The European exchange programme for Entrepreneurs
Erasmus for Young
Entrepreneurs helps provide aspiring European entrepreneurs
with the skills necessary to start and/or successfully run a small business in Europe. New entrepreneurs gather and exchange
knowledge and business ideas with an experienced entrepreneur,
with whom they stay and collaborate for a period of 1 to 6 months.
The stay is
partly financed by the European Commission.
Benefits
As a new entrepreneur, you will benefit from on-the-job training in a
small or medium-sized enterprise in another Participating Country. This will ease
the successful start of your
business or strengthen your new enterprise. You can also benefit from access to
new markets, international cooperation and potential possibilities for
collaboration with business partners abroad.
As a host entrepreneur, you can benefit from fresh ideas from a
motivated new entrepreneur on your business. He may have specialised skills or
knowledge in an area you do not master, which could also complement yours. Most
host entrepreneurs enjoyed the experience so much that they decide to host
other new entrepreneurs afterwards.
It is really a win-win collaboration whereby both of
you can also discover new European markets or business partners, different ways
of doing business.
On the longer-term, you will
benefit from wide networking opportunities, and, possibly, decide to continue
your collaboration, possibly as long-term business partners (e.g. joint
ventures, sub-contracting activities, contractor-supplier relationships, etc).
"Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs" is financed by the European Commission and operates across the Participating Countries with the help of the local contact points,
competent in business support (e.g. Chambers of Commerce, start-up
centres, incubators etc.). Their activities are coordinated at European
level by the Support Office of the Programme.
Application and participation in the programme are free of charge. No application or participation fees must be requested by any organisation.
Please read the programme guide (English) for more information on conditions of participation.
To ensure the integrity and successful operation of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme, the following rules apply to all participating entrepreneurs and exchanges.
Eligibility
- Entrepreneurs must fully comply with the programme’s eligibility criteria for both new and host entrepreneurs.
- Entrepreneurs must personally submit their application through the official programme platform. Applications submitted via external parties are not allowed and will result in exclusion from the programme and, if relevant, reimbursement of allowance received.
Use of the programme
- New entrepreneurs must use the financial assistance in line with the intentions of the programme, i.e. to cover the travel and subsistence costs abroad during the exchange.
- NEs are not explicitly prohibited from having an exchange in a country they have a past connection to, such as through studies or visits. However, the programme should not be misused, e.g. solely to return to their country of origin or a country where they have recently spent a prolonged period. Each case should be assessed individually, and if misuse is suspected, it should be carefully reviewed.
Quality of applications
- Only solid, well-developed applications that meet the programme quality standards can be accepted. Please refer to the programme application submission guidelines for more information.
Purpose of the exchange
- Host entrepreneurs must offer genuine entrepreneurial collaboration and cannot use the exchange as a source of unpaid labour or internships.
- New entrepreneurs must use the EYE exchange to support acquisition of business management skills and not as professional training, internship or a prolongation of a stay in a known workplace.
Eligibility of exchanges
- Exchanges must involve entrepreneurs without prior or planned business/professional relationships that would make the EYE exchange unnecessary.
- Relationships that are not permitted include (but are not limited to): Host entrepreneurs who are or will become co-owners or investors in the new entrepreneur’s business; New entrepreneurs who intend to open a branch of the host entrepreneur’s business; situations where the new entrepreneur has gained access to the host’s business premises through another programme or scholarship; family relationships, including relatives, spouses, partners, or family members of partners.
- Only relationships with clear added value of the programme to both businesses should be proposed.
Conflict of interest and prior relations
- All actors in the EYE programme must avoid any situation that could create a conflict of interest. Examples include (but are not limited to): Intermediary Organisation (IO) staff participating in the programme as entrepreneurs; IO staff assessing the quality of applications of entrepreneurs they have a relation to (friends, family members, etc.)
- Exchanges involving entrepreneurs with personal or pre-existing business relationships are not allowed
Simultaneous hosting in the same company
- Co-founders may both participate in the programme as host entrepreneurs but cannot simultaneously host different new entrepreneurs. Each exchange must occur at different times to ensure each NE receives sufficient attention and support. One host entrepreneur cannot host more than one new entrepreneur at the same time.
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