What Eurostars does

Eurostars is a European Joint Programme operated by Eureka Network AISBL, a Belgian non-profit international association (BE 0429 585 680), that funds international collaborative R&D projects led by innovative SMEs. The programme provides co-funding via the European Union's Horizon Europe framework, with the current Eurostars-3 iteration embedded in the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs. It is supported by a network of 47 national and regional funding bodies that handle eligibility assessment, national application requirements, and grant disbursement, while consortia submit proposals through a centralised online platform (myeurekaproject.org). Maximum funding per project partner ranges from approximately €120,000 to €500,000 depending on the country, and the programme covers all technology fields.

The Eurostars offering sits within a broader Eureka portfolio that includes Innowwide, Eureka Clusters, Network Projects, Globalstars, Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator, and Investment Readiness. Beyond grant disbursement, Eurostars generates operational activity through periodic biannual calls (Call 11 deadline September 2026, Call 12 deadline March 2027), applicant webinars, success-story content, and participation in industry events such as Swiss Biotech Day. The programme is tracked to have supported 6,750 cumulative collaborative R&D projects and to have mobilised €40 billion of public-private investment across the wider Eureka Network.

Eurostars is not a commercial entity and does not generate revenue in the traditional sense. Its economics are those of a public funding instrument: capital flows in from EU Horizon Europe co-funding and national ministry contributions, and flows out as grants to approved SME-led consortia. The target applicant pool comprises innovation-driven SMEs (primary), with large companies, universities, and research organisations acting as consortium partners. As a programme, Eurostars competes not on price or product features but on funding access, partner-matching facilitation, and the credibility of EU co-financing—distributing its offering through localised national agencies and a centralised evaluation framework.

Name

Eurostars

Legal name

Eureka Network AISBL

Website

https://eurekanetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Eurostars is a European Joint Programme, operated by Belgium-based Eureka Network AISBL, that funds international collaborative R&D projects led by innovative SMEs across 47 member countries, co-financed by the EU through Horizon Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public R&D Funding Programme

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Foreign Governments (8888), Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (BPADACAC)

Keywords

• R&D funding programme
• SME innovation grants
• International research collaboration
• Cross-border R&D financing
• Innovative SME support

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant disbursement: Eurostars does not generate revenue as it is a public funding instrument. It disburses grant funding to eligible R&D projects through national funding bodies in participating countries. The EU co-funds the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs through Horizon Europe.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Eurostars is a public funding instrument operated under the Eureka Network that disburses grants to support innovative SMEs and their consortium partners (large companies, universities, research organisations) in conducting international collaborative R&D projects. Projects must be led by an innovative SME from one of the 47 participating countries and can be applied for through periodic funding calls via the myeurekaproject.org platform and national funding bodies. The programme operates across all technology fields and sectors, with project funding ranging from approximately €120,000 to €500,000 per partner depending on country rules.

