Support for research-performing SMEs (Eurostars-2)

 

SUMMARY OF:

Decision No 553/2014/EU – EU participation in a research and development programme aimed at supporting research and development performing small and medium-sized enterprises

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DECISION?

It sets up Eurostars-2, a joint programme designed for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) performing research and development (R & D) and wishing to work together transnationally.

KEY POINTS

Eurostars-2, which follows up on Eurostars-1, is co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme and the national budgets of more than 30 participating and partner countries of Eurostars-2. The partner countries are EUREKA members or countries associated with Eureka. The EU participates in this joint programme on the basis of Article 185 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (public-public partnership).

Objectives

• Eurostars-2 aims to contribute to the further alignment and synchronisation of national R & D programmes. This is in order to achieve stronger scientific, management and financial integration of R & D across Europe.
• It seeks to support research-performing SMEs (see below) to increase their knowledge and research intensity — and thus their innovative capacity — so as to expand their business activities into larger, often international, markets. This contributes to competitiveness, growth and job creation.

Definition

A ‘research and development-performing SME’ is defined as an SME which meets at least one of the following conditions:

• it reinvests at least 10 % of its turnover in R & D activities;
• it dedicates at least 10 % of its full-time equivalents (or the same number of hours worked by part-time staff) to R & D activities;
• it has at least 5 full-time equivalents (for SMEs with fewer than 100 full-time equivalents) or 10 full-time equivalents (for SMEs with over 100 full-time equivalents) for R & D activities.

Participation and funding

• Participation of legal entities under Eurostars-2 projects takes place in line with Horizon 2020 rules for participation and dissemination (Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013) and the specific derogations contained in this Eurostars-2 decision. Other legal entities, such as universities and research institutes, may also participate in Eurostars-2 projects.
• Legal entities from Eurostars-2 partner countries are not eligible for an EU financial contribution. The funding rules of the participating national programmes apply to Eurostars-2 grants which are channelled through National Funding Bodies (NFBs) to final beneficiaries. Further rules on eligibility for participation and funding are detailed in Eurostars-2 annual work plans.

Projects

• Eurostars-2 projects are ‘bottom up’, transnational and focus on results that have market potential, i.e. within 2 years of the completion of an activity, the results of the projects are expected to be introduced on the market.

Implementation

• ESE, the Eureka Secretariat, has been designated by the participating countries to implement Eurostars-2. ESE concludes bilateral agreements with NFBs which set out the responsibilities of the parties in relation to Eurostars-2 rules, objectives and implementation arrangements.
• ESE organises the calls for proposals, the peer review (evaluation of work by one or more people of similar competence to the producers of the work (peers)), the selection and the monitoring of projects, as well as the allocation of the EU contribution.

Budget

• The EU is contributing € 287 million to Eurostars-2 projects over the 2014–2024 period. This contribution is equivalent to at least one-third of the contribution provided by the national budgets of participating countries.
• Some funding also comes from participating organisations.
• The EU’s financial contribution is subject to formal commitments from the participating states. Financial support mainly takes the form of grants to selected projects.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 27 June 2014.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

• ‘What is Eurostars’ on the Eureka website.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Decision No 553/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the participation of the Union in a research and development programme jointly undertaken by several Member States aimed at supporting research and development performing small and medium-sized enterprises (OJ L 169, 7.6.2014, pp. 1–13)

RELATED ACTS

Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing Horizon 2020 — the framework programme for research and innovation (2014–20) and repealing Decision No 1982/2006/EC (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, pp. 104–173)

Successive amendments and corrections to Regulation (Euratom) No 1291/2013 have been incorporated in to the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

Regulation (EU) No 1290/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 laying down the rules for participation and dissemination in ‘Horizon 2020 — the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014–2020)’ and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1906/2006 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, pp. 81–103)

last update 03.08.2016