As of February 2008, a new initiative of the European Commission Enterprise Europe Network provides entrepreneurs with complex and easily accessible counselling as well as support in business, innovation and research. The new network, whose member is also NADSME, builds upon experience of former initiatives of support services and integrates former networks of Euro Info Centres, Innovation Relay Centres and support services for SMEs participating at 7FP.
The advantage of Enterprise Europe Network is that all services are delivered at one place, which eliminates bureaucracy and chaos originating when one does not know which institution to address with a specific issue.
The aim of Enterprise Europe Network is to help SMEs unlock their innovative potential and improve their knowledge on the policies of the European Commission. The new initiative is close to entrepreneurs - one stop shops assist them when searching for advice as well as while using the wide range of easily accessible services aimed at business support.
Starting up, small entrepreneurs often lack necessary resources for monitoring different types of aid that EU programmes offer. Moreover, such companies are not always able to fully assess innovative and market potential of their products or identify business opportunities, especially in the areas they are not familiar with. Enterprise Europe Network fills up this gap. It is the biggest network in Europe in the field of professional counselling and business services, comprising more than 500 contact points and almost 4,000 experienced professionals.
The main goals of the network:
- to strengthen the synergy between network partners by means of the provision of integrated services,
- to maintain and constantly improve access, closeness, quality and professionalism of integrated services delivered by the network,
- to spread awareness, especially among SMEs, in terms of EU policies and network services, including the Cohesion and Structural Funds,
- to consult enterprises and get feedback on the future direction of EU policies,
- to secure the complementarity between the network and other relevant service providers,
- to cut down on administrative burden for all parties.
For more information, please visit www.enterprise-europe-network.sk
