The world economy is being affected but every business, every financial venture, every funding, and every investment, all around the world. As an SME owner, you are also responsible for a small part of the economy. You are also responsible to make sure that you are going to do everything you possibly can to improve the current financial state of your business.
Your SME has the potential of evolving into a much bigger company if you decide that it is time for you to take the next step. Yes, investing can certainly be a great source of income but it is also a very risky business. If you want your SME to take the next step, do not just think about the money. Try to think about other potential outcomes that could help you evolve.
EU funding is a great way to improve your business and take is to the next level. If you are an SME owner living in Europe then you are in luck. The European Unionis focusing on the enhancement of SME’s and startups. You can have your opportunity and in this article, we will give you a quick guide on how to do it.
Step 1: Locate the funding
The European Union is able to offer SMEs multiple opportunities for EU funding. It is important for you to manage and locate the funding program which will suit you SME the most.
The most popular funding opportunity for SME is the SME Instrument. Businesses and SMEs can get EU funding and support for innovative programmes to help them develop within the European area as well as beyond it.
SME Instrument, as part of the Horizon 2020 programme offers SMEs the opportunity to get funding for innovation projects in two phases:
- Concept and feasibility assessment (phase 1)
- Innovation project (phase 2)
It also helps SMEs through support services to help them make money from the innovations they might create, including help assessing private financing-commercialization (phase 3) and business coaching to enhance the SME’s innovation capacity and help align the project to strategic business needs.
If you wish to apply for funding then your SME needs to fit the current SME Instrument Topics.
Step 2: Declare your interest
The SME Instrument is the most popular and most specified EU programme for SMEs but it is not the only one. SMEs and businesses can be part of other European Programmes as well. There is a plethora of different option and, depending on the nature of your SME and your vision for the future you will need to declare your interest for them.
The eucalls.net directory can most certainly help you in this case. By registering to our website you will immediately gain access to unlimited calls for you to declare your interest. Based on your profile and your own criteria you will be able to make filtered searches and every month you will receive our newsletter, with all the latest information regarding EU programmes and calls as well as all the latest updates regarding the EUcalls directory.
Step 3: Become part of the community
Building a network is important for you to manage and find the right partners that will be part of your EU project consortium. The EUcalls platform is able to provide you with such a network.
By getting our premium package, we will provide you with a customized watch for funding opportunities. In other words, we will be using the information you will provide us to find the best opportunities for your SME and create a list that will fit your needs and your preferences the most. With the Customized Watch, our expert’s team takes into consideration your activity, expertise, eligibility criteria, interests and strategic goals in order to find the right European calls for you. No need to spend time and energy, trying to figure out the different EU funding programmes!
You and your SME have a lot of opportunities to gain European funding. All you need to do is find the right calls and become part of the right consortium. Let the eucalls.net team help you achieve the best possible collaborations for your business.
