SESSION 9 / CALL 9 OF EUROSTARS-3 - LAUNCH OF A CALL FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL DOCUMENTATION BY SHORTLISTED PROJECTS APPROVED BY THE EUREKA HIGH-LEVEL GROUP WITH BULGARIAN PARTICIPATION UNDER THE EUREKA INITIATIVE AND THE JOINT PROGRAMME EUROSTARS-3

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EUROSTARS is a funding programme that supports innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their partners (including large companies, universities, research organisations, and other types of entities) through the financing of international collaborative projects. By participating, organisations gain access to public funding for international joint research and development (R&D) projects across all fields. The administrator of the state aid scheme is the National Innovation Fund (NIF), in its capacity as the National Funding Body under the programme European Partnership for Innovative Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

Project Application Procedure under the Joint Programme Eurostars-3

The application procedure for projects under the Eurostars-3 Joint Programme is carried out in two stages. The first stage consists of submitting an application to the EUREKA Secretariat. All required information regarding the application conditions before the EUREKA Secretariat is published on the official website of the initiative: https://www.eurekanetwork.org/.

The list of ranked projects is approved by the EUREKA High-Level Group and submitted to the National Innovation Fund (NIF). The Fund subsequently announces a call for submission of full proposal documentation by the shortlisted projects with Bulgarian participation, which constitutes the second stage of the application procedure under the Eurostars-3 Joint Programme.

APPLICATION TO THE NATIONAL INNOVATION FUND (NIF)

Deadline for submission of proposal documentation:
From 25 March 2026 until 17:30 on 24 April 2026

Method of application:
Applications shall be submitted electronically under the European Partnership for Innovative SMEs / Eurostars-3 – Call 9, via the EU Funds Management and Monitoring Information System (UMIS) at the following address:
https://umis2020.government.bg/

Funding Parameters

  • The maximum amount of non-repayable financial assistance (grant) for each approved Bulgarian participant in a Eurostars-3 project is up to the BGN equivalent of EUR 100,000.

Project duration:
Projects may have a duration of up to 36 months. Within up to two years following successful completion, the final result, product, or service must be protected as industrial property, implemented in practice (production), and commercialised on the market.

Reporting periods:
Each beneficiary determines its own reporting schedule, with each reporting period being between 3 and 6 months.

Eligible Applicants

  • Enterprises – legal entities and traders registered in Bulgaria under the Commercial Act or equivalent entities under the legislation of a Member State of the European Union;
  • Research and knowledge dissemination organisations.

Aid Intensity

The maximum aid intensity is up to 80% of eligible costs, subject to the following limits:

For micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research and knowledge dissemination organisations:

  • up to 50% of eligible costs for industrial research;
  • up to 25% of eligible costs for experimental development.

For large enterprises:

  • up to 40% of eligible costs for industrial research;
  • up to 20% of eligible costs for experimental development.

Aid intensities for industrial research and experimental development may be increased up to 80% of eligible costs, subject to the conditions explicitly set out in Article 23 of the Updated Rules for the Management of the Resources of the National Innovation Fund (RMNIF – 2026).

Evaluation of Project Proposals

The evaluation process includes:

  • Administrative compliance and eligibility assessment;
  • Financial evaluation of the project budget.

Project proposals are evaluated and ranked in accordance with the Updated Rules for the Management of the Resources of the National Innovation Fund (RMNIF – 2026) and the corresponding Rules for the Evaluation of Project Proposals under the Eurostars-3 Joint Programme, approved by decision of the Executive Board of the National Innovation Fund pursuant to Minutes No. 2/18.02.2026.

The necessary information for application and project implementation is available on the official website of the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, under the section “National Innovation Fund”:
https://www.mig.government.bg/naczionalen-inovaczionen-fond/