Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

European Enterprise Awards 2011 - "Rewarding excellence in entrepreneurship promotion"

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NEWS

The next edition of the European Enterprise Awards will be launched at the end of 2011 as the awards ceremony will be held in November 2012 in Cyprus, co-hosted by the EU Cyprus Presidency. The 2012 awards ceremony will part of the first SME Assembly which will bring together representatives of business organisations and the National SME Envoys to discuss small business policy and the implementation of the Small Business Act.

The 5^th edition of the European Enterprise Awards recognised and awarded Europe’s best initiatives at a prestigious ceremony hosted by Commissioner Antonio Tajani in Budapest on 24 May 2011.
Read about the ceremony’s highlights and find out about the winners! See the press release here. The EEA winners from the previous editions have sent us valuable feedback updating us on their initiatives and telling us how winning EEA awards impacted them. Read more here. [3 MB]

A total of 399 projects competed in national competitions within 29 European countries for the 5th anniversary of the EEA. Of the 399 projects, 54 selected entries competed at European level in the competition.

Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship

The European Enterprise Awards have been organised by DG Enterprise since 2006 to identify and reward excellence among public authorities in promoting entrepreneurship and small business at national, regional and local level. Every year more than 300 initiatives in each of the participating countries (the EU member states and Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Serbia and Turkey) compete in the national rounds of the competition. A high-level European jury selects the best entries which are announced at a special ceremony to which all national nominees are invited.

The exchange of good practice and experience triggered by the European Enterprise Awards has fulfilled its primary objectives, which are:

To identify and recognise successful activities and initiatives undertaken to promote enterprise and entrepreneurship
To showcase and share examples of best entrepreneurship policies and practices
To create a higher awareness of the role entrepreneurs play in society
To encourage and inspire potential entrepreneurs

The 2011 EEA Winners
A special ceremony in the prestigious Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest set the scene for the 2011 European Enterprise Awards. Hosted by the Commissioner of Enterprise and Industry Antonio Tajani and Dr. Zoltán Cséfalvay, Minister of State for National Economy and SME Envoy, Hungary, the 24 May 2011 event was the 5th such edition to recognise and award the best and most innovative initiatives across Europe. Over 350 guests, including the 2011 national candidates and winners from the previous editions of the European Enterprise Awards attended the ceremony which was moderated by the Hungarian journalist Krisztina D. Tóth. The Jury’s Grand Prize this year was presented to Barcelona Activa, for its Entrepreneurship Centre which has coached more than 134.000 entrepreneurs and has helped the creation of more than 6,000 new companies. Turkey, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy and Hungary received prizes in the other five categories. The winners of the European Enterprise Awards 2011

The 2011 EEA Winners

A special ceremony in the prestigious Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest set the scene for the 2011 European Enterprise Awards. Hosted by the Commissioner of Enterprise and Industry Antonio Tajani and Dr. Zoltán Cséfalvay, Minister of State for National Economy and SME Envoy, Hungary, the 24 May 2011 event was the 5th such edition to recognise and award the best and most innovative initiatives across Europe. Over 350 guests, including the 2011 national candidates and winners from the previous editions of the European Enterprise Awards attended the ceremony which was moderated by the Hungarian journalist Krisztina D. Tóth.

The Jury’s Grand Prize this year was presented to Barcelona Activa, for its Entrepreneurship Centre which has coached more than 134.000 entrepreneurs and has helped the creation of more than 6,000 new companies.

Turkey, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy and Hungary received prizes in the other five categories.

The winners of the European Enterprise Awards 2011

The 2011 European Enterprise Awards winners are:

Grand Jury’s Prize
Barcelona Activa - With its mission to transform entrepreneurship and business growth in Barcelona, the entrepreneurship centre set up by the Barcelona City Council acts as a reference point and hub for entrepreneurs. Using an innovative model of online and on-site services it trains and coaches hundreds of thousands of potential entrepreneurs and has helped create more than 6,000 new companies, Spain
(More Information)

Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Together we can do more! Beekeeping, Honey Production, Forest and Sustainable Development - Capitalising on the discovery of a unique bee race by training disadvantaged groups in beekeeping to improve the local economic and social situation, Düzce University, Turkey
(More Information)

Investing in Skills
Centre for Amsterdam Schools for Entrepreneurship (CASE) - Multidisciplinary entrepreneurship education through real-life practice in all faculties and all levels of study for local university students, Amsterdam Centre for Entrepreneurship, the Netherlands
(More Information)

Improving the Business Environment
E-factory - Stimulating rural entrepreneurship through e-trade and innovative micro-investment system, The Uppsala Regional Council, Sweden
(More Information)

Supporting the Internationalisation of Business
Rethinking the Product - Internationalising local businesses by stimulating product experimentation to create prototypes which are presented at international events and fairs, Chamber of Commerce of Prato, Italy
(More Information)

Responsible and Inclusive Entrepreneurship
The Hotel Panda - in Budapest uses a unique training and employment model to integrate disabled people into the business world, Hungary
(More Information)

The Jury's special mention has been awarded to:

"Mentoring for Migrants", an initiative which supports qualified workers of ethnic background with their integration into the Austrian labour market.
(More Information)

Previous winners 2006 – 2010
Winners 2006	Winners 2007
Winners 2008/2009	Winners 2010