SMEs keep local go international : opportunities for transnational research.
Date: 2008-04-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: EU programme, business policy, financing plan, research and development, research programme, small and medium-sized enterprises

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The  fi rst  source  of  funding  for  transnational  research  projects  is  offered  through  the  Community 
Seventh  Framework  Programme  for  Research  (FP7).  New  additional  opportunities  are  now  being 
developed through the coordination of national and regional funding programmes, with the support of 
FP7 funding. This will mutually reinforce these Programmes and help SMEs to access transnational 
research via their established national and regional partner agencies. Some of the most important 
initiatives are presented in this publication.

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Interested in European research? 

Research*eu is our monthly magazine keeping you in touch with main developments (results, programmes, 
events, etc.). It is available in English, French, German and Spanish. A free sample copy or free subscription 
can be obtained from:

European Commission 
Directorate-General for Research
Communication Unit
B-1049 Brussels
Fax (32-2) 29-58220
E-mail: research-eu@ec.europa.eu
Internet: http://ec.europa.eu/research/research-eu

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by sending a fax to (352) 29 29-42758.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Directorate-General for Research
SME Unit

E-mail: research@ec.europa.eu

Contact: Martina Daly

European Commission
B-1049 Brussels

Tel. (32-2) 29-90645
Fax (32-2) 29-63261
E-mail: martina.daly@ec.europa.eu

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION

2008 

Directorate-General for Research

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EUROPE DIRECT is a service to help you find answers 
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Table of contents

Building Success through European Partnerships 
Aim Higher with Eurostars 
EraSME – Bringing good ideas and business together 
CORNET – Sharing knowledge for increased opportunity 
EU Exploratory Awards – Developing Your Proposal 
Where can your SME fi nd support? 

6
8
10
12
14
16

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Transnational 
research for 
SMEs through 
national 
programmes

Small  and  medium-sized  enter-
prises  (SMEs)  are  the  lifeblood  of 
the  European  economy,  account-
ing for two thirds of GDP and pro-
viding 75 million jobs in the private 
sector. They are crucial to the EU’s 
drive  for  innovation  and  techno-
logical development as it seeks to 
build a dynamic knowledge based 
economy. In the face of increasing 
globalisation, accelerating techno-
logical  change  and  environmental 
challenges, SMEs look to Europe-
an-wide assistance which will allow 
them to develop new products and 
services through innovation and in-
vestment in research.

for  Research 

The  fi rst  source  of  funding  for 
transnational  research  projects 
is  offered  through  the  Commu-
nity  Seventh  Framework  Pro-
gramme 
(FP7). 
New additional opportunities are 
now  being  developed  through 
the coordination of national and 
regional  funding  programmes, 
with  support  of  FP7  funding. 
This will mutually reinforce these 
programmes and help SMEs to 
access  transnational  research 
via  their  established  national 
and  regional  partner  agencies. 
Some of the most important ini-
tiatives are:

6

Building Success through European Partnerships

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•  Eurostars offers R&D perform-
ing  SMEs  the  opportunity  to 
initiate  and  drive  international 
collaborative research projects;
•  EraSME  networks  national 
and  regional  programmes  to 
promote  cooperation  between 
individual  SMEs  and  research 
organisations;

•  CORNET seeks to improve the 
effi ciency of collective research 
programmes  and  activities  in 
Europe  and  is  aimed  at  SME 
associations;

•  Exploratory  Awards  is  de-
signed to encourage and facili-
tate the participation of SMEs in 
research at the European level.

Is your 
business 
an SME? 

Does  your  company  have 
autonomous  management?  Is 
it engaged in economic activity, 
with fewer than 250 employees 
and  an  annual  turnover  not 
exceeding  EUR  50  million?  If 
the  answers  are  yes  —  your 
business fi ts the EU’s defi nition 
of  an  SME.  To 
learn  how 
your  organisation  may  qualify 
as  an  SME  even  if  it  is  not 
autonomous,  see  the  detailed 
defi nition on the SME TechWeb 
or take the test on-line at: 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/
sme-techweb.

