies receive up to 30%, and research organisations and universities up to 70%. Their maximum is SEK 2 million, increased to SEK 5 million where a Swedish SME participates.
• Switzerland: SMEs up to 50%; large companies up to 25%; research organisations and universities up to 50%. No call-specific maximum is stated.
• The Netherlands: SMEs up to 50%; large companies up to 40%; research organisations and universities up to 50%. Maximum EUR 500,000 collectively for Dutch participants. Research organisations and universities can receive funding only where a Dutch company participates.
• Türkiye: SMEs up to 75%; large companies up to 60%; research organisations and universities up to 100%. At least one Turkish company must participate. The combined budget of Turkish research and higher education organisations may not exceed 50% of the total Turkish project budget.
• United Kingdom: SMEs up to 60%. Maximum EUR 360,000 per project, shared between all funded UK participants. Large companies, universities and research organisations are not funded. The total UK budget for the call is GBP 3.5 million.
Maximum grant per beneficiary: No common Eurostars-wide maximum applies. National or regional limits range from approximately EUR 50,000 to more than EUR 1 million, depending on the country, organisation and consortium structure.
Total call budget: No single central Eurostars call budget is specified. Funding comes from separate national and regional budgets, supported by Horizon Europe co-funding.
Project duration: Maximum 36 months.
Deadline for submission
10 September 2026