Network Projects
Transnational Eureka Lightweighting Call – 2026
Countries and regions
About this call
Funding information
The increasing scarcity of resources, rising energy prices and the necessary transition to a climate-neutral economy require new approaches in material and product development. Lightweight construction, as a key technology for resource efficiency and emission reduction, plays a major role in the context of those requirements and goals. At the same time, the transformation to a circular economy requires products that are designed from the outset to be resource-efficient, reusable, and recyclable.
Therefore, the European Lightweighting Network (ELN), together with support from countries worldwide, aims to fund research and development projects focused on lightweighting design. The objective is to stimulate the deployment, demonstration, and showcasing of advanced materials, innovative design methodologies, and digital solutions that seamlessly integrate lightweighting with circular value creation.
Funding is provided for application-oriented research and development projects focusing on:
- Development and testing of lightweighting design (including a Safe-and-Sustainable by-Design approach) and manufacturing concepts (including joining technologies, additive manufacturing, …) in various sectors (e.g. construction, energy, and mobility).
- Development and use of novel or alternative advanced lightweight materials including optimised manufacturing processes
- Substitution of conventional (raw-)materials with sustainable and lightweighting alternatives with a lower ecological footprint.
- Innovative approaches in the areas of ease of disassembly, reparability, recyclability, and reuse of lightweighting components.
- Use of digital technologies to optimise lightweighting design for circularity, lifecycle assessment and material tracking in the field of lightweighting (including digital twins, machine learning, …).
- Development of transferable and scalable business models for circular lightweighting design and manufacturing.
Regardless of national priorities, all sectors with a need for Lightweighting technologies are welcome, including but not limited to automotive, railway, aerospace, space, maritime, mechanical engineering, energy, construction, infrastructure, health, farming, and forestry, etc.
Timeline
- 6 May 2026: Call for projects opens
- 8 October 2026, 17:00 CEST: Call for projects deadline
- December 2026 to April 2027: Eureka label and funding decisions
- February to June 2027: Projects can start
Who can apply for this call
Eureka has limited eligibility criteria for organisations participating in a Network projects consortium:
- Your project idea must represent international cooperation in the form of a specific project.
- The project must be directed at researching or developing an innovative product, process, or service with the goal of commercialisation.
- The project must have a civilian purpose.
- Your consortium must include at least two independent legal entities from a minimum of two Eureka Call participating countries. Please note, that organisations from non-participating countries are welcome to join if (public or self-) funding is secured by the call deadline.
- No single organisation or country can be responsible for more than 70% of the project budget.
This call for projects has additional criteria for organisations to be eligible to receive funding:
- The project must benefit all involved partners.
- The project should have an obvious benefit and added value resulting from the technological cooperation between the participants from the different countries (e.g. increased knowledge base, commercial leads, access to R&D infrastructure etc.).
- The product or process must be innovative and with the potential to create impact.
- The maximum duration of a project may not exceed 36 months.
- A signed consortium agreement is required upon approval, before the actual start of the project. It should include, amongst others, the ownership and use of know-how and IPR settlements
Country information
Countries and regions participating in this call are being confirmed. More countries and regions will be added soon.
Austria 🇦🇹
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The Austrian funding agency, Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call.
The total national budget is 2 million euros. The minimum funding for each national project submission in Austria is 100,000 euro and the maximum funding is 750,000 euro. The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups and small companies | Up to 80% for start-ups and small businesses Up to 70% for medium-sized enterprises |
| Large companies | Up to 55% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 85% of eligible project costs |
Additional steps for applications from Austria
In addition to the Eureka project application, Austrian participants have to submit a national project application via e-Call on the FFG webpage before 12 October 2026 12:00 CEST. The national application must include the Eureka project proposal and a national project proposal.
Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Austria
The ringfenced budget is provided for industrial research and/or experimental development activities of Austrian organisations submitting projects for Lightweighting technologies in the mobility sector.
The evaluation of the national project application in Austria is carried out by external experts according to the national guidelines. For more information, please visit the website of FFG.
Belgium (Flanders) 🇧🇪
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The Flemish funding agency, Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO), funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant.
Staff and other costs related to the development project can be funded with a 25% to 60% subsidy of the project budget, with a minimum budget equivalent to support of 25,000 euros and a maximum of 500,000 euros.
Staff and other costs related to the research project can be funded with a 25% to 70% subsidy of the project budget, with a minimum budget equivalent to support of 100,000 euros and a maximum of 500,000 euros.
In Belgium (Flanders), in addition to the centrally submitted Eureka Project Application Form, partners from Flanders need to submit a full application to VLAIO, including a project plan and budget online via the VLAIO website for development projects or the VLAIO website for research projects.
