Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs

How to make the EU more entrepreneurial

2016 Call for Proposals

(COS-EYE-FPA-2016-4-01)

Info Day, 19 February 2016, Brussels

European Commission, DG GROW

Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME)

Order of events

• 1. What is Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs?

• 2. How does it work?

• 3. Call objectives and the role of the EASME

• 4. Admissibility, eligibility, exclusion, exclusion, selection and award criteria, financial provisions

• 5. Tips and tricks for successful proposal submission

Part 1

What is Erasmus for Young

Entrepreneurs ?

Erasmus for

Young Entrepreneurs facilitates:

exchange of experiences

learning & networking

for New Entrepreneurs

through time spent

with Experienced Host Entrepreneurs

in another country

Benefits for Host & New Entrepreneurs

• Get experience & advice from seasoned entrepreneur

• Develop international contacts

• Get knowledge about foreign markets

• Providers, clients, co-venturing opportunities

• Access new skills and innovative knowledge

• Work with a fresh mind contributing new ideas

• Gain 'intelligence 'about foreign markets

• Establish new business partnerships with entrepreneurs from other countries

Benefits for New Entrepreneurs

Benefits for Host Entrepreneurs

"Give 1h to New Entrepreneur

you get 2h back"

"Concrete EU programme with concrete results"

"Possibility to apply and develop skills in practice

– for both sides"

Testimonies:

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – Definition of strategic and financial framework

EASME - Contracting Authority and grant management

SUPPORT OFFICE – day-to-day operational management

EYE - general framework

Key figures and impact

EYE Growth path based on completed relationships by year

(For 2016 - matches in execution included)

Exchanges

2009 54

2010 310

2011 626

2012 1157

2013 2022

2014

3000

2015 3535

2016 3678

Achievements:

Addressing Europe's challenges:

o youth unemployment

o delivers tangible entrepreneurial education & showcases role models

o offers practical support to SMEs

o strengthens Single Market connections

Excellent Feedback from both New & Host Entrepreneurs:

o reinforced entrepreneurial attitudes, more new businesses

o new practical skills, knowledge, ideas

o networking, new markets, internationalisation

o more resilient companies, further business development , innovation

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs

2009-2015 Achievements:

Successful proof of concept

39 M EUR in 8 Calls (2016 call open until 5 April)

3700 exchanges (i.e. 7400 entrepreneurs involved)

12000 entrepreneurs in the database (leading: IT, ES, UK, DE, FR)

Intermediary Organisations: 212 in 31 countries (26 EU + 5 other COSME Participating Countries)

Challenges and Next steps:

By 2020 – 10 000 exchanges

COSME (Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs) funding: Objective 4 on "Promoting entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial culture"

Original EYE funding: EUR 55,3 M

Externalisation – EASME (Executive Agency for Small and medium sized enterprises)

Upcoming discussion on next strategic steps – COSME committee to be consulted

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs

Part 2

How does it work?

Main Actors Involved

European Commission

(EC)

EASME

Support Office (SO)

Intermediary Organisations (IOs)

Host Entrepreneurs (HEs)

New Entrepreneurs (NEs)

14

Online Application

Matching

Contracting & Preparing

Stay abroad

Feedback

& Payment

NE – New Entrepreneur HE – Host Entrepreneur IO – Intermediary Organisation

5 Steps of the exchange:

STEP 1: Online application

1. Application from NE (needs: business plan, CV, motivation);

OR

1. HE states interest to participate (needs: CV and motivation);

2. Applications checked by IO;

> Admission to on-line catalogue How to apply? :

www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu

NE – New Entrepreneur HE – Host Entrepreneur IO – Intermediary Organisation

STEP 2: Searching & Matching

1. Entrepreneurs search for partners - on-line-catalogue, themselves

2. IOs contact other IOs in other countries to "recruit" a suitable Entrepreneur

3. Automatic matching based on profiles

> Proposals are established

STEP 3: Contracting and preparation

1. Negotiations on duration, objectives and content

> NOT traineeship!

2. Agreement on the content of the exchange

3. NE does pre-departure induction

4. NE receives a grant

STEP 4: Stay abroad

1. Duration: 1-6 months;

2. On-the-job , Peer-to-peer training, working on concrete projects

3. On-site support provided to the NE by the Host IO

4. Reporting about the exchange.

STEP 5: Feedback and final payment

1. Electronic feedback questionnaires for HE and NE

2. Final payment to NE upon successful completion of stay

3. Re-insertion of HE into the catalogue (if inter-ested to continue)

Country where the NE stays Unit costs per month in €

Denmark 1100

United Kingdom, Ireland 1000

Finland, Sweden 950

Austria, France, Iceland, Italy 900

Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain 830

Cyprus, Greece, Portugal 780

Turkey 750

Croatia, Malta, Slovenia 720

Estonia, Hungary 670

Czech Republic, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Armenia 610

Bulgaria, FYROM, Lithuania, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia-

Herzegovina

560

Albania, Moldova, Ukraine 530

Entrepreneurs from/to: Outermost Regions, Overseas Countries and

Territories + Entrepreneurs with special needs

1100

Thank you!

