Empowering European SMEs
for a Resilient Future.
European Union-Small Business Enterprise
Without small businesses, communities lose their unique character and economic strength.
About Us
EU-SBE is a dedicated partner to European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We empower businesses to thrive by providing essential support, from accessing EU funding to navigating economic challenges. Our mission is to foster a robust European economy by unlocking the full potential of SMEs. With a deep understanding of the European market, we offer tailored solutions, including business development, market analysis, and crisis management strategies.
Organization's Mission and Vision: Clearly define EU-SBE's purpose and goals.
Our Team: Introduce key personnel and their expertise.
Partnerships: Highlight collaborations with other organizations and institutions.
Our Values: Outline the core principles guiding EU-SBE's work.
Why Choose EU-SBE: Explain the unique advantages of working with your organization.
Deepening Core Services
To provide more comprehensive support to SMEs, consider expanding your existing services:
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Access to EU Funding
Specialized Funding Streams: Focus on specific sectors (e.g., green tech, agritech, digital innovation) or stages of business development (startup, scale-up, expansion).
Funding Application Assistance: Offer in-depth support with grant writing, budget development, and evaluation criteria.
Post-Funding Support: Provide guidance on financial management, reporting, and maximizing ROI.
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Business Development Support
Mentorship Programs: Pair SMEs with experienced mentors for tailored guidance.
Strategic Planning Workshops: Offer intensive workshops to help SMEs develop growth strategies.
Digital Marketing Support: Provide assistance with online presence, SEO, social media, and digital advertising.
Export Support: Help SMEs identify international markets, develop export strategies, and navigate customs regulations.
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Market Analysis and Insights
Customized Market Reports: Offer in-depth analysis of specific industries or regions.
Competitive Intelligence: Provide insights into competitors' strategies and market positioning.
Consumer Behavior Analysis: Help SMEs understand customer preferences and trends.
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Crisis Management Support
Risk Assessment: Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies.
Business Continuity Planning: Assist SMEs in creating contingency plans.
Supply Chain Resilience: Offer guidance on building robust and adaptable supply chains.
Our Mission
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A Threat to Economic Growth
Small businesses, employing half of all private-sector workers and contributing nearly half of the EU economic output, face challenges in formation and sustainability, posing risks to economic growth, job creation, and innovation over the past 25 years.
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Driving Small Business Growth
The Milken Institute Small Business Policy and Innovation Initiative conducts research and analysis on macroeconomic trends and policies impacting small businesses and start-ups. Our aim is to offer policy recommendations and program solutions for fostering an entrepreneurial environment that promotes inclusive prosperity across regions and demographics.
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Key Factors for Small Business Success
Our research and programming focus on understanding the factors and trends influencing the launch, competition, and success of small businesses and start-ups in the modern economy. We focus on the following key areas:
Financial Products
EBRD financing for private sector projects generally ranges from $5 million to $250 million, in the form of loans or equity. The average EBRD investment is $25 million. Smaller projects may be financed through financial intermediaries or through special programmes for smaller direct investments in the less advanced countries.
The EBRD offers financial products tailored to each client. Prospective clients have to demonstrate that their proposed project or business meets the minimum requirements to be eligible to be considered for EBRD involvement.
Small and medium-sized enterprises
Legal basis
SMEs operate mainly at national level, as relatively few are engaged in cross-border business within the EU. However, SMEs are affected by EU legislation in various fields, such as taxation (Articles 110 to 113 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)), competition (Articles 101 to 109 TFEU) and company law (right of establishment – Articles 49 to 54 TFEU). The Commission’s definition of SMEs can be found in Recommendation 2003/361/EC.
Objectives
EU policy for SMEs aims to ensure that EU policies and actions are small business friendly and contribute to making Europe a more attractive place to set up a company and do business. SMEs employ approximately 100 million people, constituting an essential source of entrepreneurship and innovation, which are crucial for the competitiveness of EU companies.
Small Business Act (SBA).
A comprehensive initiative on SMEs was put forward by the Commission in June 2008, in the form of a communication on the SBA. It aimed to create a new policy framework integrating the existing instruments and building on the European Charter for Small Enterprises and the Modern SME Policy for Growth and Employment. It took a ‘political partnership approach with Member States’ rather than proposing a fully fledged Community approach.
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Cutting red tape is a high priority for the Commission in the SBA. The amendment to the
(requiring public authorities to make payments within 30 days, which serves as a security guarantee for SMEs) and the
(giving e-invoices equal status to paper ones) were particularly helpful to small businesses. Furthermore, the modernisation of EU public procurement policy means that SMEs experience a lighter administrative burden when accessing public procurement and have better opportunities for joint bidding. The same approach has been found to simplify financial reporting obligations and to reduce administrative burdens for SMEs through the modernisation of both public procurement in the EU and the Accounting Directive (now Directive 2013/34/EU).