Flemish partners must contact VLAIO for an eligibility and a pre-check of their project ideas and get support by our team VLAIO advisors. The deadline for submission of the VLAIO application is on Thursday October 22nd, 2026 – 12:00 CET.
More information is available on the website of VLAIO.
Belgium (Wallonia) 🇧🇪
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The Walloon research funding agency, SPW Research, funds R&D costs for companies of all sizes participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant.
Staff and other eligible costs related to an experimental development project can be funded with a 40% to 60% subsidy of the project budget.
Staff and other eligible costs related to an industrial research project can be funded with a 65% to 80% subsidy of the project budget.
In addition to submitting the project to Eureka through the Eureka Project Application Form, partners from Wallonia must apply for funding with SPW Research via the ONTIME Platform with the same deadline as Eureka network, under penalty of being deemed ineligible. This application must be drafted in French.
Walloon partners are strongly advised to contact SPW Research for eligibility and a pre-check of their project idea.
More information can be found on the website of SPW Research.
Estonia 🇪🇪
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The Estonian funding agency, Enterprise Estonia (EIS), funds R&D costs for SMEs and large companies participating in this call.
The total national budget is one million euro. Funding is available as a grant. The maximum amount of funding per project is 500,000 euro.
The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups and small companies | Up to 60% for experimental development Up to 80% for applied research |
| Large companies | Up to 40% of eligible project costs |
Large company
Enterprise Estonia covers up to 40% of project costs in grants and asks applying companies to differentiate their activities between applied research and experimental development which are funded using different support rates.
Additional steps for applications from Estonia
It is mandatory to contact Enterprise Estonia for advice before applying through their website.
Estonian participants must also submit a funding application to Enterprise Estonia when they receive a positive evaluation and funding availability letter. They must justify their financial situation and strategic position with supporting documents.
Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Estonia
The company cannot have received funding from Enterprise Estonia to participate in the international collaboration project in the last three years.
To receive EIS funding, a company that has received a positive decision must meet the following conditions:
- The company is an enterprise registered in Estonia
- The company is not an undertaking in difficulty
- The company has the necessary resources to cover the self-financing of the project
- The company has a significant impact on the Estonian economy
The following components are generally considered in terms of impact on the Estonian economy:
- Location of jobs
- Location of production
- Location of development activities
- Location of IO
- Location of sales revenue
In addition, we look at the overall picture and how the company’s economic activities and the added value generated by them are related to Estonia.
For more information, please visit the website of Enterprise Estonia.
Germany 🇩🇪
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Funding
German partners can choose from existing national programmes to finance their share of the project.
- ZIM (recommended for most SMEs): Under the Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM), German companies with fewer than 1,000 employees (or consortia consisting of such enterprises) may apply. Companies with 500 or more employees must involve at least one SME in their project. Applications must be in German and must comply with the ZIM guidelines. For detailed criteria, please see the ZIM website. German research institutes and universities can be additional partners under ZIM.
- Other national programmes: If your organisation/consortium is not eligible under ZIM, other programmes may be used. Please contact the German Eureka Office for advice.
Evaluation process
In addition to the Eureka application, German partners aiming to receive funding must apply through their chosen national funding programme. The respective national rules apply in each case.
For ZIM applications: detailed criteria are available on the ZIM website (in German). Applications must comply with ZIM guidelines and be written in German. Further information on the submission of a ZIM application linked to a Eureka project can be found on the ZIM website.
Timeline for the national application
German participants are free to choose from the existing funding programmes in Germany. The application procedure depends on the national funding programme chosen.
If applying for ZIM, there is no fixed submission deadline. To facilitate a timely project start, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact AiF Projekt GmbH at an early stage. For contact details, see the link below.
Budget
German funding is provided according to the rules of the chosen national programme and subject to available funds.
Eligible costs and funding rates
The funding rates vary depending on the selected funding programme.
Applicants with ZIM-related questions may contact the ZIM project management agency.
Lithuania 🇱🇹
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The Lithuanian funding agency, Research Council of Lithuania (LMT), funds R&D costs for SMEs, research organisations, and universities participating in this call.
The total national budget is one million euro. Funding is available as a grant. The maximum amount of funding per project is 300,000 euro.
The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups and small companies | Up to 80% for TRL 6 Up to 60% for TRL 6-9 |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
- Eligible applicant: university or research institution
- Mandatory partner: SME
- Eligible activities: TRL 5-7/9,
- RCL evaluates not only the international project but also the national application in order to evaluate Lithuanian participants activities in the project.
For more information on national participation regulations and national application requirements, please visit the website of LMT.
Poland 🇵🇱
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The Polish funding agency, National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call.
The total national budget is 10 million Polish złoty, which is one common pot for network, clusters and lightweighting projects. Participants from Poland can receive a grant of up to one million Polish złoty for a single SME applicant or two million Polish złoty for a consortium comprised of two or more entities.