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs DG Internal market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs GROW-ERASMUS-TEAM@ec.europa.eu

•Part 3

•Call objectives and the role of the EASME

The role of the EASME

• -Commission Decision on the delegation of programme management tasks to executive agencies

• -EASME = successor of the EACI with extended mandate (since 2014)

• -Implementation of large parts of several EU funding programmes, including COSME

• -Management of the EYE programme (grants, Support Office etc.)

• ->> EASME is the contracting authority

EYE programme: division of tasks

European Commission → Policy making, IT tool

EASME → Grant Management: contractual issues,

amendments, payments etc. (since 2014); Support Office contract management; contribution to IT tool

Support Office: day-to-day operational management of the programme

The 2016 call objectives: The overall objectives

- Strengthening the network of Intermediary Organisations implementing the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme across Europe through long-term partnerships (Framework Partnership Agreements, FPA)

=> selection of new consortia (so-called European Partnerships) which will act as Intermediary Organisations (IOs) to implement the programme across Europe on the basis of Specific Agreements (SGAs)

Framework Partnership (FPA) vs. Specific Agreements (SGA) (1)

FPA = (legal) framework and basic contents; no budget; overall strategy and methodology how to implement future EYE projects

SGA = implementation of projects, based on work programmes that specify the agreed content of the FPAs; budget included; deliverables, milestones etc.

Framework Partnership (FPA) vs. Specific Agreements (SGA) (2)

Legal instruments to implement long-term partnerships:

FPA: long-term cooperation with partners who may be potential beneficiaries; applicants submit an "implementation strategy" (it is about the "how", proof of capacity, and the methodology)

SGA: specific agreements of limited duration to implement EYE projects based on detailed "work programmes"

2016 call order of events

• 1) Call for FPAs: After submission selection of best proposals -> grant agreements (FPAs) without budget

• 2) Based on that selection, invitation of FPA awardees to submit "work programmes" for 1st SGA projects -> Specific Agreements (budget)

• 3) FPA is a pre-condition to be invited to submit SGA proposals

The 2016 call objectives: Specific objectives

Expected results by January 2019 (after 1st SGA):

• - Approx. 2400 entrepreneurs matched;

• - Approx. 5500 entrepreneurs registered;

• - Approx. 120 Intermediary Organisations involved in the implementation of the programme;

• - At least 28 countries covered;

• - Rate of successful exchanges above 90%. - (in accordance with the COSME Work Programme 2016)

The 2016 call objectives Expected results at project level

• Key objectives under FPAs:

• – Organising at least 110 exchanges between new or as host entrepreneurs (HE/NE) per year

• – Offering assistance and support to NEs who are visiting a HE covered by the Intermediary Organisation, including the financial assistance

Indicative timetable for FPA call

•

Stages Dates

a) Publication of the call 22/01/2016

b) Deadline for submitting applications 05/04/2016 17:00h Brussels time

c) Evaluation period (FPA) April - June 2016

d) Information to applicants June 2016

e) Signature of grant agreements August/September 2016

f) Starting date of the action Upon agreement signature

g) Duration of FPAs 5 years

Indicative timetable for invitation to submit SGAs (2017-2019)

•

Stages Dates

Invitation to FPA awardees

Deadline for submitting proposals

September 2016

October 2016

Evaluation period October/November 2016

Information to applicants November 2016

Signature of SGAs January 2017

Starting date of the action 01/02/2017

Part 4 a)

Admissibility, eligibility,

exclusion, selection,

award criteria

34

Eligibility - Who can participate in the call? • -public or private legal entities;

Non-exhaustive list of applying entities:

• -Public entities responsible for or active in the fields of economic affairs, enterprise, business support or related issues,

• - Regional development agencies,

• -Chambers of commerce and industry, chambers of handicrafts or similar bodies,

• -Business support organisations, start-up centres, incubators, technology parks etc., business associations and business support networks,

• - Universities or VET institutes.

Admissibility: Electronic Submission

Proposals should be submitted electronically via the Participants Portal (COS-EYE-FPA-2016-4-01)

Submitted proposals can be updated until the closure of the call: it is recommended to submit a draft and modify, if need be.

Do not wait until the last moment to submit your proposal: NO submissions after submission deadline. System overload does not overrule deadline for submission.

Admissibility

(date, time, e-submission)

Eligibility (consortium composition,

legal status, 1 proposal per organisation,

geography, EYE experienced vs

new, etc.)

Exclusion

(declaration on honour, bankruptcy

etc.)

