Eurostars is one of the programmes instituted under Eurekacreated in 1985 following an agreement between 18 states and the European Commission with the aim of promoting competitiveness and market integration and encouraging R&D cooperation. Currently, Eureka comprises 47 countries, which provide national funding to organisations applying through Eureka programmes.

Eurostars is an international funding programme for SMEs wishing to collaborate on R&D projects for the creation of innovative products, processes or services to be marketed.

The benefits for companies participating in Eurostars are as follows:

• access to public funding;
• become part of a growing international network of SMEs, universities and research centres;
• collaborate on innovative and market-oriented R&D projects with international partners;
• access to a support network of experts;
• improve the perception of the organisation by private investors.

The amount of funding is determined by the national funding bodies. In Italy, the funding bodies are the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) and the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT). 

The MUR covers 50% of the costs of industrial research projects in grants and 25% of the costs of experimental development projects (also in grants). The maximum amount of funding per project is EUR 500,000.

MIMIT funds 50% of the costs of industrial research projects in grants and 25% of the costs of experimental development projects (also in grants). The maximum amount per project is EUR 500,000.