The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups, micro, and small companies | Up to 80% for research Up to 70 % for development |
| Medium-sized companies | Up to 80% for research Up to 60% for development |
| Large companies | Up to 75% for research Up to 50% for development |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
Startup or small company
Only SMEs can apply individually.
Large company
Large companies need to have a Polish SME in the domestic consortium.
Research organisation or university
Research institutes and universities need to have a Polish SME in the domestic consortium.
Additional steps for applications from Poland
For more information on additional steps for applications, please visit the website of NCBR.
Slovakia 🇸🇰
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The Slovakian funding agency, the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (MESRS SR), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. The maximum funding per project is 150,000 euros.
The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups | Up to 80% of eligible project costs |
| Small companies | Up to 80% of eligible project costs |
| Midcap | Up to 65% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 65% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
Additional steps for applications from Slovakia
The participant must send information about the technological area of the project to the National Project Coordinator. The national system and code list of science and technology area can be found on the website of MESRS SR.
For more information, please visit the website of MESRS SR.
Spain 🇪🇸
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The Spanish funding agency, Centre for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call.
The minimum budget for each company is 175,000 euros. There is not a budget limitation for Spanish partners, but the budget must be in concordance with the activities to be developed and the capacity of the company.
The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups and small companies | Up to 85% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 85% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Universities and research organisations could take part as subcontractors |
The Spanish company (or the Spanish consortium coordinator, where applicable) shall submit a formal application for international R&D project funding through CDTI’s electronic office by 02/10/2026. The application shall include the Eureka Application Form (in English) and, where available, a draft consortium agreement. The signed consortium agreement shall be submitted prior to the endorsement of the Eureka label.
Upon receipt of the international application, CDTI shall verify the eligibility of the Spanish applicants. If deemed eligible, CDTI shall enable the corresponding national funding applications for each Spanish participant. These applications shall be duly completed and submitted by all Spanish partners within the deadline established by CDTI, approximately one month after the call deadline.
Additional steps for applications from Spain
Depending on the funding instrument requested, CDTI may require the submission of additional documentation in Spanish. Spanish partners that fail to submit the required applications within the established deadlines may be withdrawn.
For more information on R&D projects of the International Technological Cooperation, please visit the website of CDTI.
South Africa 🇿🇦
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The South African funding agency, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant. The maximum amount of funding per project is 150,000 euro.
The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups and small companies | Up to 50% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 50% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 50% of eligible project costs |
Each project will go through a financial negotiation process with DSTI to determine the exact percentage of funding they will receive. The funding sum will be transferred in tranches in accordance with the project duration.
Additional steps for applications from South Africa
Applicants must inform South Africa’s National Project Coordinator of their interest to submit a proposal and share their project outline six weeks before submitting their project. To be considered for national funding applicants are required to submit a national funding application form to DSTI within seven days of the closing date of this call. Applicants will receive the application form after the initial meeting with the DSTI.
Additional eligibility criteria for applications from South Africa
Funding is available to registered companies and SMEs as per South African definition. Science Councils and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are also eligible to apply if they are a partner to an SMEs. Projects are to be led by SMEs.
DSTI will prioritise funding to SMEs and project teams with black participants, women, and young innovators/scientists as part of the South African transformative targets.
For more information, please visit the website of DSTI.
South Korea 🇰🇷
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The South Korean funding agency, Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), funds R&D costs for SMEs, medium-sized companies, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. Funding is available as a grant. The maximum budget per project is up to 500 million South Korean won (approximately 300,000 euro) per year, for up to three years. Your project consortium must include at least one Korean company (private enterprise); research institutes and universities may also participate.
The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups and small companies | Up to 67% of eligible project costs |
| Medium-sized companies | Up to 50% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 33% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
Additional steps for applications from South Korea
Submit a national application through KIAT’s Project Advanced Smart System, including Eureka’s application form (in English) before 12 October 2026, 16:00 KST.
The total costs for each of the partners in your consortium should be reflected in your Eureka (SmartSimple) application and match your national application.
Eligible applications may then be reviewed by a Korean expert evaluation committee. The evaluation may consider, among others, the necessity and added value of international cooperation, technological excellence, feasibility of the R&D plan, commercialisation potential, appropriateness of the consortium, budget adequacy and expected industrial impact.
Additional eligibility criteria for applications from South Korea
All participating Korean companies must have been in business for more than one year as of the date indicated on the business registration certificate.
All participating Korean companies should have obtained the “Corporate R&D Centre Accreditation” issued by KOITA (Korea Industrial Technology Association).
Project funding consists of government grants and matching contributions (cash and in-kind).
For more information, please visit the website of KIAT.
