Eureka: cluster Xecs for micro and nano-electronics

Xecs focuses on international collaborative projects involving all relevant stakeholders in the industrial ecosystem:

• Large enterprises
• SMEs
• Research and technology organizations
• Universities

As a result, Xecs projects stimulate fruitful collaborations, enabling the organizations involved to realize the most groundbreaking innovations. In addition, Xecs projects enable sustainable competitiveness and growth for all involved. This also makes the programme an important part of the High-Tech Systems and Materials (HTSM) top sector and the National Technology Strategy (NTS).

For whom?

All companies and knowledge institutions engaged in research into technology and applications in the field of Electronics Components & Systems (ECS) are welcome to participate. This also applies to manufacturers of materials and production equipment.

Market-Oriented and Applied Research

In the Eureka Cluster Xecs, the industry takes the lead and defines the strategy. As a result, research questions are well aligned with industry needs and market potential. This is market-driven research, involving at least 2 partners from different participating countries.
The program alligns with other European initiatives such as:

• Horizon Europe;
• Chips Joint Undertaking;
• Related Eureka Clusters.

Eureka Xecs and the Chips JU complement each other, but Xecs offers more scope for focus and is suitable for smaller-scale projects. The program is flexible, allowing participants to quickly respond to new developments.
Read the Xecs Calls webpage to learn how you can develop a project idea into a fully-fledged international Xecs project and which events Xecs organizes for this purpose.

Budget

The national budget is € 10 million annually. You can receive a maximum of € 4 million in funding per project. 

Grant percentages

The national grant percentages of total project costs are as follows:

Research Activities:

• Industry: 35%
• SMEs: 45%
• Universities and knowledge institutions: 50%

Development Activities:

• Industry: 25%
• SMEs: 35%
• Universities and knowledge institutions: 25%

Conditions

International Conditions

• Project consortia must consist of at least 2 partners from 2 countries.
• One of these countries must be a Eureka country, and the other either a Eureka or Eureka-associated country.
• Consortia may include large companies, SMEs, research institutes, universities, and user organizations (profit or non-profit).
• Xecs projects must be industry-driven, technologically innovative, and market- or application-oriented.
• Xecs projects have a minimum effort of 35 person-years.

National Conditions

To receive Dutch funding, a Dutch company must participate and act as the lead partner of the Dutch consortium.

RVO only supports projects with a balanced distribution of costs across participating countries (no more than 75% in one country).

The national priorities of the Xecs proposal must align with at least one topsector Hightech Systems and Materials roadmap and have a link to the National Technology Strategy (in Dutch).

Evaluation

National project applications are assessed by an independent advisory committee based on:

1. Innovation
2. Collaboration
3. Impact

Apply

There is both an international and then a national application process.

International Application

The international application process for Xecs call 5 is open from June 2025, to 16 April, 2026.

Your partnership must submit the Project Outline (PO phase) via the Xecs project zone on the Aeneas website by 22 January, 2026.

If the proposal is of sufficient quality, you will receive an invitation to submit a Full Project Proposal (FPP phase). Your partnership must submitthis via the Xecs project zone by April 16, 2026.

Please find more information about the international call process on the Xecs website.

National Application

With an FPP, you, as a Dutch participant, can submit a national grant application to us in an International Innovation tender for Xecs projects. The national application period runs from 1 April, 2026, to 17 April, 2026 (17:00 CEST).

Preparing Your Application

We recommend that you identify potential partners well in advance of the opening and develop the basis for your project idea(s). You can use the online ECS collaboration tool for this.

Learn how to prepare on the Xecs website.

Submitting Your National Application

There are 2 ways to submit the national grant application:

1. digitally, or;
2. by mail/courier or drop it off in person at our location in The Hague.

Please include the following attachments with your grant application form:

• Sample project plan for the Eureka Cluster Innovation Project (Word)
• Sample budget for International Innovation (Excel)
• a completed participant registration form (web form)
• a completed authorization form for the lead applicant (web form)
• Full Project Proposal

You can download the sample project plan and budget below:

Digital

To submit an application, log in with eHerkenning. You need at least RVO.nl services authorization at eH3 level for your application. If you don't have this yet, please apply for it in time on the eHerkenning website. It may take a few days to receive your identification. More information can be found on the Login Help page.

Once logged in, select the correct scheme in the eLoket: international innovation Xecs/ITEA. Then, as the lead applicant, enter all the information here. This information only pertains to the Dutch part of the consortium. English is permitted.

By mail, courier, or self-delivery

As the lead applicant, you must complete all the information on the printable application form for the International Innovation Grant (web form). This information only pertains to the Dutch part of the consortium. English is acceptable.
Please send the printed application form and the attached documents to:

Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland)
Team IRIS 
P.O. Box 93144
2509 AC The Hague

Or drop them off at:
RVO Expeditie
Prinses Beatrixlaan 82
2595 AL The Hague

Please note: you can only submit your application when the national application period is open. The next national application period is from 1 April, 2026, to 17 April, 2026.

Advisory Committee

You will then receive an invitation to defend your national grant application before the Eureka advisory committee. The advisory committee will rank the project applications based on the following three criteria: innovation, collaboration, and impact. The highest-ranking project applications will receive funding until the budget is exhausted. A similar national process will also take place in other countries involved in your project.

Committee Members:

• Ms. S. Spreeuwenberg (Chair)
• Mr. P. M. Coelen
• Ms. E. C. Klöditz
• Ms. L. Paeez
• Ms. J. Hoedemaekers
• Mr. M. de Lange
• Mr. L. Warmerdam

After your application

If your project is eligible for funding, we will contact the lead partner of the national consortium to ensure all information is correct for the grant decision. Once the project has started, you also have several obligations, such as:

• Progress reporting
• Reporting changes
• Requesting approval

Read what you need to do after your national application (In Dutch). Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

More Information

• Watch the Xecs instructional videos (in English). These instructional videos will guide you through your project preparations, from Project Outline to project closure. You can also download the slides as a PDF.
• Visit the Xecs website for more about the programme.
• Find more information on the participating countries.