COSME – COMPETIVINES OF ENTERPRISES AND SME
€ 2.5 billion (2014-2020)
- Entrepreneurs, in particular in SMEs
- Citizens who want to become self-employed and setting up their own business (e.g. young and women entrepreneurs)
- Member States’s authorities (assisted in their efforts to elaborate and implement effective policy reform)
- Facilitating access to finance for SMEs.
- Creating an environment favourable to SME creation and growth
- Encouraging an entrepreneurial culture in Europe
- Incoraggiare una cultura imprenditoriale
- Strengthening the sustainable competitiveness of EU enterprises
- Supporting the internationalisation of SMEs and improving their access to markets
3 KEY ACTIONS
1. Access to finance for SMEs through dedicated financial instruments
Equity Facility for Growth:
Will provide venture capital to enterprises, in particular in their growth phase
Loan Guarantee Facility
Will cover loans up to 150.000 € (available for all types of SMEs)
Managed by the European Investment Fund in cooperation with financial institutions in the different Member States
2. Access to markets
- All businesses have access to information and support services, in order to increase their competitiveness:
- Free of charge information on EU legislation and participation in EU programmes
- Assistance to find a business partner abroad: in the EU or worldwide
- Support for innovation and technology transfer
Enterprise Europe Network: Gather more than 600 supporting organisations (chamber of commerce, technological centres, development agencies, …)
3. Supporting Entrepreneurs
Promotion of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial culture:
- Entrepreneurship education – exchanges among European educators and trainers support best practice in entrepreneurship education
- Improving the business environment so entrepreneurs can grow and flourish (including improving the legal and fiscal environment)
- Role models and outreach to specific groups – groups such as young people, women or senior entrepreneurs will be able to benefit from mentoring or other tailored programmes
→ European Network of Mentors for Woman Entrepreneurs
→ Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs