Eurostars is part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs. The partnership is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe.
To apply, you must fulfill seven eligibility criteria:
- The project consortium is led by an innovative SME* from a Eurostars country.
- The project consortium is composed of at least two entities that are independent from one another.
- The project consortium is composed of entities from at least two participating countries with a minimum of one organisation from an EU or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
- The budget of the SMEs from the participating countries (excluding any subcontracting) is 50% or more of the total project cost.
- No single participant or country is responsible for more than 70% of the budget of the project.
- The project duration is 36 months or less***.
- The project has an exclusive focus on civil applications.
*We define an innovative SME as any SMEs with the ambition to collaborate on R&D and innovation with international partners to develop new products, processes and services for European and global markets. Innovative SMEs do not need to have a proven track record of R&D activities.
R&D: “Research and experimental development (R&D) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge.” (OECD Frascati Manual 2015, p. 44)
Innovation: “a new or improved product or process (or combination thereof) that differs significantly from the unit’s previous products or processes and that has been made available to potential users (product) or brought into use by the unit (process).” (OECD Oslo Manual 2018, p. 20)
**Eurostars countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. (As of 1 January 2024, entities established in the United Kingdom are considered to be established in a Horizon Europe Associated Country).
***Eurostars countries that are not a European Union Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country: Canada, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa and Switzerland.
***If justified, you may be permitted an extension after your project has started. This must be approved by the Independent Evaluation Panel, Eureka Secretariat and relevant national funding bodies.
Please read all our guidelines before submitting a project application. If you do not meet all our eligibility criteria, your application will be rejected.
National criteria
Vinnova has general terms and conditions and additional national criteria for projects to be eligible to receive Eurostars funding:
- Your company must be registered as a Swedish limited company.
- Your company must have a place of business in Sweden.
- Activities in the project must be conducted at the Swedish operating site and project costs must be borne by the operating site.
- Your company must be registered for employer contribution.
- Your company must have submitted at least two annual reports to the Swedish Companies Registration Office.
- Your most recently registered annual report must show that net sales or equity correspond to at least half of the sum you are applying for. Vinnova only checks the most recently registered annual report when assessing national criteria. The financial control of the projects begins immediately after closing. It is not possible to update and supplement afterwards.
- If the company has a record of non-payment, debt balance to the Swedish Enforcement Authority or other financial or legal remarks, Vinnova does not finance the company.
Vinnova works for equal social development and looks positively on project where both women and men take part in the contribution and participate actively. We also want to increase the participation of actors who have not applied for international funding before.
Applicants must analyse and determine if gender or gender-related aspects are relevant to the project’s problem area, solutions, and utilisation. Addressing this question is mandatory for all applicants and forms a critical part of the assessment process.
Additionally, applicants are required to have a publicly accessible Gender Equality Plan (GEP) in compliance with Horizon Europe regulations.
The next steps
Read all our guidelines before submitting your project application.
Check your financial viability. Our tool indicates whether you have the financial capacity to support your costs in the project.
