Enterprise Europe Network combines the strengths of the previous Euro Info Centre with the Innovation Relay Centre networks. With the new network, business receives ‘Business Support on Your Doorstep’, as the slogan suggests. The ‘No wrong door’ principle will apply for the whole network and for each network partner. All SMEs will receive information and a personalised service tailored to their needs, making best use of modern technologies and from every organisation in the new network.

More concretely, the Enterprise Europe Network offers the following services:

1. Assisting companies in going international

An estimated one million European SMEs could be involved in cross-border trade and investment. The Enterprise Europe Network will help develop exchanges between enterprises, trigger new ideas, nurture potential partnerships and stimulate firms to develop beyond their initial horizons. One-to-one match making meetings will be organized to help identify trustworthy partners.

Building technology partnerships between SMEs based on the transfer of innovation is another way to ‘go international’ and generate return on investments in research. The network is assisting SMEs to identify partners and make the contractual arrangements with them.

2. Innovation, new products and grasping opportunities in the single market

Help small businesses with technical issues such as intellectual property rights, standards and EU legislation, as it can be difficult for companies to remain abreast of changes in EU related opportunities.

Promoting innovation : The Enterprise Europe Network encourages SMEs to become more innovative as sharing the results of research can trigger new ideas/opportunities. Amongst other, collaboration with clusters bundling different innovation related activities will be improved. Ensuring access to innovative technology will help SMEs face global competition.

3. Accessing EU projects and funding

The Enterprise Europe Network aims to overcome the knowledge gap regarding different sources of EU financing and ensure companies are aware of the possibilities available. SMEs will in particular beencouraged toparticipate in research programmes.

4. Providing feedback to the Commission

The Enterprise Europe Network will act as a two-way street between entrepreneurs and the Commission, relaying views in both directions to ensure that the policies and initiatives the Commission prepares will be helpful for SMEs and do not mean additional administrative burden.

This website has been realized with the support of the European Union. However Enterprise Europe Network in Auvergne is the only responsible of its content.