President Arzeni was one of the speakers at the panel “SMEs in the Face of the Challenges of the 21st Century”. The theme of the Forum for 2021, held between September 7th and 9th, was "Europe in Search of Leadership".
The Act, a milestone for the EU Digital Strategy, will set new obligations for gatekeepers, to ensure fair and transparent competition within the digital sector.
EUIPO, INSME ad its members examined the benefits of internationalisation for SMEs, and how to set up an international strategy looking at Intellectual Property as an asset to support this process. Find the insights on our blog!
Egypt is offering vast incentives to stimulate industrial growth and transform the strategic Suez waterway into an innovation hub. Join the webinar on October 12th at 11.30 AM CEST to learn more!
Organized by INSME members CONFAPI and European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME, the event will be held on October 21-22 in Rome, Dakar, and online, with the aim of increasing collaboration between European and African business communities.
Meta Group has been selected to define a new Regional Action Plan for improving policy instruments which support SMEs' capacity to grow at national and international level. Read all the information here.
Knowledge4Innovation has launched its EU Innovation Area Manifesto with the goal of connecting all actors dedicated to avoiding barriers to innovation and to invite relevant stakeholders to submit their ideas to foster innovation.
The Report is an important tool to monitor countries' progress in implementing the SME strategy and the Small Business Act, analysing the key challenges for SMEs on a European scale, especially after the pandemic.
We are happy to receive your updates: share with us your projects, activities, and events: we will include them in the next INSME Newsletter and spread the information among our readers! Email us at secretariat@insme.org
Calls and opportunities
EIC Accelerator Work programme
The EIC Accelerator supports individual Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), in particular Startups and spinout companies to develop and scaleup game-changing innovations. The EIC Accelerator provides substantial financial support with grant funding (non-dilutive) of up to €2.5 million for innovation development costs, and investments (direct equity investments) of up to €15 million managed by the EIC FundSearch.
Deadline date: 6 October 2021
Preparatory action for setting up joint programmes among innovation ecosystems actors
Project results are expected to contribute to prepare the implementation of joint long-term programme of activities (action plans) fostering collaboration and creation of common knowledge assets among EU, national, regional and/or local level innovation ecosystems’ stakeholders, enhancing synergies and complementarities of their programmes and encouraging the alignment of their innovation agendas.
Deadline: 26 October 2021
EUIPO SME Fund: 50% off trademarks and designs, 75% off the cost of IP Scan in 2021 for SMEs
The Ideas Powered for Business SME fund offers financial support in the form of reimbursements for new trademark and design applications’ fees and for IP pre-diagnostic services (IP Scan), up to a maximum amount of EUR 1 500 per business.
Submission deadline: 31st October 2021
Expanding Acceleration Ecosystems
The aim of the grant is to contribute to enhance openness, competitiveness, and global potential of developing innovation ecosystems and creation of local jobs with high value-added and to balance business activity across Europe, improving quality and outreach of business acceleration services in developing innovation ecosystems.
Deadline date: 10 November 2021
Women TechEU - Supporting deep-tech start-ups led by women.
Funded under the European Innovation Ecosystems work programme of Horizon EuropeSearch for available translations of the preceding, Women TechEU is a brand-new initiative of the European Union. The scheme offers first-class coaching and mentoring to female founders, as well as targeted funding to help take their business to the next level. Women TechEU offers financial support to the company as an individual grant of EUR 75 000 to support the initial steps in the innovation process, and the growth of the company.
Deadline date: 10 November 2021