What sort of an 
SME are you?

Small  and  medium-sized  en-
terprises taking part in transna-
tional research may be divided 
into two broad categories. 

•  Research-Performing 
SMEs  which  have  the  abil-
ity  to  conduct  research  ‘in-
house’.  Research-perform-
ing  SMEs  can  benefi t  from 
the Eurostars programme.
•  Research-Acquiring SMEs 
which need to outsource to a 
university or research centre. 
Individual  Research-Acquir-
ing  SMEs  can  benefi t  from 
the  EraSME  programme, 
while  CORNET  is  aimed  at 
SME associations.

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Building Success through European Partnerships

7

closer 

and 
the  European 

Do you want to be in the driving 
seat,  leading  market-orientated 
that  will  help 
R&D  projects 
your  company  to  innovate  and 
conquer  new  markets?  The 
Eurostars  programme,  the  result 
of  a  joint  effort  of  EUREKA  and 
the European Commission, offers 
dynamic 
research  orientated 
SMEs  the  opportunity  to  lead 
international  collaborations  on 
innovative  projects.  Eurostars 
provides  support  for  in-house 
ties 
research 
with 
research 
opportunity 
The 
community. 
for  local  SMEs  to  be  involved  in 
international 
research  projects 
means  combining  and  sharing 
creativity  and  expertise,  leading 
to  new  markets  for  the  resulting 
innovation. 
proposed 
The 
programme  is  targeted  towards 
small  consortia  driven  by  an 
R&D  performing  SME  from  one 
of  the  participating  countries.  It 
must  involve  at  least  one  other 
participant 
form  a  Eurostars 
country, which can be an SME, a 
Large  Enterprise,  a  University  or 
Research Organization. A typical 
project could involve two to three 
SMEs plus an R&D supplier, such 
as a laboratory or institute.

financial 

face  challenges 
SMEs  often 
getting 
for 
support 
their  R&D  projects.  Eurostars 
supports 
thinking 
forward 
companies  by  making  it  easier 
for  them  to  access  transnational 
research  and  funding.  By  fast-
tracking  application  procedures, 
harmonising 
and 
synchronising  funding  timetables, 
the project can get off the ground 
quickly and results can be rapidly 
brought onto the market. 

evaluation, 

The Eurostars initiative aims at es-
tablishing  a  single,  integrated,  Eu-
ropean programme to support R&D 
performing  SMEs,  building  on  the 
participating national programmes.

The  Eurostars  programme  is  an 
initiative of 29 EUREKA countries* 
and is financially supported by the 
European  Community.  EUREKA 
is  an  intergovernmental  network, 
set up in 1985. It aims to enhance 
the  competitiveness  of  European 
industry  by  promoting  cross-
border,  market-based 
research 
and innovation. 

What is a 
Eurostars 
project?

A  Eurostars  project  can  address 
any  technological  area  with  the 
intention  of  developing  a  new 
product,  process  or  service.  The 
project should be market-driven: it 
must have a maximum duration of 
three  years,  and  within  two  years 
of project completion, the product 
of the research should be ready for 
launch  onto  the  market.  The  ex-
ception to this rule applies to bio-
medical or medical projects, where 
clinical trials must be started within 
two years of project completion.

Who is Eurostars 
aimed at?

(http://ec.europa.eu/research/
sme-techweb/pdf/sme-definition_
en.pdf  )  and  are  based  in  a 
Eurostars  participating  country 
(http://www.eurostars-eureka.
eu/where.do).  To  qualify  as  an 
R&D  performing  SME,  they  must 
dedicate 10% or more of full-time 
equivalent  or  annual  turnover  in 
research activities.

Who can 
participate?

