This competition is for UK businesses that want to apply to Call 3 of Eureka Eurostars. Please visit the Eureka call for proposals web page if you are not a UK applicant.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £2.5 million to fund collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects focused on industrial research.

This competition is open in theme and we will fund projects from all sectors, which meet eligibility criteria. Your project must have high market potential and develop at least one of the following:

• innovative products
• technology-based applications
• technology-based services

Projects must include at least one partner from within the Eurostars network.

Eligibility

To apply, you must fulfil the six eligibility criteria:

1. Your consortium is led by an innovative SME from a Eurostars country.
2. Your consortium includes entities from at least two Eurostars countries, the entities concerned must be independent from each other.
3. The budget of the SME(s) from a Eurostars country, excluding subcontracting, is 50% or more of the total project cost.
4. No single participant or country is responsible for more than 70% of the project budget.
5. The project duration is 36 months or less.
6. The project has an exclusively civilian purpose.

UK-registered SMEs can apply for a total grant of up to 360,000 euros for each eligible UK project partner or 60% of total eligible project costs, whichever is the least.

To be eligible for grant funding from Innovate UK your collaboration:

• must include at least one UK registered business micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME)
• must include at least one eligible partner from one of the Eureka Eurostars members countries participating in the competition
• can include other UK registered organisations

Your project:

• can last up to 36 months
• start date depends on the national funding procedures of the Eureka Eurostars members involved in the selected projects
• must be collaborative

In the UK, only UK registered innovative SMEs are eligible for funding. More than one UK SME can be involved in each project.

These conditions must be met by each of the UK innovative SMEs. They must:

• not be dormant
• be able to resource your participation

Innovate UK will not fund any other types of organisations, including:

• academic institutions, including universities
• research and technology organisations (RTOs)
• charities
• large businesses

These organisations can take part but must self-fund or use funds from other sources.

You must follow the Eurostars eligibility criteria and the Innovate UK eligibility criteria detailed in this competition at the application deadline and throughout your project:

1. UK SMEs will only receive funding for one live Eurostars project at a time. If you have an existing live project, then you must self-fund your participation in this application.
2. UK partners must be separate, non-linked legal entities.
3. UK partners must have been trading for 12 months at the competition application deadline.
4. All UK funded work must be carried out in the UK and your project costs must be incurred in the UK.
5. UK subcontracting is capped at 20% of the UK partners’ total eligible costs.
6. UK-led projects must be managed by an innovative SME. You cannot subcontract project management.
7. Your labour costs must be on a pay as you earn (PAYE) basis, following the PAYE rules section.
8. Overheads are capped at 25% of labour costs.

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition but they must not account for more than 20% of the UK partners’ total eligible costs. Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK. Where subcontractors are non-UK based, please justify why you are unable to use a UK alternative.

A non-grant claiming UK partner cannot lead on a project.

Your collaboration can include organisations from Eureka members that are not participating in this funding competition provided:

• they have secured full funding elsewhere
• you describe in your application why and how they will be involved and where they have secured financing from