EUREKA Network

What is EUREKA?

EUREKA is an intergovernmental network established in 1985 to support market-driven international R&D and innovation. With over 45 participating countries, it provides a framework for businesses, research centres, and universities to collaborate on projects that develop innovative products, processes, and services. Unlike academic research programmes, EUREKA is firmly industry-led -- projects are defined by the participants themselves, not by top-down calls.

The network operates through several key instruments. Eurostars is specifically designed for R&D-performing SMEs, supporting collaborative projects where the lead partner must be a small or medium-sized enterprise. Globalstars extends partnerships beyond Europe, enabling collaborations with countries such as Canada, South Korea, Singapore, and South Africa. Innowide provides short-term funding for market feasibility studies, helping businesses test international markets before committing to larger R&D investments.

How Digital Tactics Helps

Digital Tactics has extensive experience participating in EUREKA-funded projects and helps UK businesses navigate the network's opportunities. Our support spans the entire project lifecycle:

• Consortium assembly -- identifying and connecting with the right technical partners across EUREKA countries to build a competitive project team
• Proposal writing -- structuring the technical narrative, work packages, and impact case to meet EUREKA and national funding body requirements
• Technical partner identification -- leveraging our network of research institutions and technology companies across Europe and beyond
• Project delivery -- providing AI, software engineering, and data science expertise as a technical work package partner

Eligibility and Funding

UK businesses access EUREKA programmes through Innovate UK, which acts as the national project coordinator. Funding is provided at the national level, meaning UK partners apply for their share of costs through Innovate UK while their international partners apply through their own national agencies. This bottom-up approach means projects can be shaped around genuine business needs rather than prescribed topics.

A typical EUREKA project runs for 2-3 years with a total budget of EUR 2-5 million, involving 3-6 partners from at least two EUREKA countries. For Eurostars, the lead partner must be an R&D-performing SME, and the project must be completed within three years. Innowide feasibility studies are shorter -- typically 6-12 months with budgets up to EUR 60,000.

Get Involved

Whether you are exploring international R&D for the first time or looking to expand an existing innovation programme, Digital Tactics can guide you through the EUREKA landscape. We help businesses identify the right instrument, find partners, and build proposals that secure funding. Contact us to discuss how EUREKA can support your next innovation project.