Eureka Eurostars 3: call 3

Key Features

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2.5 million for collaborative research with organisations from participating Eureka Eurostars members countries.

Programme:     Innovate UK

Award:     Share of up to £2.5 million

Opens: 13th Jul 2022

Closes: 15th Sep 2022

! This scheme is now closed

Overview

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.

Scope

Your collaborative R&D proposal must demonstrate:

  • a clear game-changing or disruptive innovative idea leading to new products, processes or services
  • a strong and deliverable business plan that addresses (and documents) market potential and needs
  • sound, practical financial plans and timelines
  • good value for money, which will always be a consideration in Innovate UK funding decisions
  • a clear, evidence-based plan to deliver significant economic impact, return on investment (ROI) and growth through commercialisation, as soon as possible after project completion
  • clear, considerable potential to significantly benefit the UK economy or national productivity
  • the benefit of participants from the countries working together and how this adds value
  • a clear definition of where intellectual property (IP) can be used and shared between the participants and countries
  • a clear route to market within 2 to 3 years of project completion

Exclusions

Innovate UK will not fund projects that:

  • work on non-civilian technologies
  • are not in scope
  • do not meet Innovate UK’s and Eurostars eligibility criteria
  • do not submit all mandatory documentation
  • dependent on export performance – for example giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that they export a certain quantity of bread to another country
  • dependent on domestic inputs usage – for example if they insisted that a baker use 50% UK flour in their product

Funding Costs

Innovate UK have allocated up to £2.5m to fund innovation projects in this competition.

For industrial research projects, you could get funding for your eligible project costs of:

  • up to €360,000 or 60% project costs, whichever is lower if you are a micro, small or medium-sized business

For more information on company sizes, please refer to the company accounts guidance. This is a change from the EU definition unless you are applying under State aid.

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 SME’s 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

Eureka terminology and roles

The terminology differs between Eureka and Innovate UK. In the Innovate UK application the ‘project lead’ is responsible for the entire project but Eureka uses the term ‘main participant’. For partners in the collaboration Eureka uses ‘other participants’.

Even if the project lead is from a participating Eureka member other than the UK, the UK registered partners can still claim funding from Innovate UK. These collaborations must include at least one UK registered SME.

UK organisations

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.

We would expect subcontractor costs to be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs.

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

If you do not currently operate a company PAYE scheme and are working directly on the project, you can include your labour as an eligible cost.

You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.

 

Interested in applying for this competition?

Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.