Eurostars Eureka

Call deadline: 4th Nov 2021

Eurostars programme supports international innovative projects involving at least two different participants from different Eurostars countries and led by research and development (R&D)-performing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Eurostars projects get access to public funding, which originates from participating countries' national budgets and thanks to the support of the European Commission. Maximum SME financial support per Eurostars project for 31 of 36 countries participating in Eurostars-2 programme (2014 – 2020) is depicted on the graph. In Eurostars-2 programme, maximum public funding available for R&D-performing SME from Spain (ESP) and from South Korea (KOR) was € 920002 and € 1000000 respectively, meaning that the project total cost would be € 3025874. In addition to SMEs, some Eurostars countries provide funding to universities, research centres, and large companies.

What is innovative project?

According to the Oslo Manual 20181, business innovation is a new or improved product or business process (or combination thereof) that differs significantly from the firm's previous products or business processes and that has been introduced on the market or brought into use by the firm. Eurostars innovative projects are close to market R&D projects, which create business innovation aimed at global markets.

Define your R&D using Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale

Eurostars supports new incremental and breakthrough products/business processes as well as development of market-creating innovations. Eurostars programme is open to innovations from nearly all fields of science, technology and applications in almost any sector. Technological areas of Eurostars projects are: Biotech, Energy, Environment, ICT, and Industrial. Typically, 31 – 42% of funded Eurostars projects are Biotech projects. "Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale" is an industrially applied concept that outlines different R&D steps, which support the innovation and industrialization process of technologies to transform ideas to the market. Check the TRL scale below to define the R&D step of your project. Eurostars programme funds the TRL 4 – 6 R&D projects.

TRL scale

R&D steps2      TRLs    Descriptions
Tech qualified through successful operations – Proof of Performance         9    Technology has proven successful in its mission operations (full commercial application) EIC Accelerator
Tech completed through test and demo         8    Technology completed and qualified through test and demonstration (first of the kind commercial system) EIC Accelerator
Prototype demo in operational environment         7    Integration and demonstration of industrial prototype system in the operational environment (demonstration system) EIC Accelerator
Prototype demo in relevant environment – Proof of Principle         6    Prototype system scale-up and demonstration of commercial-scale system in the intended environment Eurostars EIC Accelerator
Tech validation in relevant environment         5    Testing and validation of discrete technology components' combination in the intended environment – synergy of technology components (prototype) Eurostars
Tech validation in lab environment         4    Identification and validation of discrete technology components in the laboratory environment Eurostars
Analytical & experimental Proof of Concept         3    Critical function of technology/application demonstrated through experimentation
Tech concept/application formulated         2    Technology concept/application development
Basic principles observed         1    Basic principles observed or postulated, no experimental proof or detailed analysis yet exists

Eurostars Eureka vs. EIC Accelerator: an easy choice

The table demonstrates why Eurostars programme is defined as "bottom-up" approach and why Eurostars is unique in Europe. The Eurostars programme is the only option for SMEs to get public funding for intermediate TRL levels. The Eurostars programme (TRLs 4 – 6) precedes another "bottom-up" EIC Accelerator programme (TRLs 6 – 9) technologically. Thus, the Eurostars-3 programme (2021 – 2027) will be ideal for SMEs willing to enter into trans-national innovative cooperation R&D projects, whereas the EIC Accelerator programme can be leveraged by the very same SMEs later, when the TRL of their R&D projects is 6 or above. The success rate of Eurostars is 29%3, whereas the success rate of EIC Accelerator is only 4%4. This, however, does not mean entering Eurostars programme is easy. In a way, the preparation of Eurostars project is more challenging than preparing EIC Accelerator project. The Eurostars project requires deep understanding of both the tech and the business, whereas the latter is mostly sufficient for the EIC Accelerator project.

Our proposition

NextGenRnD will transform your Biotech project draft into highly competitive Eurostars Biotech project proposal by:
  • fusing all the technology components and work packages into seamless pitch, business case, and project sections on the Eurostars application form;
  • preparing the proper project annexes;
  • creating business plan for exploitation of the technology.

References