Events to look out for
Webinar: Funding and grants for eInvoicing – 5 July, 10:00 CET. This live webinar is an opportunity to know more about the grant funding available to implement eInvoicing projects that aim to support public and private entities to comply with the European standard on eInvoicing.
Twitter chat: How to create and implement a digital transformation strategy in a traditional SME? – 30 June 16:00 CET. Watify, an EU funded initiative to boost technological transformation, is hosting a Twitter chat with Jo Caudron on how to transform your traditional small business into a fully digital one.
Funding available
New features on the European Investment Project Portal (EIPP) allow for funding of smaller projects. The EIPP has launched new features to allow even smaller projects to get funded. The new minimum project size is set at EUR 1 million and the publication of projects is now free to all project promoters (public or private). Additionally, project promoters can now register and look for investors online via the MyEIPP application.
Juncker Plan: EUR 50 million for Italian SMEs. The EU has backed a European Investment Fund (EIF) loan agreement with Valsabbina, an Italian bank, to unlock EUR 50 million for an estimated 150 small businesses in the next years.
Romania implements SME Initiative: EUR 540 million available for SMEs. New agreements forged last week with five Romanian banks aim to facilitate access to finance for small businesses by providing a 60% guarantee on each loan. The SME Initiative is managed by the EIB Group (European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund), the Government of Romania and the European Commission.
EU policies for better business
Agreement reached on better protection of consumers. Last week, the European Parliament and European Council reached a political agreement on the EU Commission's proposal to improve the EU-wide cooperation mechanism for consumer protection. These new rules will introduce a quick and more efficient cross-border cooperation mechanism between the national enforcers. Learn more in this factsheet.
Commission moves ahead on new transparency rules for tax planning intermediaries. The European Commission proposed last week tough new transparency rules for intermediaries – such as tax advisors, accountants, banks and lawyers – who design and promote tax planning schemes for their clients.
Get involved
Entrepreneur with a strong business idea but no business plan yet? Get engaged with Europe’s largest thematic innovation networks and learn how to develop and improve your business plan. Applications are open until 30 June 2017.
Did you know?
Innovation: Europe is on right track but significant differences still exist among Member States. Sweden continues to lead the innovation scoreboard in the European Union. Overall, the EU is catching up with Canada and the US in terms of innovation performance, with innovation improving in 15 out of 28 Member States last year. Learn more about the 2017 annual Innovation Scoreboard.