Call: Cooperation with the European Trade Promotion Organisations

COSME is the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) running from 2014 to 2020 with a planned budget of 2.3 bn. €.

Accessing finance

COSME aims to make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access finance in all phases of their lifecycle – creation, expansion, or business transfer. Thanks to EU support, businesses have easier access to guarantees, loans and equity capital. EU ‘financial instruments’ are channelled through local financial institutions in EU countries. To find a financial institution in your country, visit the Access to Finance portal.

Opening markets

COSME helps businesses to access markets in the EU and beyond. It funds the Enterprise Europe Network that helps SMEs find business and technology partners, and understand EU legislation; the Your Europe Business portal that provides practical information on doing business within Europe; and the SME Internationalisation Portal for companies who want to develop their activities outside Europe. It also finances a number of IPR (intellectual property rights) SME Helpdesks.

Supporting entrepreneurs

COSME supports entrepreneurs by strengthening entrepreneurship education, mentoring, guidance and other support services. Actions support specific groups who may find it difficult to reach their full potential, such as young people, women and senior entrepreneurs. The programme also aims to help businesses access opportunities offered by digital technologies.

Improving business conditions

COSME aims to reduce the administrative and regulatory burden on SMEs by creating a business-friendly environment. COSME also supports businesses to be competitive by encouraging them to adopt new business models and innovative practices. This complements actions in areas with high growth potential such as the tourism sector.  

With this action, the European Commission aims to achieve two objectives:

•  a gradual development of co-operation projects with the national Trade Promotion Organisations, as well a strengthening of the European Trade Promotion Organisations network; 
•  a closer collaboration with  EU Member States and their Trade Promotion Organisations in the framework of the Missions for Growth and other internationalisation activities of the European Commission.

?

This action includes three strands:

1. To enhance cooperation among the trade promotion organisations and with the European Commission (setting up a European agenda);
2. To assist to the organisation of future Missions for Growth and their follow up via the network of national trade promotion organisations; 
3. To develop of a web-based instrument that can be of use to both national trade promotion organisations and the European Commission in order to map the international trade promotion activities inside and outside the EU.     

The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) manages COSME on behalf of the European Commission.