The project should involve at least 
two  participants 
(legal  entities) 
from 
two  different  Eurostars 
participating  countries.  The  main 
participant  must  be  a  research-
performing  SME  from  one  of  the 
29  countries  currently  involved 
in  Eurostars.  The  Eurostars  area 
includes Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, 
Czech 
Denmark, 
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, 
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, 
Israel,  Italy,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  the 
Netherlands,  Norway,  Poland, 
Portugal,  Romania,  Slovakia, 
Slovenia, 
Sweden, 
Spain, 
Switzerland  and  Turkey  and  the 
United Kingdom

Republic, 

if  your  organisation 

Even 
is 
based  outside  of  the  29  member 
countries  of  Eurostars,  you  may 
still  participate  in  the  context  of 
EUREKA, as long as the minimum 
requirements for Eurostars projects 
are fulfilled. 

Eurostars 

The 
Programme 
addresses 
performing 
the  EU-
businesses 
adopted  definition  of  an  SME 

R&D 

that 

fulfil 

* 29 countries at the time of printing. The initiative is open to new participants.

8

Aim Higher with Eurostars 

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independent experts according to 
common evaluation criteria. Once 
a  project  is  approved,  funding 
is  implemented  locally  to  give  a 
single  payment  combining  both 
national and central EU funding.

How do 
you apply? 

All  applications 
for  Eurostars 
must  be  submitted  electronically 
the  EUREKA  Secretariat. 
to 
Applicants are advised to contact 
their  EUREKA  National  Project 
Coordinator for advice and support 
in preparing their application. 

If  you  need  general  information 
on 
the  Eurostars  Programme 
(in  English),  please  contact  the 
EUREKA Secretariat at
http://www.eurostars-eureka.eu/

What is the role 
of participating 
R&D performing 
SMEs?

R&D  performing  SMEs  should 
lead  the  projects  and  execute 
the  major  part  of  the  R&D  work. 
At least 50% of the project’s core 
R&D activity should be carried out 
by  these  SMEs.  This  percentage 
can,  however,  include  minor  con-
tracting.  The  consortium  should 
be  well  balanced,  which  means 
that no participant or country can 
have  a  share  higher  than  75%  in 
the total project costs.

How are 
Eurostars 
projects funded? 

available 

funding 
EUR  300  million  of 
is 
from  Eurostars 
dedicated  national  budgets,  with 
a  further  EUR  100  million  from 
FP7.  Eurostars  is  managed  by 
a  team  based  at  the  EUREKA 
Secretariat  in  Brussels,  with  the 
support  of  national 
research 
funding  agencies.  Projects  are 
level  by 
evaluated  at  central 

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Aim Higher with Eurostars 

9

To be able to compete, businesses 
are  on  the  constant  lookout  for 
new  and  innovative  ideas  which 
will give them the competitive edge 
in the marketplace. Yet despite the 
efforts of SMEs to innovate, many 
good  ideas  get  lost,  or  in  many 
cases  companies  simply  lack  the 
R&D  resources  to  fully  utilise  and 
implement  their  ideas.  For  this 
reason  the  EraSME  programme 
has been implemented in order to 
bring together SMEs and research 
and 
technology  organisations 
(RTOs). Their aim is to help SMEs 
with big ideas to access resources 
they  may  not  posses,  such  as 
equipment  and  knowledge.  The 
EraSME  programme  not  only 
strengthens  the  ability  of  SMEs 
to  compete  by  increasing  cross-
border  cooperation  but  also  to 
promote  collaboration  between 
RTOs and SMEs. This will increase 
in 
their  capacity 
international R&D networks. 

to  perform 

The  ERA-SME  initiative  aims  at 
the  coordination  of  national  and 
regional  programmes  addressing 
this  category  of  innovative  SMEs. 
In  the  context  of  the  ERA-NET 
scheme,  the  participating  pro-
grammes  agree  to  launch  joint 
calls,  to  conduct  common  evalu-

ations  of  project  proposals  and 
develop a coordinated monitoring 
of the projects.

