Training

Resources developed at the European level

EU Funding is available for start-ups, entrepreneurs and companies of any size or sector. A wide range of financing is available: Business loans, microfinance, guarantees and venture capital. Every year the EU supports more than 200 000 businesses.

The decision to provide EU financing will be made by the local financial institutions such as banks, venture capitalists or angel investors. Thanks to the EU support the local financial institutions can provide additional financing to businesses.

The exact financing conditions – the amount, duration, interest rates and fees – are determined by these financial institutions. You can contact one of over 1000 financial institutions to find out more.

You have a right to get feedback from credit institutions on their credit decision. This can help you understand your financial position and improve your chances to obtain financing in the future. Use your right and refer to Article 431 of the EU Capital Requirements Regulation.

http://europa.eu/youreurope/business/funding-grants/access-to-finance/index_en.htm

The European Union also develops specific programmes to support entrepreneurship:

The Erasmus + programme
European Commission programme din the field of education, training, youth and sport, for the 2014-2020 period, Erasmus+ aims to enhance competences and employability, as well as modernise young people’s education, training and work.

This seven-year programme has a budget de 14.7 billion euros and will give the possibility to 4 million Europeans to work and acquire work and volunteering experience abroad.

Erasmus+ has a tremendous potential to support entrepreneurship education, for example encouraging a generalised cooperation between education and enterprises within the framework of knowledge alliances (concerning higher education) and sector skills alliances (concerning secondary education and vocational training).

The European Social Fund (ESF)
Every year, ESF contributes to improve the quality of life of millions of Europeans giving them the possibility to acquire new skills and to find better employment.

Employment is the best way to give people autonomy, financial security and a sense of belonging. ESF funds thousands of projects aiming to help people in difficulties or from underprivileged groups acquire skills, à find a job and benefit from the same opportunities as everyone else.

Within ESF, the Youth Employment Initiative aims to support a sustainable integration of people under 25 who live in regions where the unemployment rate of young people was above 25 % in 2012.

This initiative particularly targets “NEET”, unemployed young people who are not involved in education or training. It supports:

• learnings
• internships
• job search
• vocational training

The COSME programme
The programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME) is improving access to finance for SMEs through two financial instruments that have been available since August 2014.

COSME has a budget of over EUR 1.3 billion to fund these financial instruments that facilitate access to loans and equity finance for SMEs where market gaps have been identified.

How to access the COSME financial instruments:

If you are an SME or an entrepreneur looking for debt or equity finance and would like to see which financial intermediaries are working with COSME, visit the « Access to Finance » portal: http://europa.eu/youreurope/business/funding-grants/access-to-finance/index_en.htm

If you are a financial intermediary, you can find more information on the calls for expression of interest for the COSME financial instruments:

• COSME Loan Guarantee Facility
• COSME Equity Facility for Growth

The HORIZON 2020 programme
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation program ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020).

Horizon 2020 is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness.

Seen as a means to drive economic growth and create jobs, Horizon 2020 has the political backing of Europe’s leaders and the Members of the European Parliament. They agreed that research is an investment in our future and so put it at the heart of the EU’s blueprint for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and jobs.

By coupling research and innovation, Horizon 2020 is helping to achieve this with its emphasis on excellent science, industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges. The goal is to ensure Europe produces world-class science, removes barriers to innovation and makes it easier for the public and private sectors to work together in delivering innovation.

Horizon 2020 is open to everyone, with a simple structure that reduces red tape and time so participants can focus on what is really important. This approach makes sure new projects get off the ground quickly – and achieve results faster.

The CREATIVE EUROPE programme
In order to increase the visibility of Europe's culture and audio-visual sectors, the European Commission supports a variety of actions, initiatives, and prizes. These are

designed to reward achievement, highlight excellence, and raise awareness of Europe's culture and heritage.

In line with the European Agenda for Culture, the European Commission, alongside national authorities, culture sector organisations, and other EU institutions, aims to promote:

• cultural diversity and dialogue
• culture as a catalyst for creativity and innovation
• culture as part of the EU's international relations

As a part of these efforts, a variety of actions and prizes exist to promote, recognise, and reward sites, works, artists, organisations, and cities that contribute to these aims.

Online Resources

• Access to financeThis site will help you to apply for loans and venture capital supported by the European Union. Click on your country to locate banks or venture capital funds that provide finance supported by the EU.
• Erasmus+The EU programme for education, training, youth and sport.
• European Social Fund (ESF)The ESF is Europe’s main instrument for supporting jobs, helping people get better jobs and ensuring fairer job opportunities for all EU citizens.
• COSMEEurope’s programme for small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Horizon 2020 The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
• Creative Europe Supporting Europe’s cultural and creative sectors.