European Partnership on Innovative SMEs/Eurostars: joint transnational call for proposals (CALL 12 of Eurostars-3)

Eurostars Call 12 (European Partnership on Innovative SMEs) is a Horizon Europe co-funded single-stage transnational call open from 17 December 2026 to 4 March 2027 14:00 Brussels time, with a total indicative budget of €86,439,583. Projects must be led by an innovative SME from a Eurostars country, have at least two independent partners from two Eurostars countries with at least one partner in an EU or Horizon Europe Associated Country, and have a civilian, market-oriented focus. Project duration is limited to 36 months, SMEs from Eurostars countries must account for at least 50 percent of the project budget (excluding subcontracting), and no single participant or country may exceed 70 percent of the budget. Applications are submitted in English via the myeurekaproject.org platform and national funding bodies determine partner-level funding, eligible costs and rates.

What it funds

Scope

Transnational collaborative R&D and innovation projects across all technology and application fields, focused on commercially oriented civil applications and led by an innovative SME.

Key dates:Call opens 17 December 2026. Submission deadline 04 March 2027, 14:00 Brussels time. Expected funding decision communicated by mid‑June 2027 ¹.

1. 1Total funding available: €86,439,583 (managed and allocated by national/regional funding bodies).
2. 2Who can apply: consortia led by an innovative SME established in a Eurostars country; at least two independent participants from at least two Eurostars countries, with at least one participant from an EU or Horizon Europe Associated Country.
3. 3Project requirements: SME budget share >=50% of total project cost (excluding subcontracting); no single participant/country >70% of budget; max duration 36 months; civil applications only.
4. 4Funding management: each partner receives funding from their national funding body; non-Eurostars participants must self‑fund.

Applications are submitted via the Eurostars project platform. National or regional funding bodies decide eligibility for national funding, funding rates and partner-level caps. Evaluation uses excellence, impact and implementation criteria with a centralised, transparent process.

Footnotes

1. 1Contact and country-specific funding details available via the Eureka Network: eurekanetwork.org and the Eurostars application portal: myeurekaproject.org

General description

Eurostars is the funding instrument of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs (InnovativeSMEs) and is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe. The instrument supports international collaborative R&D and innovation projects led by innovative SMEs and may include project partners such as large companies, universities, research organisations and other types of organisations. Eurostars finances R&D and innovation projects across all fields with an emphasis on rapid commercialisation. This entry describes CALL 12 of Eurostars-3, open between 17 December 2026 and 04 March 2027 14:00 Brussels time, with centralised evaluation and transnational funding decisions managed by national funding bodies.

Key facts and administrative data

Opening date:17 December 2026. Deadline date: 04 March 2027, 14:00 (Brussels time). Deadline model: single-stage. Project duration limit: maximum 36 months (extensions possible post-award with justification and approval). Total funding available for the call: €86,439,583.00. Project platform for submission: myeurekaproject.org. Programme / instrument: European Partnership on Innovative SMEs / Eurostars-3. Project acronym: InnovativeSMEs. Grant agreement number: 101055476. Call reference: HORIZON-EIE.

Primary objectives:Support innovative SMEs to lead international collaborative R&D and innovation projects that develop new or significantly improved products, processes or services with clear commercialisation potential in European and global markets.

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Applications must meet the Eurostars international eligibility criteria and any applicable national/regional eligibility rules set by national funding bodies. Failure to meet the international criteria results in rejection. National funding bodies determine which partners receive funding and at what rates; organisations from non-Eurostars countries can participate but must self-fund their costs unless their country signs Eurostars arrangements.

1. 1Lead partner requirement: The consortium must be led by an innovative SME established in a Eurostars country.
2. 2Minimum consortium composition: At least two independent entities (not under direct or indirect control of one another).
3. 3Geographic composition: Partners must come from at least two Eurostars countries, and at least one partner must be established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.
4. 4SME budget share: The combined budget of SMEs from Eurostars countries (excluding subcontracting) must represent 50% or more of the total project cost.
5. 5Budget concentration rule: No single participant or single country can be responsible for more than 70% of the project budget.
6. 6Project duration: Projects must last 36 months or less (extensions after start are permitted only with justification and approvals).
7. 7Application focus: Projects must have an exclusive focus on civilian applications (no military projects).

