Eurostars is offering UK SMEs grants of up to €360,000 to develop new products, processes and services through international collaborative R&D, with applications closing on 10 September 2026.
Eurostars is run by the Eureka Network and co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe. In the UK, funding comes from Innovate UK, which has a total of £2.5 million available for this round. It backs ambitious SMEs that want to build something genuinely new by teaming up with partners in other countries.
Below, I have explained the key things you need to know about this competition before you apply: who is eligible, how much funding is on the table, and what the application process looks like.
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Who is Eligible?
Your Organisation
To lead a project, you must be an innovative micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) based in a Eurostars country, and the UK is one of them. Eurostars projects are always international and collaborative, so you’ll lead a consortium rather than apply on your own.
Your consortium can also bring in large companies, research organisations and universities as collaborators. In the UK, though, only SMEs receive funding under this call. UK large companies, universities and research organisations can take part, but they have to fund their own costs.
To receive UK funding, you must also:
- Be an SME that performs its own R&D and manages the project yourself, as project management can’t be subcontracted
- Have at least three full-time employees by the deadline, if you’re a micro business
- Have been registered and active at Companies House for at least 12 months before the deadline
- Not already have a live UK-funded Eurostars project running
Your Project
- Each project can receive a grant of up to €360,000 for the UK partners, shared between them if there’s more than one.
- Your project can last no longer than 36 months.
All funded work must be carried out in the UK.
Your project must also:
- Bring together at least two organisations that are independent of each other, from at least two different Eurostars countries
- Develop a new product, process or service that you can commercialise
- Have an exclusive focus on civil applications
- Include at least one partner from an EU or Horizon Europe Associated Country
- Make sure no single partner or country is responsible for more than 70% of the budget
- Make sure SMEs from Eurostars countries cover at least 50% of the total project costs, excluding subcontracting
How Much Funding Can I Apply For?
The amount you can claim depends on what kind of organisation you are.
The maximum grant is €360,000 per project, shared between the UK partners if there’s more than one.
| Project Type | Micro and Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of Costs Covered* | 60% | 60% | Not funded |
*UK SMEs are funded at up to 60% of total eligible project costs under this call, whether the work is industrial research or experimental development. Large enterprises can take part but must fund their own costs.
Funding Example
For example, if your UK costs on the project come to £200,000, you could receive a grant of £120,000 (60%). You will need to fund the remaining £80,000 from other sources, like R&D Tax Relief, investment or loans.
Applying as a Non-Commercial Organisation
The UK doesn’t fund universities or research organisations under this call. They can still join your consortium and take part, but they’ll need to cover their own costs, either by self-funding or through other funding sources.
How Do I Apply?
The deadline for applications is 10 September 2026.
Applications are submitted through the Eureka Network’s online project platform, myeurekaproject.org. The innovative SME leading your consortium opens the application and invites the other partners to collaborate on it. You complete the form in English, covering your organisation and the new product, process or service you plan to develop.
What You Submit
Alongside the online form, you upload a set of annexes:
- A self-funding declaration, for any partner not receiving public funding
- A signed commitment and signature form
- An SME declaration, if you are an SME
You can also add supporting annexes, like a technical annex and a Gantt chart, to strengthen your application.
How Your Application Is Assessed
Your application will be reviewed by three independent experts. Their individual scores will be combined to determine your final result. They score your project against three criteria:
- Excellence, including how innovative your project is and the level of technical challenge
- Impact, including market size, competitive advantage and your commercialisation plans
- Quality and efficiency of the implementation, including the strength of your consortium and your project management
Applications are then ranked, and the strongest projects progress to an Independent Evaluation Panel. Funding for UK partners is also subject to Innovate UK confirming budget for your project, so a strong score won’t guarantee funding on its own.
If you’re successful, you’ll be notified by mid-December 2026.
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