Enterprise Europe Network (SMP-COSME-2024-EEN-01)

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) provides business support and advisory services – in particular for SMEs – by offering information, advisory services, feedback and partnering services, innovation, technology and knowledge transfer services. The Network provides services encouraging the participation of SMEs in the opportunities provided by the Single Market Programme (SMP) and Horizon Europe, as well as internationalisation services beyond the Single Market and informs SMEs on access to finance and funding opportunities (InvestEU), including those under the European Structural and Investment Funds.

The purpose of the Enterprise Europe Network is to help European SMEs innovate, grow and scale in the Single Market and beyond. It is recognised by SMEs and stakeholders as the indispensable “European arm” of regional and national business support systems and intends to help SMEs to grow and become more competitive, while at the same time increasing sustainability, growth, resilience and digitalisation levels among SMEs.. 

Eligible activities

Provision of support, partnering and advisory services to small and medium-sized businesses in the following areas:

• participation of SMEs in the Single Market; 
• internationalisation of SMEs within the Single Market and beyond; 
• innovation in SMEs; 
• participation of SMEs in EU-funded programmes. 

All consortia have to carry out the following four types of activities (plus project management) and describe them in their proposals:

Activity 1: Provision of value-added services to clients

Activity 2: Promotion of the Network and communication

Activity 3: Network development and capacity building

Activity 4: Network coordination and quality management

Activity 5: Project management (including consortium coordination)

These five types of activities are mandatory – the combination of expertise, skills and positioning of all Network partners in a consortium must guarantee that the full range of activities is provided in the region covered by the proposal.

ExpectedOutcome:

• Increased number of SMEs linked with other entities across Europe and beyond for cross-border business cooperation, technology and knowledge transfer and technology and innovation partnerships;
• Increased number of SMEs aware of sustainability challenges and opportunities and integrating them in their business processes;
• Increased number of SMEs implementing innovation activities and integrating structured innovation management approaches to improve their business processes and develop business opportunities;
• Increased number of SMEs integrating digitalisation to improve their business processes and developing new business opportunities;
• Higher rate of European SMEs exporting within the Single Market and outside the EU;
• Higher rate of European SMEs participating in EU programmes;
• Improvement in European SMEs understanding of EU legislation and of opportunities offered by EU programmes and EU access to finance;
• Increased number of companies reporting a successful outcome on their business in terms of turn-over and jobs created;
• Better visibility of the EEN by promoting success stories;
• Better knowledge/understanding within EU institutions of SMEs opinions, difficulties and expectations.

The EEN activities directly contribute to the implementation of the SME Strategy and play an important role to help SMEs recover from the various crises, such as COVID-19, issues related to the Russian aggression in Ukraine and other supply chain disruptions. The EEN will continue to deliver sustainability and digitalisation advisory services to provide SMEs with the necessary support for the acceleration of the twin transition. At the same time, the EEN is a sounding board and a link between the Commission and the SME community in the implementation of the SME Strategy, the Green Deal Industrial Plan, the updated European industrial strategy and other EU policy priorities, such as the strengthening of the EU’s open strategic autonomy and long-term competitiveness.

The Network aims to:

• Help EU SMEs finding international business, technology and research partners in the EU, SMP SME pillar associated countries and third countries, and find alternative solutions for SMEs facing supply chain problems;
• Help SMEs address sustainability challenges and opportunities through the EEN sustainability advisors in place in all EU regions;
• Help SMEs to digitalise by helping them to adapt their processes, use digital technologies to increase their competitiveness and develop new products and services using new digital means; EEN members shall also exploit synergies with the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH);
• Assist SMEs with assessments and capacity building services to address challenges that SMEs are faced with for sustainability, digitalisation and innovation management;
• Develop and provide a balanced integrated service range to help SMEs to become active in the Single Market and beyond (e.g. regarding EU legislation and programmes, EU funding, intellectual property rights), linking up with regional actors and policies to ensure regional integration of the network’s services;
• Improve ’SMEs awareness on access to finance, in particular InvestEU, and including alternative sources of financing;
• Increase the impact and quality of services;
• Increase the competitiveness of SMEs by internationalisation and innovation support services;
• Provide advisory services to help scale-ups to develop their activities outside their own country;
• Use the SME feedback function to obtain SMEs opinion on EU policy options;
• Strengthen support for SMEs interested in participating in Horizon Europe and other EU funding programmes and corresponding calls for proposals, in particular encourage SMEs to participate in the European Innovation Council (EIC) actions;
• Develop a long-term relationship and provide integrated services to the beneficiaries of the EIC and possibly those who were awarded a Seal of Excellence; further enhance cooperation with Horizon Europe national contact points to help increase participation of SMEs;
• Improve SMEs awareness about other EU initiatives such as the Your Europe portal and the Single Digital Gateway and connected assistance services;
• Ensure visibility, recognition and local awareness about the EEN;
• Improve SMEs resilience including when they are faced with supply chain disruptions and other crises.

Target audience: established business support organisations with proven experience in providing business support services to SMEs, such as, for example, chambers of commerce, craft or industry, innovation agencies, regional development agencies, trade promotion agencies, universities, research and/or technology transfer organisations and other organisations with relevant experience.

Deadline model: Multiple cut-off

Deadline dates: 19 Sep 2024, 17:00 / 4 Feb 2025, 17:00 (CET)