What is an 
EraSME project?

factor 

In order to receive funding, projects 
must be run by SMEs and be able 
to  demonstrate  a  real  market 
potential.  SMEs  must  be  able  to 
show  that  they  will  benefi t  most 
from  the  project  results.  Another 
for  potential 
important 
EraSME projects is that they must 
be  transnational,  innovative  and 
close-to-market, with the intention 
of  developing  new  products, 
processes  or  services.  EraSME 
continues  under  FP7  and  closer 
cooperation  is  foreseen  with  the 
CORNET programme with respect 
to the ‘back offi ce’ management.

Who is EraSME 
aimed at?

EraSME aims to target businesses 
which, 
instead  of  developing 
research  in-house,  are  ‘research 
acquiring’  -  in  other  words  they 

10 EraSME – Bringing good ideas and business together

obtain their research from outside 
the  company.  These  businesses 
must  also  fulfi ll  the  EU-adopted 
defi nition  of  an  SME  and  be 
established 
in  a  participating 
country / region. The organisation 
will seek to engage in transnational 
R&D  projects  with  research  and 
technology  organisations  (RTOs). 
As  always,  specifi c  conditions 
should be checked under the Calls 
for Proposals.

Who can 
participate?

take  part 

various  project 

SMEs  and  RTOs 
from  any 
participating countries or regions 
can 
in  EraSME. 
Funding  possibilities  are  offered 
in 
formats. 
Small  projects  can  already  be 
set  up  with  two  SMEs  from  two 
different  participating  countries/
regions  and  one  RTD  performer. 
Larger  projects  should  contain 
at  least  four  SMEs  from  two 
different  countries/regions,  and 
at  least  two  SMEs.  The  project 
partners shall nominate a project 
coordinator  who  will  submit  the 
proposal, lead the project and be 
in charge of reporting.

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Additional project partners such as 
large companies or partners from 
other countries/ regions may also 
be  involved,  but  in  most  cases 
they will not be funded and cannot 
lead the consortium.

How are 
EraSME projects 
funded?

and  forming  a  consortium  can 
be  found  on  the  website  on  the 
Project Building webpage at 
http://www.era-sme.net/public/
partnering-site

How will 
your SME 
benefi t from 
EraSME? 

By linking centres of research with 
SMEs and larger companies, both 
sides  are  able  to  gain  a  deeper 
understanding  of  each  other. 
Another  benefi t  achieved  through 
these linkages is that SMEs will be 
in a better position to develop and 
exploit ideas to their full potential. 
long-term  strategic 
Building  a 
partnership  with  RTOs  allows 
SMEs to concentrate on their core 
business  while 
increasing  their 
competitiveness. As for RTOs, they 
are  able  to  work  in  a  commercial 
environment  and  acquire  a  better 
understanding of the market.

Public agencies will fund participat-
ing partners according to their appli-
cable national/regional regulations. 

How do 
you apply?

the 
Calls  are  announced  on 
EraSME  website.  An  average  of 
two calls is planned per year. Any 
SME  that  wishes  to  participate 
must  build  or  join  a  consortium 
and  submit  a  project  proposal. 
The  project  proposal  must  use 
the  ‘Form  for  Applicants’  and  be 
completed  in  English.  This  can 
then  be  uploaded  electronically 
through 
the  EraSME  website. 
More  information  on  the  EraSME 
calls  can  be  found  on  the  ERA-
SME webpage: 
http://www.era-sme.net/public/

Guidance for writing your proposal 
can  be  found  in  the  Guidelines 
for  Applicants  on  the  website. 
Help  in  fi nding  research  partners 

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EraSME – Bringing good ideas and business together

11

What is 
Collective 
Research?

research  serves 

Collective 
the 
needs  of  a  large  group  of  SMEs 
represented  by  a  body  acting  on 
their behalf. A further characteristic 
is  that  any  knowledge  generated 
through 
is  widely 
the  project 
disseminated  amongst  the  target 
community.

research 

industrial 

Collective 
allows 
technical norms to be developed 
across  an 
sector. 
Some  examples  include  the  use 
of  collective  research  to  meet 
environmental  standards,  or  to 
improve industrial safety.