Definition notes:Innovative SME is any SME intending to collaborate on international R&D and innovation to develop new products, processes or services; a proven R&D track record is not required. R&D and innovation definitions reference OECD Frascati and Oslo Manuals. For full definitions and control/independence rules, applicants must consult the Eurostars eligibility guidelines.

Eligible applicant types:Primary eligible applicants: innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Eurostars countries (must lead the consortium). Other eligible participant types that may join consortiums: large enterprises, universities, research organisations, non-profit research bodies, public research organisations, and other legal entities as permitted by national funding bodies. Organisations from non-Eurostars countries can join but must self-fund unless specific arrangements are in place.

Eurostars countries explicitly listed: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, United Kingdom. Note: some of these are not EU or Horizon Europe Associated Countries; at least one partner must be in an EU or Associated Country. From 1 January 2025, entities established in Switzerland are considered established in a Horizon Europe Associated Country.

Funding modality and management

Funding type:Grant funding administered by national or regional funding bodies. The EU co-funds the Eurostars partnership via Horizon Europe, but project funding allocations and rates are decided and paid by national funding bodies according to their national rules. Organisations from non-Eurostars countries may participate on a self-funded basis. National funding bodies may set maximum funding amounts per project or per partner and may require additional national eligibility or annex documentation.

Funding amount and scale:Total call budget: €86,439,583. Individual project budgets and partner-level funding depend on national funding body rules; there is no single EU-wide per-project award defined in the call text. Applicants must consult their national funding body for country-specific funding rates and maximums. Organisations that cannot receive public funding or do not request it must provide a self-funding declaration.

Application process and required documents

Submission is electronic via the Eurostars project platform (myeurekaproject.org). The innovative SME leading the consortium must create the application and invite partners. The application form must be completed in English and submitted before the deadline. Annexes that must be uploaded include a signed commitment and signature form and, for SMEs, an SME declaration. Depending on national rules, applicants may also need to upload financial annexes such as financial reports or a business plan (particularly for start-ups). Publicly funded organisations (100%) may be exempt from financial annexes. Self-funding declarations are required if public funding is not requested or available. Optional annexes that strengthen the application include a technical annex and a Gantt chart. National funding bodies may require additional application steps or documents.

1. 1Step 1: Contact your national or regional funding body via the Eureka contact form to confirm eligibility, funding availability and national requirements Eureka contact ¹.
2. 2Step 2: Create an account on myeurekaproject.org and open a new application (SME lead must open and invite partners).
3. 3Step 3: Complete the online application form in English; the portal permits saving and editing before final submission.
4. 4Step 4: Upload mandatory annexes: signed commitment and signature form; SME declaration (if applicable). Upload any required financial annexes as requested by your national funding body. If self-funding, upload a self-funding declaration. Optional annexes: technical annex, project Gantt chart.
5. 5Step 5: Submit the completed application electronically before the call deadline.

Evaluation, selection and timeline

Eurostars uses a centralised and transparent evaluation process. Independent remote experts evaluate each application; the highest-scoring projects (top 200 as determined by the remote experts) advance to the Independent Evaluation Panel where a final ranking is produced. Projects also undergo eligibility checks, legal and financial viability checks and an ethics review. Funding proposals require positive legal and financial viability outcomes for all partners and high panel assessment (excellent or good). Notifications of funding decisions are expected by mid-June 2027, and national funding agreements are targeted to be signed between five and seven months after submission.

Evaluation criteria and sub-criteria:Applications are assessed by independent experts against three main criteria: Quality and efficiency of the implementation, Impact, and Excellence. Sub-criteria include: for implementation — quality of consortium, added value through cooperation, project management and planning, and cost structure; for impact — market size, market access and risk, competitive advantage, commercialisation plans, and economic, environmental and societal impact; for excellence — degree of innovation, new applied knowledge, technical challenge, and achievability & risk.

Consortium and project design rules

Consortia must be transnational with at least two independent entities from different Eurostars countries. The lead must be an innovative SME from a Eurostars country. SMEs from Eurostars countries must collectively carry at least 50% of the project budget (excluding subcontracting). No participant or country may hold more than 70% of total project budget. Projects must be limited to civilian applications and have a clear route to commercialisation. Project duration is limited to 36 months. Independence criteria and control relationships must follow the definitions in the Eurostars eligibility guidelines.

