Call: Tourism 2017

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.  

• Support growth and job creation in tourism and Cultural and Creative Industries;
• Stimulate competitiveness of the tourism industry, innovation, diversification and valorisation of European tourism offer;
• Develop and enhance synergies between tourism and CCIs;
• Create a favourable framework to SME’s cooperation;
• Foster transnational cooperation of all actors along the tourism value chain;
• Facilitate long-term European public-private partnerships.

• Public authorities and their networks or associations at European, international, national, regional and local level or organisations acting on behalf of a public authority
• Managing authorities of UNESCO cultural sites
• Training or educational institutions including universities, research centres
• Chambers of commerce and industry, chambers of handicrafts or similar bodies and their umbrella Associations
• Destination management organisations and their networks/associations
• Travel Agents and Tour Operators and their umbrella associations
• NPOs/NGOs, civil society organisations, foundations, think-tanks, umbrella associations, networks or federations of public or private bodies, whose core activity falls under tourism, CCIs
• International, European and national organisations/associations
• Micro, Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) acting in the tourism or CCIs sectors

• one managing authority of a UNESCO cultural site included in the World Heritage list. The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate the direct link between the UNESCO cultural site and the managing authority. In case the UNESCO cultural site is a collective World Heritage listing, the managing authority of one (or more) of these sites (but not necessarily all) would also be eligible; and
• one SME – Small and Medium Sized enterprise - acting in the tourism or the CCIs subsector cultural heritage; and
• one national or regional or local public authority.

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