‘Collective 

encourage 

The 
Research 
Networking’ platform (CORNET) is 
designed to exchange information 
and 
collaboration 
between  national  and  regional 
programmes  and  schemes 
for 
collective research across Europe. 
The aim is to create opportunities 
for  the  creation  of  transnational 
collective  research  with  national/
regional funding. Consisting of 19 
partners  managing  13  research 
programmes, 
CORNET 
Consortium  currently  spans  13 
countries  and  regions.  CORNET 
continues  under  FP7  and  closer 
cooperation is envisaged with the 
EraSME  programme  with  respect 
to ‘back offi ce’ management.

the 

The  partners  in  CORNET  II  are 
committed to increasing the coor-
dination between the participating 
national programmes and starting 
development  of  a  sustainable,  in-
tegrated  programme  to  support 
collective research in transnational 
projects.

Who can 
participate? 

regions 

federations, 

There  are  a  number  of  groups 
that  are  eligible  to  participate; 
these include project consortia or 
associations, 
trade 
associations  or  groupings  of 
industrial enterprises from at least 
three  different  CORNET  countries 
or  regions.  All  these  groupings 
will  be  able  to  submit  a  proposal 
for  a  common  collective  research 
countries 
CORNET 
project. 
and 
include:  Austria, 
Belgium  –  Flanders,  Belgium  – 
Walloon  Region,  Cyprus,  France, 
Germany,  Greece,  Hungary,  Italy, 
Luxembourg, 
the  Netherlands, 
Poland,  Portugal,  Slovenia,  Spain 
–  Catalonia,  Spain  –  Valencia, 
Turkey.  These  partners  will  then 
be  able  to  exchange  information 
on  best  practice  and  pool 
resources  to  plan  and  implement 
transnational  collective  research 
projects.  This  approach  helps 
to  avoid  duplication  of  research 
efforts and provides an opportunity 
to share costs. 

12 CORNET – Sharing knowledge for increased opportunity 

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How can 
CORNET benefi t 
a community 
of SMEs? 

CORNET 
supports 
funding 
research and development carried 
out  by  RTO’s  and  specialised 
centres,  commissioned  by  SME 
associations  who  act  on  behalf 
of  their  members.  It  will  address 
needs 
pre-competitive 
their 
within  a  specifi c  business  sector 
and  the  results  will  be  widely 
disseminated for exploitation. The 
coordinating activities of CORNET 
are  supported  by  EU  funding. 
The 
promotes 
cooperation  between  SMEs  and 
R&D 
encouraging 
research 
international  collective 
and wide dissemination of results. 
This  allows  SMEs 
to  access 
new  knowledge  and  expertise 
transnational 
in  a 
developed 
context  without  being  distracted 
away from their core business. 

programme 

institutes, 

How is CORNET 
funded?

How do 
you apply? 

funding 

CORNET 
is  allocated 
according  to  the  rules  of  the 
national/regional 
programmes 
involved.  Each  national  CORNET 
funding 
partner 
or 
organisation  provides 
funds  to 
accepted projects. In general, the 
federation, association or group of 
industries will be funded by its own 
national/regional agency. 

agency 

it 

is  necessary 

Therefore, 
for 
all  candidate  project  partners 
to  consult  with  their  respective 
agencies during the preparation of 
the proposal to secure compliance 
with  the  applicable  national  and 
regional criteria. 

There  is  no  thematic  focus  in  the 
CORNET  calls:  consortia  from  all 
industrial  sectors  are  invited  to 
submit proposals dealing with any 
technology.  Projects  should  have 
a maximum duration of two years.

