Specialist R&D Tax & Grant Funding Advisors

EUREKA Eurostars

EUREKA Eurostars is a European programme for SMEs that supports and funds international collaborative research and development projects.

Eureka Eurostars

Guide Overview


We’ve created five simple sections to help you understand how Eureka Eurostars works and whether your business could be eligible for funding.

What is Eurostars?


Eurostars is aimed at innovative small and medium-sized enterprises – those with less than 250 employees – that want to take part in collaborative research and innovation projects with partners across Europe and associated countries. Enterprise Ireland supports Irish SMEs who want to get involved.

SMEs can receive up to 50% of their costs of participating in a project, with a maximum grant of €450,000. The funding contribution is made up of both national funds (75%) and EU funds (25%).

Eureka Eurostars Funding Scheme Graphic 04
Eureka Eurostars Funding Scheme Graphic 01

What type of businesses should apply for Eurostars funding?


Only SMEs performing R&D are eligible for grant funding. To qualify as a research-performing SME, you must:

  • Invest 10% or more of turnover into research; or,
  • Have 10% of full-time equivalent staff working on research activities; or,
  • Have 5 or more full-time staff working on research activities, if your business has 100 or fewer employees; or,
  • Have 10 or more full-time staff working on research activities, if your business has 100 or more employees.

Academics, universities, Research and Technology Organisations, and large companies can participate in Eurostars, but they must use funds from other sources or fund their own participation.

Is your innovative idea ready for you to apply for Eurostars funding?


If you qualify as a research-performing SME, you plan to develop an innovative new product, process, or service that you want to be rapidly commercialised, and you want to work in partnership with participants in other countries, Eurostars funding may be appropriate for you.

The project duration must be 36 months or fewer, with market introduction within 24 months of the project's completion.

To apply for Eurostars funding, you will need to define a project and find partners.  You then need to contact the National Project Coordinator in Ireland, who will guide you through the application process, guidelines, and funding opportunities.

A typical Eurostars project has 3-4 participants from 2-3 different countries, with an average project duration of 29 months and €1.4 million in average project costs.

Eureka Eurostars Funding Scheme Graphic 03
Eureka Eurostars Funding Scheme Graphic 05

What types of Eurostars applications are likely to succeed?


Your Eurostars application is more likely to succeed if it:

  • Shows how the project results in a real innovation and doesn’t replicate products currently on the market
  • Provides a convincing company description which explains why you are more likely to succeed than a competitor
  • Includes a clear and thorough description of the business opportunity, not just a description of the project.
  • Demonstrates a clear understanding of the target market, including commercialisation and competitor information.

"With the help of Myriad, our application ranked #1 in Horizon 2020's Fast Track to Innovation across Europe....it opened doors to investors, potential business partners, physicians and much more"

Dr John Thompson

Co-founder, AuriGen Ltd

What's the Eurostars evaluation process?


Eurostars applications have a two-step evaluation process:

  • Applications are assessed by three independent experts. If at least two of the three experts agree that at least two of the three main criteria (‘quality and efficiency of the implementation’, ‘impact – market and commercialisation’, and ‘excellence – innovation and R&D’) are satisfactory, the application advances to the next stage of evaluation.
  • In the second stage of evaluation, the results of assessments are used by the Independent Evaluation Panel (IEP) to score and rank all eligible applications. If an application is above the quality threshold and funding is available, the project is approved for funding.
Eureka Eurostars Funding Scheme Graphic 02

How can we help?


Myriad Associates have an enviable track record with R&D grant applications. Using our grant application services can give you a significant competitive advantage over other grant applicants.

Our grant bid writers have secured over €130m for our clients in the last 12 months, with another €30m due by the end of 2022. We are also very proud to have secured some of the highest scoring applications in Europe, with five of our projects scoring 15/15.

About Myriad Associates
Video Item
  • #1 European grants team - We employ leading bid writers who write compelling applications.
  • Templates & tools - Our templates make it easy to collaborate & prepare a winning bid.
  • 70% Success rates - Dramatically improve your chances of success.
  • A complete service - On receipt of your offer letter, we help you with all administrative requirements to ensure prompt receipt of grant funds.
Grant Figures 2022

Our results

  • €70m in Disruptive Technologies Innovation funding won
  • €97m in Horizon Europe funding won
  • #1 European grants team - We employ leading bid writers who write compelling applications.
  • A complete service - On receipt of your offer letter, we help you with all administrative requirements to ensure prompt receipt of grant funds.

Frequently asked questions


The success rate for Eurostars applications is 30%.

Eurostars is open to all projects in all technology areas and market fields. Projects must have a civilian purpose.

Preparation of a Eurostars application can take up to 300 hours of work.

You will need the right combination of people to cover the application’s key aspects: the project’s implementation, market and commercialisation, and innovation. You will need to work closely with your partners.

Your Eurostars application is more likely to succeed if it:

  • Shows how the project results in a real innovation and doesn’t replicate products currently on the market
  • Provides a convincing company description which explains why you are more likely to succeed than a competitor
  • Includes a clear and thorough description of the business opportunity, not just a description of the project.
  • Demonstrates a clear understanding of the target market, including commercialisation and competitor information.

Eurostars applications are first assessed by three independent experts. These experts are matched to applications by their technological expertise, familiarity with the market applications, and SME experience.

In the second stage of evaluation, the Independent Evaluation Panel (IEP) scores and ranks all eligible applications. The IEP is led by a chairperson, and includes internationally recognised experts in their field. The IEP members cover a variety of professional sectors, and are chosen according to the profiles of the applications and the technical requirements at the time.

Approximately 4 weeks after the submission deadline, applicants are informed whether or not their application is eligible.

Approximately 14 weeks after the submission deadline, applicants are informed whether their application is above or below the quality threshold and if it is being considered for funding.

Approximately 19 weeks after the submission deadline, applicants that are ranked above the quality threshold are informed of the availability for funding.

Within 4 months of the application submission deadline, the EUREKA Secretariat announces the projects that have been approved for funding.

All funding to participants is managed by their respective funding body, according to national funding rules and procedures.

Need help applying for Eureka Eurostars funding?

Speak to one of our senior grant writers to see if your project is likely to win funding.

Get in touch
Close

Step 1 of #

What best describes you?

Continue

I'm looking too...

Continue Back

Thanks for that!

We would like to help you decide whether your business meets the relevant criteria and whether any credits can be applied for the R&D projects you’ve undertaken. Please click on the button below to speak with an expert.

Thanks for that!

We would like to help answer any questions you have regarding the R&D tax credits scheme. Please click on the button below to speak with an expert and one of our specialist team will get in touch.

Thanks for that!

We would like to help answer any questions you have. Please click on the button below to speak with an expert and one of our specialist team will get in touch.

Speak to an expert Back