A group of independent partners, such as companies and research organisations, that apply for and run a project together. It is required in Eurostars and common in EU programmes.
Finding the right foreign partner is often the real gating step, and it takes months, not weeks.
An intergovernmental R&D network of more than 45 countries. Eurostars projects need partners from at least two Eureka countries.
Your consortium partner must come from the network's member countries, which cover most of Europe and several beyond.
European Digital Innovation Hubs, EU-funded centres that give SMEs free or subsidised digitalisation help on a test-before-invest basis, including AI and cybersecurity expertise.
Free expert help exists before you spend grant money on consultants.
Public support that gives a company a selective economic advantage. EU law restricts it, which is why every instrument names its legal basis: GBER, de minimis, or a sector scheme.
The legal basis decides how an instrument stacks with others. The R&D tax deduction is designed not to be state aid at all.
The EU General Block Exemption Regulation lets states grant certain aid categories such as R&D, regional investment and energy without case-by-case approval from Brussels, at fixed maximum rates per aid type and company size.
GBER-based aid does not use up your de minimis headroom, but its own rate caps are strict.
EU rules cap 'minor' state support at €300,000 per company group over any rolling three-year period. Most SME grants, guarantees and soft loans count toward the ceiling at their aid value.
If your group is near the ceiling, a new grant can be cut or refused, so keep a running total of what you have already had.