Calls  are  published  on 
the 
CORNET  website.  An  average  of 
two calls per year is planned. It is 
recommended that the consortium 
leader  submits  a  pre-proposal 
in  English  to  be  checked  by  the 
funding agency or ministry in their 
country or region. 

The  CORNET  application  form 
must  be  submitted  in  English  by 
the  project  coordinator  to  the 
funding agency or ministry in their 
country or region. 
For further information please visit 
the  CORNET  website  at  http:// 
www.cornet-era.net.

For answers to specifi c questions 
please  contact  your  national  or 
regional 
funding  organisation. 
Contact  details  are  also  available 
on the CORNET website.

CORNET – Sharing knowledge for increased opportunity 

13

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objective  of  the  support  action  is 
to establish durable schemes and 
services to increase the number of 
awards  provided  by  the  national 
and/or regional schemes. 

How can 
Exploratory 
Awards benefi t 
your SME?

It can help SME/SME Associations 
in three main ways:

•  to  make  better 

informed 
decisions  regarding  the  need 
for the research; 

assistance 

•  to  provide 

•  to identify appropriate partners 
and a suitable funding scheme;
to 
prepare  the  proposal,  with  the 
aim  of  submitting  proposals 
with a higher quality and better 
chances of success. 

fi nd 

The  EU  Exploratory  Awards  (EA) 
are  specifi cally  designed  to  help 
SMEs  to  identify  their  research 
needs, 
the  appropriate 
support measures and assist them 
in  preparing  a  complete  research 
proposal  for  Community  funding. 
The Fourth Framework Programme 
(FP4)  and  the  Fifth  Framework 
Programme  (FP5)    have  used 
these  Exploratory  Awards  to  help 
SMEs in the preparation of project 
proposals for Community support. 
Since  these  measures  were  not 
continued in FP6, several Member 
their  own 
States  established 
funding schemes (in the form of a 
grant or a loan) at national and/ or 
regional level.

What are 
exploratory 
awards?

The  aim  of 
the  European 
Exploratory  Awards  scheme  is  to 
integrate  and  strengthen  existing 
national  and  regional  schemes 
providing fi nancial support to SMEs 
willing  to  enter  into  transnational 
research.  A  major  objective  of 
these schemes is to help SMEs and 

SME Associations to make better 
informed  decisions 
regarding 
the  need  for  the  research,  the 
choice  of  partnership,  the  choice 
of  funding  scheme  etc.  and  to 
improve  the  quality  of  proposals. 
This  will  provide  an  incentive  for 
those  countries  which  have  not 
yet  set  up  such  a  scheme  either 
at  national  or  at  regional  level. 
Based  on  the  experiences  from 
comparable  schemes  in  FP4  and 
FP5, the need for an exchange of 
best  practices  in  Europe  and  for 
a  harmonisation  of  the  numerous 
schemes has become evident.

Who are
the exploratory 
awards aimed at?

grant 
The  Community  will 
additional  fi nancial  support 
to 
national  and/or  regional  schemes 
providing fi nancial means to SMEs 
or SME associations to help them 
prepare proposals for transnational 
collaborations,  in  particular  with 
respect  to  the  actions  supported 
by  ‘Research  for  the  benefi t  of 
the  Capacities 
SMEs’  under 
programme  of  FP7.  The  main 

14 EU Exploratory Awards – Developing Your Proposal 

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How do I 
get more 
information? 

For further information contact the 
Coordinator.

Michel Ganoote OSEO Innovation, 
France
michel.ganoote@oseo.fr
Phone +33 1 41799331
Fax + 1 41798260
www.oseo.fr

Nathalie TRANNOIS
nathalie.trannois@oseo.fr 
Phone + 33 1 41798059 
Fax + 33 1 41798260 

In the event of a positive outcome, 
an implementation phase will be-
gin  in  the  third  quarter  of  2008 
and  the  new  European  Explor-
atory  Awards  scheme  should  be 
launched  in  the  Member  States 
and Associated Countries by the 
fi rst quarter of 2009. 

