Useful links

The Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) aims to encourage the competitiveness of European enterprises. It is made up of three specific subprogrammes, putting the emphasis on entrepreneurship, industrial competitiveness and innovation, information and communication technology (ICT) and sustainable energy.

Cordis, the Community Research and Development Information Service, offers a wide range of information on EU research and innovation policies, EU funding programmes, initiatives, potential partners, as well as on previous and on-going projects.

DG Enterprise and Industry's online magazine provides regular updates on policy development, legislative proposals and their adoption, and on the implementation and review of regulation affecting enterprises. Articles cover issues related to SMEs, such as innovation, entrepreneurship, the single market for goods, competitiveness, environmental protection, better regulation and industrial policies.

The Enterprise Europe Network is an extensive network providing a wide range of services to SMEs, entrepreneurs and others helping them to access market information, overcome legal obstacles and identify potential business partners across Europe, including innovation support and transnational technology transfer services.

EUREKA is a pan-European network for market-oriented, industrial research and development. It aims to enhance European competitiveness by supporting businesses, research centres and universities which carry out pan-European projects to develop innovative products, processes and services.

Europe INNOVA aims to identify and analyse the drivers and barriers to innovation within specific sectors, to lead to sound and targeted support policy measures. It brings together public and private innovation support providers such as innovation agencies, technology transfer offices, business incubators, financing intermediaries, cluster organisations and others.

The European Business Test Panel (EBTP) is a tool allowing the European Commission to obtain direct feedback from businesses on the Commission's legislative proposals or initiatives likely to have an impact on businesses.

The EU approach stresses the need for common strategies that promote European principles and long-term goals. From the start of the storm, the union has played a key role in coordinating national positions – both within Europe and at the international level.

The Directorate General for Education and Culture aims to reinforce and promote lifelong learning, linguistic and cultural diversity, mobility and the active involvement of European citizens, in particular the young.

The Directorate General for Regional Policy aims to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing disparities between the levels of development of regions and countries of the European Union.

The Research Directorate General of the European Commission aims to develop the European Union's policy in the field of research and technological development and thereby contribute to the international competitiveness of European industry.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) aims to favour European sustainable economic growth and competitiveness through the stimulation of world-leading innovation. Next to and beyond research and technology, EIT focuses on education, business creation and entrepreneurship and how to make optimum use of these in relation to European innovation.

This European Commission portal provides information on EU policies, programmes and initiatives to help SMEs.

The Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) is managing programmes and initiatives on behalf of the Commission.

Gate2Growth, the Pan-European Gateway to Business and Innovation Financing, aims to support innovative entrepreneurs in Europe as well as assist Innovation Professionals in improving their capacity to assist entrepreneurs by fostering networking and the exchange of experience and good practice at European level.

The IPR Helpdesk offers the information and resources necessary to help you with one of the key parts of your EU-funded project, the management of Intellectual Property (IP).

The Innovating Regions in Europe (IRE) Network was set up by the Commission in the '90s and is open to all European regions committed to developing their regional innovation systems.

The OECD assesses how science, technology, innovation and education policies may effectively contribute to sustainable economic growth and employment creation.

PRO INNO Europe® is an initiative of Directorate General Enterprise and Industry which aims to become the focal point for innovation policy analysis, learning and development in Europe, with the view to learning from the best and contributing to the development of new and better innovation policies in Europe.

ProTon Europe is the pan-European network of Knowledge Transfer Offices (KTOs) and companies affiliated to universities and other Public Research Organisations (PROs).

SOLVIT is an on-line problem solving network helping businesses to find concrete solutions to cross-border problems that arise from public authorities not applying EU single market rules correctly.

The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) brings all research-related EU initiatives together under a common banner, and plays a key role in achieving the goals of growth, competitiveness and employment. It is divided into four specific programmes corresponding to the four main objectives of EU research policy: Cooperation, Ideas, People and Capacities.