Support services for micro, small and sole proprietors businesses.
This initiative aims to identify and analyse external support services for the smallest businesses and to assess existing gaps between the needs of micro, small and sole proprietor businesses and the supply of tailor-made support services for these enterprises in the Member States of the European Union. The results of this evaluation will provide comprehensive elements for future policy actions aimed at supporting and reinforcing tailor-made support services for micro, small and sole proprietor businesses.
As a result of the invitation to tender published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (S 120-078119 of 14th June 2000), a consortium led by the Austrian Institute for Small Business Research (IfGH) in Vienna was selected to carry out this analysis.
Thus this initiative included two main parts:
Operational: the results of the study were presented and discussed during an international conference in Vienna on 11th and 12th April 2002.
Analytical: a methodological approach has been developed by IfGH in order to collect comprehensive, descriptive and analytical information on existing national and local support services, and national integrated systems of support services tailored to micro, small and sole proprietor businesses in all Member States of the European Union plus Norway. This information was gathered through various means such as:
- a comprehensive literature analysis,
- a telephone-survey in 1200 businesses from all Member States of the European Union plus Norway,
- 64 personal interviews with SME representatives and private consultants specialised in very small businesses and
- case studies in all participating countries in order to present in detail cases of good practice with regard to the provision of tailor-made support services to the smallest businesses
The specific needs of micro, small and sole proprietor businesses, with regard to external support and their potential mismatch with existing tailor-made support services, was then assessed. Consequently the study:
- Identifies and analyses external support services for the smallest businesses;
- Assesses existing gaps between the needs of micro, small and sole-proprietor businesses and the supply of tailor-made support services for these enterprises in the Member States of the European Union;
- Provides comprehensive elements for future policy actions aimed at supporting and reinforcing tailor-made support services for micro, small and sole-proprietor businesses.
The results of the study 
[144 KB] and the final report [598 KB] are now available, as well as the conclusions of the workshops and the individual country reports.
Further to the publication of the European study, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development [link http://www.parp.gov.pl] commissioned a similar study in order to assess the situation in Poland. Both the study and the conclusions of the conference held on 2 September 2003 in Warsaw are also available.
Conclusions of the workshops [151 KB]
Country Reports:
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Austria |
Italy |
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Belgium |
Luxembourg |
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Denmark |
Netherlands |
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Finland |
Norway |
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France |
Portugal |
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Germany |
Spain |
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Greece |
Sweden |
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Ireland |
United Kingdom |