Project stage and target sectors

Target project stage:Eurostars funds R&D and innovation projects with strong commercialisation potential; typical stages include development, validation, demonstration and pre-commercialisation leading to market introduction. The call is multi-topic and technology-agnostic: projects in all sectors and thematic areas are eligible provided they are civilian and led by an innovative SME. Examples of sectors that have participated historically include ICT, health/biotech, cleantech/energy, manufacturing, advanced materials, transport, agriculture/food, and services, but there is no thematic restriction in the call text.

Project maturity expected:Projects are expected to propose applied R&D and innovation activities with demonstrable technical feasibility and a clear plan for commercialization within a reasonable timeframe after project completion. Eurostars explicitly supports projects progressing from development/validation to demonstration and commercialisation.

Consortium funding and co-funding rules

Each participating organisation’s funding and eligible costs are governed by its national funding body. The national body decides which organisations receive funding and at what rates. Organisations that are not eligible for national public funding, or who choose not to request it, must declare self-funding. There is no uniform EU co-funding percentage published in the call text; applicants must consult national pages on the Eureka Network or contact their national funding body.

Co-funding requirement:Co-funding depends on national funding body rules. Some partners may receive public funding; others may self-fund. A self-funding declaration is required when public funding is not requested or available.

Application format and templates

Applications are submitted through the Eurostars platform and consist of an online form in English plus annexes. Mandatory annexes: signed commitment and signature form, SME declaration (for SMEs). Possible national financial annexes include financial reports or business plans (especially for start-ups). Optional annexes recommended for clarity: technical annex related to the project and a Gantt chart. Applicants must consult the Eurostars guidelines for the exact structure of the online application and required forms. National funding bodies may provide additional forms or templates for national eligibility and funding requests.

• Online application form structure: organisational details, project summary, technical work packages, consortium roles and resources, market/commercialisation plan, impact assessment, ethics and regulatory aspects, risk assessment and mitigation, budget overview by partner.
• Mandatory annexes: signed commitment and signature form; SME declaration for SMEs; self-funding declaration if applicable.
• Possible national annexes: financial statements, business plan, country-specific forms as requested by national funding bodies.
• Recommended optional annexes: technical annex, Gantt chart, letters of support (if relevant).

Application stages and selection probabilities

Number of selection stages:multiple sequential checks and evaluations occur, effectively representing at least three main stages: 1) eligibility check, 2) legal and financial viability check, and 3) expert evaluation with Independent Evaluation Panel and ethics review. Projects advance through these stages to final funding decisions. The call text indicates that the top 200 projects (as ranked by remote experts) proceed to the Independent Evaluation Panel; only projects that clear legal and financial viability and panel ranking are considered for funding. Exact overall success rates are not provided in the call text and depend on the number and quality of submissions; historically, Eurostars competition is selective and competitive.

Application stages summary:1) Eligibility check (within ~1 week after deadline). 2) Legal and financial viability checks (mid-April). 3) Remote expert evaluation (mid-April). 4) Independent Evaluation Panel ranking (end of May). 5) Ethics review (end of May). 6) Funding decision communication (mid-June). 7) National funding agreements concluded (target 5-7 months post-submission).

Success rates and competition

The call text does not publish a fixed success rate. Selection is competitive:only the highest ranked projects (the call refers to the best 200 projects from remote experts) progress to panel consideration. A positive legal and financial viability outcome for all partners is required for funding. Applicants should assume a competitive environment and prepare high-quality, well-justified, and commercially-focused proposals.

How to prepare a competitive application

1. 1Ensure lead partner is an innovative SME established in a Eurostars country and that SMEs from Eurostars countries hold at least 50% of the budget.
2. 2Assemble a transnational, independent consortium with clear complementary expertise and roles; avoid single-country or single-participant budget concentration beyond 70%.
3. 3Provide a clear technical plan with work packages, milestones, deliverables and a Gantt chart demonstrating realistic 36-month delivery.
4. 4Demonstrate excellence: novelty, technical challenge, and feasibility with clear risk mitigation.
5. 5Demonstrate impact: well-researched market size, route-to-market, competitive advantage and realistic commercialisation plan.
6. 6Prepare robust cost structure and justification for budget lines; align budget requests with national funding body rules and prepare required financial annexes early.
7. 7Engage national funding bodies early to confirm national eligibility, funding rates and required annexes.
8. 8Ensure all mandatory forms (signed commitment, SME declaration, self-funding declaration if needed) are completed and uploaded.