Türkiye 🇹🇷
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The Turkish funding agency, TÜBİTAK, funds R&D costs for SMEs, large companies, research organisations, and universities participating in this call. The total national budget is 2.5 million euro. Funding is available as a grant. The maximum funding per project is 500,000 euro.
The amount of funding available depends on the type of organisation applying.
| Type of organisation | Amount of funding available |
| Startups and small companies | Up to 75% of eligible project costs |
| Large companies | Up to 60% of eligible project costs |
| Research organisations or universities | Up to 100% of eligible project costs |
Budget Limits: The total call budget is 2.5 million euro; max 500,000 euro per project for Turkish partners. Non-company institutions can receive up to 30% of the total budget.
Eligible Costs: Personnel, travel, consultancy, subcontracting/services, equipment/software, and consumables. Universities/public bodies may also include institutional overhead and project incentives.
Subcontracting: Allowed, but not between consortium partners.
Eligibility & Consortium: Applicants include companies, universities, research institutes, and research hospitals. Universities/public bodies cannot apply alone; at least one company must act as coordinator. Turkish partners in the same project must submit a single joint national application.
Application: Requires submission to the Eureka call and a mandatory national application via TÜBİTAK PRODİS.
Additional steps for applications from Türkiye
In addition to the Eureka application steps, applicants in Türkiye must complete the following national procedures:
- Applicants must submit a national application to TÜBİTAK.
- Applications must be completed through the TÜBİTAK PRODİS system.
- The national application must be submitted within the deadlines specified in the national call schedule.
- If more than one Turkish partner is involved, a single joint national application must be submitted.
- Applicants may be required to provide detailed project information, budget breakdowns, and supporting documents in line with TÜBİTAK requirements.
In addition to the Eureka evaluation, proposals undergo a national evaluation by TÜBİTAK.
Additional eligibility criteria for applications from Türkiye
Applicants in Türkiye must also complete national procedures in addition to Eureka steps. A national application must be submitted to TÜBİTAK via the PRODİS system within the specified deadlines. If multiple Turkish partners are involved, a single joint application is required. Applicants may need to provide detailed project information, budget, and supporting documents in line with TÜBİTAK rules.
Proposals are evaluated both by Eureka and nationally by TÜBİTAK through external expert reviews and committee decisions. Evaluation focuses on:
- industrial R&D content and innovation,
- feasibility and infrastructure, and
- economic impact and national benefit.
Projects may be rejected due to lack of genuine R&D, prior completion, unrealistic budget, insufficient capacity, low feasibility or impact, or non-compliance.
For more information, please visit the website of TÜBİTAK.
Application process
How to apply for this call
- Contact your national funding body to discuss your project idea, financial viability, eligibility and national procedures.
- Create an account on our application portal https://eureka.smartsimple.ie/ (one per consortium) and select the funding opportunity you want to apply to.
- Using the portal, complete one application form per consortium (in English) and invite other consortium partners to fill in a partner form.
- Upload a GANTT chart (one per consortium), a signed and completed co-signature form (which you can download from the platform) and any additional required annexes.
- Your application will be checked for completeness and eligibility before being reviewed using a standard evaluation procedure. If successful, your project will receive a Eureka label.
- Your national funding body may carry out a further evaluation (performed by the NPC and technical experts) according to national rules before allocating funds to successful applicants.
- The final step is to complete and sign a consortium agreement (CA). We recommend that you seek legal advice when drafting your CA.
For detailed information on national rules and application procedures, please see Section “Funding conditions and rules per NFB”.
How applications will be evaluated
We will review your R&D project application according to our evaluation criteria.
1. Impact
- Is the market properly addressed (i.e. size, access and risks)?
- Is the value creation properly addressed (i.e. employment opportunities and environmental and societal benefits)?
- What are the competitive advantages of your project (i.e. strategic importance, enhanced capabilities and visibility)?
- Are your commercialisation plans clear and realistic (i.e. return on investment, geographic and sectoral impact)?
2. Excellence
- What is the degree of innovation? (i.e. is the proposed product, process or service state-of-the-art? Is there sufficient technological maturity and risk)?
- How would you use new knowledge?
- Is your project scientifically and technically challenging for consortium partners?
- Is the technical achievability and risk properly addressed?
3. Quality and efficiency of implementation
- What is the quality of your consortium (i.e. balance of the partnership and technological, managerial and financial capabilities of each partner)?
- Is there added value through international cooperation?
- Is your project management and planning realistic and clearly defined (i.e. methodology, planning approach, milestones and deliverables)?
- Is your cost structure reasonable (i.e. costs and financial commitment for each consortium partner)?
4. Overall perception
- Experts will list three positive and negative points about your application and state whether they recommend your project for public funding.
Your ministry or funding agency may carry out another evaluation according to national or regional rules before allocating funding to organisations.