Which 
countries are 
participating?

The  feasibility  study  consists  of 
four  work  packages  and  has  a 
duration  of  seven  months.  Twen-
ty-four  countries  are  participants 
including:  Austria,  Belgium,  Cy-
prus,  France,  Germany,  Greece, 
Hungary,  Iceland,  Ireland,  Israel, 
Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mal-
ta,  the  Netherlands,  Norway,  Po-
land, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, 
Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and UK.

How are 
Exploratory 
Awards projects 
funded? 

The European Union co-funding for 
this scheme is expected to be in the 
range of EUR 20-40 million. A con-
siderable  amount  of  national  fund-
ing ideally in the ratio of 1:3, similar 
to what is proposed in the Eurostars 
programme will be leveraged.

When will the 
Exploratory 
Awards 
Programme be 
launched?

A  feasibility  study  funded  by  the 
EU  is  currently  underway.  This 
preliminary  phase  will  set  down  a 
framework of activities which will be 
necessary  for  the  implementation 
of the objectives. The results of this 
phase are expected in June 2008.

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EU Exploratory Awards – Developing Your Proposal 

15

SME Techweb

SME  TechWeb  offers  a  wealth  of 
information  for  SMEs  planning  to 
take  part  in  EU  research.  It  has 
been  established  for  companies 
that wish to innovate and interna-
tionalize. The information available 
is especially useful for those SMEs 
applying for research funding. 

Programme (FP7). A complete list 
of NCPs for FP7 can be found at: 
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ncp_
en.html. For general FP7 informa-
tion  regarding  related  research 
activities, Calls for Proposals, work 
programmes, and schemes in FP7, 
visit the following websites:

CORDIS:
  http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/

home.html 

Visit:
  http://ec.europa.eu/research/

Europa:
  http://ec.europa.eu/research/

sme-techweb 

fp7/Information

Requests:
  http://ec.europa.eu/research/

enquiries/ 
EU research:
  http://ec.europa.eu/research

SME National 
Contact Points 
(NCPs) 

NCPs  provide 
information  and 
guidance to SMEs wishing to par-
ticipate in EU research and are able 
to offer personalised support in the 
proposer’s  own 
language.  The 
NCPs  are  usually  national  struc-
tures  set  up  and  fi nanced  by  the 
governments  of  the  27  EU  Mem-
ber  States  and  the  states  associ-
ated  to  the  Seventh  Framework 

Enterprise 
Europe Network

the 

Launched in 2008 by the European 
Commission, 
Enterprise 
Europe Network offers a ‘one-stop 
shop’  to  meet  all  the  information 
needs of SMEs and companies in 
Europe. The network is present in 
more than 40 countries, including 
the  27  Member  States,  3  EU 
candidate  countries  (Croatia,  the 
former  Yugoslav  Republic  of 
Macedonia, and Turkey) members 
of  the  European  Economic  Area 
(EEA) and other participating third 
countries.  A  staff  of  4000  in  600 
local partner organisations provides 
expert  advice  and  services  to  EU 
businesses.  Whether  you  need 
information on EU legislation, help 
fi nding a business partner, want to 
benefi t  from  innovation  networks 
in your region or need information 
on  funding  opportunities,  this  is 
the place to start.

Visit:
  h t t p : / / w w w . e n t e r p r i s e -
europe-network.ec.europa.
eu/index_en.htm

16 Where can your SME fi nd support? 

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European Commission

SMEs keep local - go international. Opportunities for transnational research.

Luxembourg: Offi ce for Offi cial Publications of the European Communities

2008 — 20 pp. — 17.6 x 25.0 cm

ISBN  978-92-79-05964-3

SME_brochure_folder.indd   17

17

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SME_brochure_folder.indd   18

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