Events to look out for
Delivering Europe's Digital Transformation — 21 March, Brussels, Belgium.The event will focus on the next challenges of the digital economy and disrupting innovation. It provides an opportunity for networking with attendees from a diverse range of organisations working in the digital ecosystem: large corporations, small companies, leading technical universities and decision makers from the EU institutions.
Webinar: Protecting your Intellectual Property in Latin America — 5 April, 14:00 CET. This free webinar will give an overview to European small businesses on how they can best protect their Intellectual Property (IP) on Latin-American markets. The experts will provide practical information on how to register, protect and enforce trade mark rights in the region.
Funding available
Commission to invest over €103 million in 71 innovative companies under the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument. 71 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from 22 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of the Horizon2020 SME Instrument Phase 2. Could your business qualify for this type of funding? Ask your local Enterprise Europe Network contact point: the next cut-off for SME Instrument Phase 2 is on 6 April 2017.
Investment Plan for Europe unlocks EUR 100 million for SMEs in Czech Republic. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Česká spořitelna a.s. (CSAS) have signed an agreement to provide EUR 100 million worth of financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Czech-Republic. This agreement was made possible by the support of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).
EU policies for better business
Better Regulation: A 'one-stop-shop' for citizen contributions to the Commission's law-making process. The European Commission launched on 1 March a new web portal for citizens and businesses to have their say throughout the EU policy-making cycle. There is now a single web portal where feedback will be collected on all new initiatives from the initial stage all the way through to legislative proposals. This portal will also be the place for suggestions on making existing EU law more effective and efficient and reducing unnecessary burdens.
EU and New Zealand move a step further in expanding trade links. A meeting in Brussels last week marked the end of preparatory talks for potential EU-New Zealand trade negotiations. As a next step, the European Commission will ask Member States to negotiate on behalf of the EU with a view to reach a trade agreement. Any potential deal to be reached would aim to further deepen the trade and investment relationship already established with New Zealand.
Get involved
Public Consultation on the special scheme for small enterprises under the VAT Directive. This consultation aims at obtaining the views of stakeholders on the current VAT (Value-Added Tax) provisions for small companies and their application in the EU; as well as possible changes to the VAT provisions for small businesses. The results will feed into the review of the VAT SME scheme. The consultation is open until 20 March 2017. What is the VAT Directive?
The 2017 European Social Innovation Competition is open! Does your company have an idea to help people seize the digital revolution? Enter the European Social Innovation Competition and win EUR 50,000 to turn your idea into reality. Applications are accepted until 7 April 2017.