Funding programme

The Single Market Programme (SMP) covers the single market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the area of plants, animals, food and feed, and European statistics.

Read more about the Single Market Programme (SMP).
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Call overview

This call aims to select intermediary organisations based on their project proposals for supporting Ukrainian new entrepreneurs.

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Call detail

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a cross-border exchange programme which gives new or aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to learn from experienced entrepreneurs running small businesses in other SMP Participating Countries, while giving experienced entrepreneurs access to innovative ideas and new partners and/or markets.

The general objective of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme is to enhance entrepreneurship, develop the international outlook and competitiveness of European SMEs and foster potential start-up entrepreneurs and newly-established micro and small enterprises in the Participating Countries.

The purpose of this call for proposals is to select Intermediary Organisations (IOs) to implement the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme at local level. They will, in particular, be responsible for recruiting Ukrainian new entrepreneurs (NE) and host entrepreneurs (HE) outside of Ukraine and assist them to benefit from the programme. This call for proposals will therefore support actions of organisations enhancing and facilitating the exchanges of Ukrainian new entrepreneurs with host entrepreneurs outside of Ukraine. The call is not targeted directly at entrepreneurs willing to participate in an EYE exchange. Interested entrepreneurs must contact the selected IOs implementing the programme.

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Objectives

1. To provide on-the-job-training for Ukrainian new entrepreneurs with established host entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized enterprises abroad in the SMP Participating Countries (EU and third countries)10 in order to facilitate a successful start-up, and development of their business ideas;

2. To foster sharing of experience and information between Ukrainian andother European entrepreneurs on the obstacles and challenges of starting up and developing their businesses;

3. To enhance market access and identification of potential partners for Ukrainian new entrepreneurs in other SMP Participating Countries;

4. To support networking between Ukrainian and other European entrepreneurs from different SMP Participating Countries by building on knowledge and experience;

5. To contribute to the EU’s support to Ukrainian entrepreneurs and facilitate the continuation of business in Ukraine and the reconstruction phase of the country after Russia’s military aggression.

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Budget

The available call budget is EUR 3 000 000. This budget might be increased by maximum 20%.

Under this call for proposals around 5 projects are expected to be funded.

The Agency reserves the right not to award all available funds or to redistribute them between the call priorities, depending on the proposals received and the results of the evaluation.

At least 50% of the estimated maximum grant amount per project must be reserved for financial support to third parties (FSTP), i.e., Ukrainian newentrepreneurs.

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Eligibility

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

+ be legal entities (public or private bodies)
+ be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:

• EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
• non-EU countries: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the SME part of the Single Market Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature
• Ukraine, in territories that are under the effective control of the Ukrainian authorities at the submission deadline.

Applicants may be, for instance:

• Public entities responsible for or active in the fields of economic affairs, enterprise, business support or related issues,
• Chambers of commerce and industry, chambers of (handi)crafts or similar bodies,
• Business support organisations, start-up centres, incubators, technology parks etc,
• Business associations and business support networks,
• Public and private entities offering business support services,
• Institutes of (higher) education such as universities or institutes for vocational education and training.

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Consortium composition

Proposals must be submitted by a consortium composed of applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities), which complies with the following conditions:

• minimum 4 applicants from 3 different eligible countries
• maximum 8 applicants
• maximum 2 applicants can be from the same country
• minimum 1 applicant must be established in Ukraine (where Ukrainian authorities exercise effective territorial control)
• the consortium leader must have at least 3 years of experience in implementing the EYE programme.