Publisert: 10. desember 2025
Av Vasco Brummer, seniorkonsulent & koordinerer for EUREKA-programmet

Get the overview of Eurostars, Innowwide and Beyond

At Nordic Innovators, we support ambitious companies in navigating the complex landscape of European project funding. Among the many opportunities available, the EUREKA network stands out for its strong focus on international cooperation and market-driven innovation.

The EUREKA programmes are particularly well-suited to companies looking to accelerate their technological development, validate solutions in global markets, and secure substantial funding to scale their innovation.

While Eurostars remains the best-known instrument within the EUREKA portfolio, there are several complementary pathways that together offer a coherent progression from early development to commercial scale-up.

Below, we provide an accessible overview of these opportunities and how they may support your innovation journey.

Eurostars: A Gateway for Innovative SMEs

For SMEs with clear technological ambitions, Eurostars is often the first point of entry into the EUREKA ecosystem. The programme is designed for companies pursuing applied research and development with the aim of bringing high-potential products, services, or processes closer to market. As a bottom-up scheme, Eurostars welcomes proposals across all technological domains, allowing you to present your own innovation priorities.

To participate, a SME must lead a small international consortium involving at least one partner from another Eurostars country. This requirement ensures a strong collaborative element, but the programme remains accessible to SMEs that are new to cross-border cooperation. Projects typically start at an early stage of development, often around Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4, and seek to advance towards prototype demonstration in near-realistic environments.

Because Eurostars funding is allocated by national funding agencies, financial conditions vary across participating countries. In general, SMEs can expect funding intensity of 40%-80% for eligible R&D activities, with national contributions of €300,000–€500,000 per participant. Projects may last up to three years, which allows sufficient time for substantial technical progress and market preparation.

Eurostars calls are launched twice a year, with the next round closing on 19 March 2026. 

We support clients in preparing for these deadlines well in advance to ensure competitive, compelling submissions.

Innowwide: Assessing and Preparing for Global Markets

If your innovation is technologically solid, but you are uncertain about how to approach new international markets, Innowwide may be the ideal first step. This EUREKA programme helps SMEs assess the viability and attractiveness of commercial expansion outside Europe. Instead of funding R&D activities, Innowwide supports market feasibility studies that provide critical insights for strategic decision-making.

Through Innowwide, European SMEs collaborate with a local partner in a chosen target country—in Africa, the Americas, Asia, or Oceania—and receive a fixed lump sum of €60,000 to explore commercial, regulatory, technical, and cultural aspects relevant to market entry. Activities can include competitor mapping, user validation, regulatory due diligence or Intellectual Property strategy planning.

Projects are short and focused, lasting no more than six months, enabling companies to test global opportunities before committing to more resource-intensive development work or large-scale pilots.

The most recent call closed in 2025, with the next round expected in 2026.

Nordic Innovators assists clients in interpreting the programme’s requirements, identifying suitable overseas partners, and designing robust feasibility concepts.

Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator:
Accelerating Scale-Up After Eurostars Success

For high-potential SMEs that achieve a positive funding decision in Eurostars and are ready to scale further, the Fast Track to the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator offers an accelerated route to one of Europe’s most competitive funding programmes. Rather than standing alone, the Fast Track mechanism builds on your Eurostars achievements, allowing you to enter later stages of the EIC Accelerator evaluation process more rapidly.

The EIC Accelerator is known for offering substantial financial support—including up to €2.5 million in grants combined with potential equity investment—aimed at companies developing breakthrough, market-shaping innovations. The Fast Track option can significantly streamline your pathway to this funding, making it particularly attractive for SMEs with deep-tech or high-growth ambitions.

As with all EIC Accelerator applications, strong commercial readiness, technological excellence and strategic clarity remain essential.

Nordic Innovators provides hands-on support to ensure that the evidence generated through Eurostars is presented in a way that aligns with the EIC’s rigorous expectations.

Other EUREKA Opportunities

In addition to the above, EUREKA offers several further avenues that may suit different strategic aims.

The Eureka Clusters bring together extensive industrial and research partnerships around strategic themes such as ICT, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy. These initiatives are ideal for organisations seeking to participate in long-term, mission-driven innovation ecosystems.

Globalstars provides a route for collaboration with non-European countries through country-specific calls, while Network Projects offer a flexible framework for smaller, bottom-up research collaborations without the complexity of a large cluster initiative.

Each of these programmes can complement a broader funding strategy, especially for companies seeking sustained international engagement or industry-level collaboration. 

How we Support Your Funding Journey

The wide spectrum of EUREKA opportunities allows SMEs to build a structured innovation and funding pathway: from early-stage technology development through Eurostars, to international market validation via Innowwide, and finally towards large-scale European support through the EIC Accelerator. At Nordic Innovators, we help you identify the most suitable route, develop a compelling project narrative and maximise your competitiveness during evaluation.

Whether you seek support for the upcoming Eurostars call, wish to explore Innowwide feasibility funding, or are considering preparing for an EIC Accelerator submission, our team is ready to guide you through the process. With a strong track record in European R&D programmes, we ensure that your proposal strategy is aligned with funding expectations and tailored to your long-term innovation goals.

If you would like a tailored assessment of which EUREKA pathway fits your organisation best, we are happy to advise.