Product overview

Eurostars is a funding instrument and programme under the Eureka Network that supports innovative SMEs and project partners (large companies, universities, research organisations) by funding international collaborative R&D and innovation projects. The main Eurostars programme is complemented by several sub-programmes including Innowwide, Eureka Clusters, Network Projects, Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator, Globalstars, and Investment Readiness. Eurostars operates through periodic funding calls (Call 11 with September 2026 deadline, Call 12 with March 2027 deadline) where project consortia led by innovative SMEs can apply for public funding to develop products, processes, or services with commercial potential. The programme has funded various R&D projects across diverse sectors including life sciences, autonomous driving, sustainable technology, and digital solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eurostars Core public funding instrument of the Eureka Network that supports innovative SMEs and their consortium partners (large companies, universities, research organisations) by funding international collaborative R&D and innovation projects across all technology fields.
• Innowwide Sub-programme under the Eureka Network that supports international R&D and innovation projects for SMEs, large companies, universities and research organisations.
• Eureka Clusters Funding programme that supports collaborative R&D projects within specific industry clusters and technology areas.
• Network Projects Flexible programme for international research and development cooperation with limited eligibility criteria, allowing participation even without funding eligibility.
• Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator Funding pathway that provides fast-track access to the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator for SMEs with innovative projects.
• Globalstars Eureka programme that supports international collaborative R&D projects with partners from specific bilateral or multilateral country partnerships.
• Investment Readiness Programme designed to help SMEs and innovators prepare for investment by providing coaching, mentorship, and access to investors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,750 collaborative international R&D projects supported
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• InVirtuoLabsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026InVirtuoLabs, a biotech startup, leads the €2.3M Eurostars NEUROSPARK project along with partners 7hc (Italy), INSYBIO (Greece), and oloBion (Spain). The 36-month project aims to identify and validate lead small molecules for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 using AI-based Virtual Cell Models.
• 7hc (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Italian partner in the NEUROSPARK Eurostars project focused on drug discovery for SCA3 using AI-based Virtual Cell Models.
• INSYBIO (Greece)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Greek partner in the NEUROSPARK Eurostars project focused on neurodegenerative disease research using AI-based digital twins.
• oloBion (Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Spanish partner in the NEUROSPARK Eurostars project developing treatments for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3.
• National Funding Bodies (47 countries)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of national and regional funding agencies across 47 Eureka member countries that manage national eligibility criteria, process applications, and disburse funding to approved projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• European Innovation Council (EIC): The EIC is the EU's flagship deep-tech funding instrument for innovative SMEs and startups, operating under Horizon Europe with blended finance (grants + equity). It directly overlaps with Eurostars in target customer (innovative SMEs) and funding mechanism (public R&D grants), and the Fast Track to EIC Accelerator sub-programme creates a structural link between the two.
• Eureka Clusters Programme: Eureka Clusters is a sibling funding programme under the same Eureka Network umbrella that supports large-company-led collaborative R&D in strategic technology areas (e.g., Xecs, ITEA, Celtic). It overlaps with Eurostars in consortium-based international R&D funding but is oriented toward industry-led clusters rather than SME-led projects.
• Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): The Enterprise Europe Network is an EU-co-funded programme helping SMEs access EU funding, find international partners, and understand EU regulation. It directly complements Eurostars by supporting SME internationalization and partnership formation, with overlapping target customers and EU policy alignment.

Regional players

• Innovate UK: Innovate UK is the United Kingdom's national innovation agency, funding business-led R&D and serving as the UK delivery partner for Eurostars. It is comparable as a public grantmaking body funding innovative SMEs, but operates domestically and does not directly compete for Eurostars' pan-European mandate.
• Bpifrance: Bpifrance is France's public investment bank funding SME innovation through grants, loans, and equity. As the French national delivery body for Eurostars, it overlaps in target customer (innovative SMEs) and mission (public R&D funding), but its core mandate is domestic French innovation support.
• CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial): CDTI is Spain's national innovation agency funding business R&D projects through grants and loans. It overlaps with Eurostars in SME R&D grantmaking and serves as Spain's Eurostars delivery body, but its core mandate is domestic Spanish innovation support.
• Innosuisse: Innosuisse is the Swiss federal innovation promotion agency funding science-based innovation through industry-academia partnerships. It is comparable to Eurostars as a public R&D grantmaking body for innovative SMEs, but operates within Switzerland's national framework.
• Vinnova: Vinnova is Sweden's innovation agency funding research and innovation projects. As Sweden's Eurostars delivery body, it is comparable in mission (public R&D grantmaking for SMEs) but operates primarily within Sweden's domestic innovation ecosystem.
• Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWK) - German Eurostars Delivery: Germany's federal ministries and agencies (including BMWK and the DLR Project Management Agency) deliver Eurostars nationally and provide parallel domestic R&D funding programmes. They overlap with Eurostars in target customer (innovative SMEs) and grantmaking function but are primarily domestic in scope.

Broad incumbents

• SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research): The US SBIR programme is the largest federal R&D funding programme for small businesses, awarding ~$4B annually across 11 federal agencies. It is functionally comparable to Eurostars in mission (public R&D funding for innovative SMEs) and grant structure, but operates at far greater scale and within a single national jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eureka_network
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EurekaEurope
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheRealEureka
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eureka-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments113 records

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Frequently asked questions about Eurostars