Engineering Microbial Consortia
Up to €4.3 million per team
Fixed-price contracts across three stages, not a single winner prizeApplication closes 16 November 2026, 11:00 CET. Up to 38 months.
View opportunity & official rules →A STARK-Up Product
Big ideas start with a real problem.
Find a problem worth solving. Explore different approaches, test what works and connect with the people who can help you build it.
THE PROBLEM-TO-TEAM JOURNEY
Start with a need that matters.
Describe who is affected, what happens today and what a better outcome would look like.
Explore real problemsPRIZES & OPPORTUNITIES
Explore opportunities ↗Ambitious challenges. Real possibilities.
Discover independently organized prizes and funding calls. Check eligibility, entry status and participation terms before applying.
GoAERO emergency response aircraft
Over US$2 million across stages
Total programme prizes; fly-off top prize US$1 millionRegistration 17 February 2027, 17:00 EST; qualification 17 March; fly-off 17 April 2027.
View opportunity & official rules →P vs NP
US$1 million
Allocation for this problem; award subject to CMI rulesStanding scientific prize; no application deadline listed
View opportunity & official rules →External awards are administered by their organizers. Listing an opportunity does not imply a partnership or guaranteed funding.
FIND YOUR PLACE
Help me get started Different strengths. Shared progress.
Choose how you want to contribute. You can hold more than one role.
Build something people actually need.
Choose a use case, publish a distinct approach and record your first experiment. Invite a team when you are ready.
- What you bring
- Skills and a testable approach
- What you can find
- Problem context, feedback and potential collaborators
Roles are self-declared. Collaboration is voluntary; participation does not imply a verified partnership.
Loading the ecosystem…
LOCAL EXPERIENCE · GLOBAL COLLABORATION
Find your role in STARK-Up →Connect around a problem that matters.
Bring your local perspective into a shared Box. Connect relevant expertise through an ecosystem hub, test an approach and invite collaborators around a practical next step.
Bring a local problemTurn lived experience into a shared brief.Connect your communityBring a region, network or organization together.Contribute your expertiseOffer specific help to a relevant project.
Credit stays with contributors. Team participation is voluntary. External opportunities remain subject to their organizers’ rules.
Your next move starts with clarity.
Meet STARK-Up Navigator. Shape a stronger brief, test your assumptions and plan a practical next step.
Define the problemA clear need and a shared purposeTest an approachPractical evidence and useful feedbackBuild togetherA voluntary team and a practical next milestone