Following the adoption of the Single Market Programme (SMP) and the announcement of the first funding opportunities, the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) opened the call for proposals to setup the Enterprise Europe Network for 2022 and beyond.
The European Commission is now looking for proposals for the next Network, initially for the period from 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2025. This Network will be funded through the new Single Market Programme (SMP) which replaces the COSME Programme.
According to section 4 of the call document, the second cut-off aims at receiving proposals from EU Member States and overseas counties and territories (OCT) covering EU regions not included in the Network after evaluation of the proposals submitted at the first cut-off date. Proposals covering regions for which a successful proposal was submitted will be excluded from the second cut-off.
Following the completion of the evaluation of proposals submitted for the first cut-off, proposals covering the following countries/regions of EU Member States are invited for the second cut-off (submission deadline: 15 December 2021):
- Cyprus (entire country)
- France: only the OCTs of Réunion; Guadeloupe and Martinique
- Germany: only the regions of Bremen; Sachsen-Anhalt; Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Italy: only the macro-region of North-East Italy (Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol)
- Hungary (entire country)
- Ireland (entire country)
- Malta (entire country)
Furthermore, applications may be eligible from non-EU countries that are associated to the Single Market Programme or that have started negotiations for an association to the Single Market Programme by the submission deadline.
Applications covering any other geographic region will be considered ineligible.
Focus on sustainability, digitalisation and resilience
The new Network will build upon its existing strengths, expertise and achievements. It will play a crucial role in helping European SMEs in their transition to more sustainable business models through dedicated sustainability advisers and other sustainability services.
It will also facilitate SMEs’ digitalisation by helping them adapt their processes, implement digital technologies and develop new innovative products. The end goal of the new Network is to boost SMEs’ resilience and fully recover from the COVID-19 crisis.
Practical information
The available budget of the call amounts to EUR 164.5 million and it is expected to foster competitiveness and sustainability of SMEs and promote entrepreneurship across Europe. The deadline for submission of proposals is 15 December 2021 at 17:00 CET (Brussels). For more information on how to apply, access the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.