Contact points and further information

Primary submission platform:myeurekaproject.org. National funding information and country-specific pages are available at the Eureka Network (www.eurekanetwork.org). Contact your national or regional funding body via the Eureka contact form to confirm national rules, funding rates and required annexes before applying ¹. For Eurostars guidance and full eligibility guidelines, consult the Eurostars programme documentation linked on the Eureka Network and the Eurostars platform.

Structured answers to categorisation questions

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Innovative SMEs (mandatory lead), SMEs generally, large enterprises, universities, research organisations, public research organisations, non-profit organisations and other legal entities as allowed by national rules. Organisations from non-Eurostars countries may participate as self-funded partners.
2. 2Funding Type: Grant funding (public funding awarded and managed by national funding bodies under the Eurostars transnational scheme co-funded by Horizon Europe).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Consortium required. Minimum two independent entities from at least two Eurostars countries; lead must be an innovative SME from a Eurostars country.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Members of the Eurostars country list (EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries and non-associated Eurostars countries such as Canada, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa); at least one organisation must be from an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe Associated Country.
5. 5Target Sector: Multi-topic; technology-agnostic across sectors. Projects in ICT, health, biotech, cleantech, manufacturing, materials, transport, agri-food, services and other civilian sectors are eligible provided they meet the general eligibility and commercialisation requirements.
6. 6Mentioned 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, United Kingdom. Additionally, EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are referenced as required for at least one partner.
7. 7Project Stage: Development, validation, demonstration and pre-commercialisation stages are the main focus; applied R&D leading to commercialised products, processes or services is expected.
8. 8Funding Amount: Total call budget €86,439,583. Individual project funding and partner shares are determined by national funding bodies; no fixed per-project ceiling provided in the call text. National maximums may apply.
9. 9Application Type: Open single-stage transnational call submitted via the Eurostars project platform (myeurekaproject.org) between the published opening and deadline dates.
10. 10Nature of Support: Monetary grants administered by national funding bodies; participants may also receive non-financial support via the Eurostars network and Eureka matchmaking resources, but the call primarily provides financial support.
11. 11Application Stages: Multiple stages (effectively 3+): Eligibility check, legal & financial viability check, remote expert evaluation, Independent Evaluation Panel and ethics review, followed by national funding agreement negotiations.
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified in the call text. Selection is competitive; only top-ranked proposals (illustratively top 200 from remote experts) progress to panel consideration. Final success rate depends on submissions and national funding limits.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding varies by national funding body; organisations not eligible for public funding or not requesting it must self-fund. National rules determine public co-funding rates and any required co-financing.
14. 14Templates: Applicants submit via an online application form in English on myeurekaproject.org. Mandatory annex templates include the signed commitment and signature form and the SME declaration. National funding bodies may provide additional templates for financial annexes. Applicants are recommended to include a technical annex and a Gantt chart. For exact template content, consult the Eurostars guidelines and national funding body instructions.

Concluding summary

This opportunity is the Eurostars joint transnational call (CALL 12 of Eurostars-3) under the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs. It funds international collaborative R&D and innovation projects led by innovative SMEs from Eurostars countries with strong emphasis on rapid commercialisation and civilian applications. The call is technology- and sector-agnostic, competitive and centrally evaluated by independent experts with final funding implemented by national funding bodies according to national rules. Applicants must assemble a transnational consortium led by an innovative SME, ensure SMEs from Eurostars countries hold at least 50% of the project budget, respect the 36-month maximum project duration and the budget concentration limits, and submit a complete application in English via the Eurostars project platform before the deadline. National funding bodies must be contacted early to confirm national eligibility and required annexes. The overall call budget is €86,439,583; individual funding allocations depend on national funding body decisions. Key deadlines, evaluation steps and required documentation are described above; applicants should consult Eurostars guidelines and national funding pages for the detailed templates and country-specific instructions and use the Eureka contact form to clarify national rules prior to submission ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Contact your national or regional funding body via the Eureka Network contact page: eurekanetwork.org . Also see the Eurostars project management platform at myeurekaproject.org for account creation and submission.

