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. Specifically, the programme brings together aspects in order to streamline, exploit synergies and provide a better flexible, transparent, simplified and agile framework to finance activities aiming at a well-functioning sustainable internal market.

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) provides business support and advisory services – in particular for SMEs – by offering information, advisory services, feedback and partnering services, innovation, technology and knowledge transfer services. The Network provides services encouraging the participation of SMEs in the opportunities provided by the Single Market Programme (SMP) and Horizon Europe, as well as internationalisation services beyond the Single Market and informs SMEs on access to finance and funding opportunities (InvestEU), including those under the European Structural and Investment Funds.

The costs will be reimbursed at the funding rate fixed in the Grant Agreement (100% for Network additional coordination and networking costs and 60% of the eligible costs for the other cost categories).

• Research, Technological Development and Innovation
• Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
• Trade and Commerce

• Businesses
• Chambers
• Legal Entities
• Other Beneficiaries
• Private Bodies
• Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
• State-owned Enterprises

Applications will only be considered eligible if their content corresponds wholly (or at least in part) to the topic description for which it is submitted.

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:
    • countries associated to 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 (list of participating countries).

Consortium composition:
Consortia should be composed of the appropriate mix of entities (‘host organisations’ as described in section 2.3.4) to ensure delivery of the full range of Network services in their designated geographic area.

An indicative and non-exhaustive list of host organisations for the Network includes:

• SME support organisations: sector and industry associations, export agencies, chambers of commerce, chambers of crafts, technology transfer companies, business incubators, clusters;
• Organisations with proven experience on resource efficiency and circularity support services;
• Trade promotion organisations (TPOs);
• Business organisations and representative organisations of SMEs;
• Regional development agencies;
• Innovation agencies;
• Research organisations or foundations;
• (Business support units of) higher education institutions.

To achieve the Network objectives, proposals should typically be submitted by a consortium made up of at least two entities (host organisations) in the covered geographic area. Proposals from single entities can be accepted in duly justified cases if these entities are able to provide the full range of services described in the call in the entire geographic area covered by the proposal.

Cross-regional consortia (consortia spanning over several administrative regions, including cross-border consortia) must have organisations acting in all regions they cover.

An efficient service delivery and coordination must be a determinant factor in establishing the adequate size of a consortium.

Geographic location (target countries):
Enterprise Europe Network is expected to be present in all regions of the European Union, including outermost regions, and the other countries associated to the Single Market Programme to provide its services in close proximity to SMEs.

Each proposal must refer to a clearly defined geographic area. The NUTS classification with the administrative division of the EU and its partner countries can be used for the purpose.

The typical area covered by a proposal corresponds to NUTS1 administrative regions. While consortia are expected to serve the entire area covered by them, individual members of a consortium may be assigned smaller geographic areas (i.e. at NUTS2 level) provided this does not result in any service gaps in the geographic area covered by the proposal.

Should the NUTS1 level not correspond to domestic structures, coverage of alternative geographic areas of comparable size may be considered.

Provided this contributes to a higher efficiency and accessibility to the Network services for SMEs, the following options can be envisaged:

• Consortia in smaller countries with several NUTS1 regions may be formed on a nationwide principle.
• Cross-regional consortia may be acceptable in larger countries.
• Consortia may also be cross-border, i.e. cover administrative regions in more than one country.

In all cases, proposals are expected to cover geographically coherent areas enabling broadest access to SMEs and delivery of the full range of Network services. The suggested approach should be clearly explained in the proposal.

For help related to this call, please contact: EISMEA-SMP-COSME-ENQUIRIES@ec.europa.eu

• Funding&Tenders
• Call document