Selection

(financial and

operational capacity)

Award

(quality criteria, ranking, reserve)

37

The Successive Stages of the Selection Process

Award Criteria

Criteria Maximum Score

Relevance 30

Quality 30

Impact on target audience 20

Resource effectiveness 20

Minimum score: overall score of 70% + 50% of each criterion.

For details please check the award criteria in the Call text (section 9).

Key Questions… (1)

…and Answers (1)

Which countries can participate?

EU Member States and countries participating in COSME

Which consortia can apply?

Consortium composed of 5-10 legal entities from at least 5 different COSME participating countries. Half of the consortium members must have 4 years of experience implementing EYE. No more than 2 from the same country.

Which activities will be supported?

Intermediary Organisations have the task to enhance and facilitate the mobility of new entrepreneurs.

How long will the project last?

The FPA will last from 2016 to 2021 (legal frame). The 1st SGA project will span a time frame of 24 months (1/02/17-31/01/19).

Key Questions… (2) …and Answers (2)

How does the electronic submission work?

Following the link at the Participants Portal, fill in the templates online (Part A), download other documents, fill and upload them (Part B).

When will the submission be available?

It will be available shortly.

Who is the applicant under this call?

All partners in a joint proposal are considered applicants. The coordinator submits the proposal.

What will happen to the EYE programme in the future?

The EYE programme continues to be financed under COSME beyond 2016.

Participation of all partners in Networking Meetings in Brussels (starting February/March 2017) + separate training for Newcomers

Mid-term review meetings

(in case of convocation by the EASME, all partners in the consortium are requested to attend)

41

Essentials meetings to be attended during implementation of SGAs

Six-monthly progress reports

Final Technical Implementation Report and Financial Statement

42

Main Contractual Deliverables (SGA, tbc)

Part 4 b)

Financial Provisions for

future SGAs (tbc)

43

Total EU budget 2016: €6 800 000

(+budget 2017)

Maximum funding per future SGA

project: €800 000

Estimated number of

FPA awardees: 15-

30

44

NO Budget foreseen for FPAs, but for SGAs

Maximum EC contribution is

90% of the total eligible costs

EC reimburses 100% of financial assistance paid to

NEs – with a maximum of

€6,600 per NE

Management costs are

reimbursed up to a maximum

of 75%

45

Financial Framework for IOs

Financial Assistance to New Entrepreneurs

During the implementation of SGAs, financial assistance to New Entrepreneurs will have to be respected.

The Quality Manual, Annex 1, specifies the maximum monthly allowances by host country.

Payments to European Partnerships

Payments Conditions

Pre-financing FPA: none SGA: as indicated in the Specific Agreement

Final Payment (of balance) SGA: On the basis of the approved final report and the financial statements

Part 5

Tips and Tricks for successful submission

How to find a Project Partner?

TEAM-UP TO BUILD A CONSORTIUM!

Enterprise Europe Network: http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm

Network of Intermediary Organisations including all those that ever participated in the programme:

http://www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu/page.php?cid=5

Electronic submission…

…via the Participants Portal Part A

• (1) General information - including a short abstract of the proposal and declarations on behalf of the consortium partners;

• (2) Administrative data of participating organisations;

• Upload PDFs only!

Part B

• Templates available:

• - Implementation Strategy (Technical Annex 1);

• - Declaration regarding the submission of ONE proposal only;

- No budget template for FPA call!

- No CVs!

Do’s and Don’t’s!!! (1)

Do not forget to include to define intermediate targets throughout the duration of the implementation strategy (FPA)

No detailed budget required.

This call does not ask for submission of any CVs. However, the

implementation strategy requires information on the project

experience and competence of the staff proposed and their

role in the project. In particular for the coordinator: the time

for the overall coordination of the European Partnerships

should not be underestimated.

4-years of EYE experience: the coordinator and half of the consortium members must have 4 years of experience with implementing EYE. It is counted at the level of legal entity.

Do’s and Don’t’s!!! (2)

Check the completeness of your proposal (all parts … from all partners)! Each partner can only participate in 1 (!) project proposal.

Use the programme's Quality Manual but DO NOT ‘copy paste’. Do not reinvent tools which are already available but get inspired and specify HOW you intend to do it.

Get acquainted with the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Programme – Website, Quality Manual, User Manuals etc.

Clearly describe the division of tasks and responsibilities between partners in the project proposal.

Further Information

Call related documents: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/cos-eye-fpa-2016-4-01-erasmus-young-entrepreneurs

Link to Electronic Submission system also available in this website (shortly)

Dedicated Programme website: www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu

Contact:

European Commission

Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME)

Unit A1: COSME

B-1210 Brussels/Belgium

Email: easme-cosme-eye-call@ec.europa.eu

,

Thank you for your attention!

QUESTIONS?