This is a Horizon Europe co-funded Eurostars call for international collaborative research, development and innovation projects led by innovative SMEs, with a clear expectation of commercialisation and an exclusive focus on civil applications. The call is designed to support projects in all fields, and consortia may include large companies, universities, research organisations and other organisations alongside the lead SME. [1]

Who can apply

The consortium must be led by an innovative SME from a Eurostars country, and the call allows other partner types such as large companies, universities, research organisations and other organisations. Innovative SMEs are defined broadly, and they do not need a proven track record in research and development as long as they have the ambition to collaborate internationally on innovation. [1]

1. 1The consortium must be led by an innovative SME from a Eurostars country. [1]
2. 2The consortium must include at least two independent entities. [1]
3. 3The consortium must include entities from at least two Eurostars countries, with at least one organisation coming from an EU or Horizon Europe Associated Country. [1]
4. 4The budget of SMEs from a Eurostars country, excluding subcontracting, must be 50 percent or more of total project cost. [1]
5. 5No single participant or country may account for more than 70 percent of the project budget. [1]
6. 6The project duration must be 36 months or less, unless a justified extension is approved after start. [1]
7. 7The project must have an exclusive civil application focus. [1]

Funding and financial conditions

Eurostars does not provide a single uniform grant rate across all countries. Funding is administered by the national funding body of each participating organisation, which decides who can receive funding, which project activities are eligible and what funding rates or maximum amounts apply at national or regional level. Some national bodies may also set caps per project or per partner, and organisations from countries outside the Eurostars group may participate only by self-funding their costs. [1]

Application requirements

1. 1Contact your national or regional funding body first to discuss the project idea, national funding availability, legal and financial viability and eligibility. [1]
2. 2Create an account on the project platform and open the application through the innovative SME that leads the consortium. [1]
3. 3Complete the application form in English and submit it electronically before the deadline. [1]
4. 4Upload the signed commitment and signature form, and if the applicant is an SME, the SME declaration. [1]
5. 5Add any required financial annex, such as financial reports or, for a start-up, a business plan, if requested by the national funding body. [1]
6. 6If the organisation is not eligible for public funding or does not request it, a self-funding declaration must be included. [1]
7. 7Optional supporting annexes may include a technical annex and a Gantt chart. [1]

How projects are evaluated

Applications are assessed centrally and transparently by independent evaluators against three criteria: quality and efficiency of implementation, impact, and excellence. The evaluation places emphasis on the consortium quality, cooperation benefits, realistic project planning, market potential, commercialisation plans, innovation level, technical challenge and risk. [1]

• Quality and efficiency of implementation covers consortium quality, added value through cooperation, project management and planning, and cost structure. [1]
• Impact covers market size, market access and risk, competitive advantage, commercialisation plans, and economic, environmental and societal impact. [1]
• Excellence covers degree of innovation, new applied knowledge, technical challenge, technical achievability and risk. [1]

Decision process and timeline

1. 1Eligibility check takes place within one week after the deadline. [1]
2. 2Legal and financial viability checks are expected in mid-April 2027. [1]
3. 3Three independent experts evaluate each project in mid-April 2027. [1]
4. 4The Independent Evaluation Panel and project ranking are expected at the end of May 2027. [1]
5. 5Ethics review is expected at the end of May 2027. [1]
6. 6Funding decisions are expected to be communicated by mid-June 2027, and the objective is to sign agreements with the national funding bodies five to seven months after the submission deadline. [1]

Only projects that are among the best 200 reviewed by the remote experts, move forward to the Independent Evaluation Panel, obtain positive legal and financial viability results for all partners, and are judged excellent or good quality by the panel are considered for funding. If a proposal is rejected because of a procedural error during eligibility, legal and financial checks or evaluation, the consortium leader may submit a redress request on procedural grounds with clear evidence. [1]

Key takeaways for applicants

• The lead SME should be ready to coordinate a transnational consortium and commercialise the results. [1]
• Applicants should verify national rules early, because funding support, eligible costs and maximum awards depend on each participating country. [1]
• Budget balance matters, because SMEs must provide at least 50 percent of total project cost and no participant or country can dominate the budget. [1]
• The project should be clearly market-oriented, technically credible and limited to civil uses. [1]
• All required declarations and annexes should be prepared before submission, especially if national funding bodies require additional documents. [1]