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Evaluation of the
Eurostars-2 funding programme

Client

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Year

ongoing

Partner

ZEW


Eurostars is a funding programme for research performing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe. The programme is supported by the 34 EUREKA member countries (EU-27 states and 7 partner countries) and the European Commission. It is aimed at SMEs that carry out cross-border R&D projects with European partners. On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Prognos and the ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research are evaluating national funding for German grant recipients within the Eurostars-2 funding programme (2014-2021).

How effective is national funding through Eurostars-2?

Eurostars-2 projects are funded at the national level, both through government funding and through self-financing by project participants. In the project period 2014 to 2021, the BMBF has funded around 700 projects with a total of almost 150 million euros, including around 400 collaborative projects.

This study analyses whether the goals of Eurostars-2 were achieved, how effective the national funding was and how economical the project is. Finally, recommendations for action for the future design of the programme are developed.

Our approach

The evaluation is carried out by means of:

  • Literature research
  • Analysis of administrative data on Eurostars-2 funding of German participants
  • Structural analysis of national Eurostars-2 participants
  • Written (online) survey of all national Eurostars 2 participants
  • Impact analysis based on comparisons of nationally funded Eurostars 2 participants with a control group of non-funded participants from Germany
  • Interviews with Eurostars 2 participants and persons and institutions involved in programme implementation

Links and downloads 

More on the evaluation of the Eurostars-2 funding programme (ZEW.de)

More on European SME funding (BMBF website, in German)

Project team: Michael Astor, Diana Nadyseva, Dr Thomas Stehnken (project leader), Victor Wichmann (all Prognos); Prof. Dr Bettina Peters, Dr Christian Rammer, Markus Trunschke (alle ZEW)

Last update: 26.07.2023

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Dr Thomas Stehnken

Senior Project Manager

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