In its
communication entitled ‘Better regulation: Joining forces to make better laws
’ of April 2021, the Commission introduced the ‘one in, one out’ approach for policymaking at the EU level, focusing the attention of policymakers more closely on the implications and costs of applying legislation, particularly for SMEs. The aim of this approach was to offset new administrative burdens resulting from the Commission’s legislative proposals by reducing an equivalent amount of existing burdens.
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Financial markets have often failed to provide SMEs with the finance they need. Some progress has been made in improving the availability of finance and credit for SMEs through the provision of loans, guarantees and venture capital. The European financial institutions – the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund – have stepped up their SME-related operations.
In November 2011, the Commission proposed an ‘action plan to improve access to finance for SMEs’. Among other things, the action plan included policy initiatives to ease access to venture capital markets for SMEs.
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The SBA and the Commission communications entitled ‘
Towards a Single Market Act – For a highly competitive social market economy
’ and the ‘
‘stressed the need for the continuous improvement of the framework conditions for businesses in the single market’. Various initiatives and measures exist or have been planned in order to facilitate the establishment and operation of SMEs in the internal market. SMEs have been granted derogations in many areas, such as competition rules, taxation and company law.
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The EU’s State aid policy has treated SMEs favourably for a long time, recognising the special difficulties they face. In 2014, the Commission adopted a revised General Block Exemption Regulation for State aid (
). One of the components of State aid modernisation was the increased flexibility given to Member States to grant State aid to SMEs without prior notification and approval by the Commission, upon certain conditions. On the basis of this regulation, SMEs have been able to benefit from public support of up to EUR 7.5 million.
Achievements
Enterprises and SMEs (COSME)
Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME) Regulation (EU) No 1287/2013 establishing a Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) for the period 2014-2020 was adopted in December 2013. With a budget of EUR 2.3 billion over the period 2014-2020, COSME pursued the following general objectives:
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To improve access to finance for SMEs in the form of equity and debt: an equity facility for growth-phase investment, and a loan guarantee facility provided SMEs with direct or other risk-sharing arrangements with financial intermediaries to cover loans; EUR 1.3 billion of the COSME budget was allocated to financial instruments;
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To improve market access both inside the Union and globally: growth-oriented business support services were provided via the Enterprise Europe Network in order to facilitate business expansion;
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To promote entrepreneurship: including developing entrepreneurial skills and attitudes, especially among new entrepreneurs, young people and women.
Latest initiatives
The EU has been working on strategies to support SMEs, including improving access to finance and reducing regulatory burdens. Recent economic challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation have prompted additional measures to help SMEs, such as combating late payments and providing tax relief.
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Taking into account the strong detrimental effect of inflation and uncertainty caused by the sharp rise in energy and raw materials costs, the Commission adopted a
communication on an SME Relief Package
in September 2023. It includes a
proposal for a regulation on combating late payment in commercial transactions
and a
. It also details a set of measures to improve access to finance and skilled workers, and to support SMEs throughout their business life cycle.
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As highlighted in the SME strategy, small businesses struggle more to obtain finance. In December 2022, the Commission published a
, as part of the listing act package. The Council and Parliament reached a
provisional agreement on the listing act
in February 2024.
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The Commission communications of March 2020 ‘
A New Industrial Strategy for Europe
’ and ‘
An SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe
’ included proposals to help SMEs operate, scale up and expand. In April 2020, Parliament reacted to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on industrial supply chains and SMEs by adopting
on EU coordinated action to support economic recovery measures. In November 2020, MEPs adopted
calling on the Commission to present a revised industrial strategy.
EU networks for SMEs
Examples of networks aimed at SMEs include, firstly, general support services for SMEs in the EU, such as the Enterprise Europe Network, SOLVIT, Your Europe – Business, SMEs and the Environment and Dealing with Chemicals: National REACH Helpdesks. Secondly, support for innovation and research, including the European IP Helpdesk, SME Techweb, China IP SME Helpdesk, European Business and Innovation Centres Network, European Workplace Innovation Network and Gate2Growth.
SMEs and research
Examples of networks aimed at SMEs include, firstly, general support services for SMEs in the EU, such as the Enterprise Europe Network, SOLVIT, Your Europe – Business, SMEs and the Environment and Dealing with Chemicals: National REACH Helpdesks. Secondly, support for innovation and research, including the European IP Helpdesk, SME Techweb, China IP SME Helpdesk, European Business and Innovation Centres Network, European Workplace Innovation Network and Gate2Growth.
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