• Number: 202/PP/ENT/CIP/12/C/N01C031

The two lots are:

• Lot 1:  Connecting SMEs to the Digital Market: fostering the knowledge base on Digital Entrepreneurship in Europe
• Lot 2:  Stimulating industrial innovation in the construction sector through smart use of ICT:  connecting SMEs in digital value chains

Tenderers may tender for one or both lots.

The aim of the first lot is to foster the knowledge base on the state of play and evolution of Digital Entrepreneurship in Europe. It will set-up a monitoring mechanism to follow-up, measure and appraise the key trends in Digital Entrepreneurship, including information and communication technologies, emerging market needs, new business paradigms and their impact on the European economy. It will also establish a Digital Entrepreneurship Scoreboard to measure progress at national and EU level, as well as a policy Forum to exchange experience and best practices and coordinate smart policy action. The objective is to facilitate favourable framework conditions for Digital Entrepreneurship, identify new business opportunities for SMEs and entrepreneurs and establish an Action Plan with suitable support measures to boost entrepreneurial action in the Digital Era.

The aim of the second lot is to improve the competitiveness and efficiency of the construction industry in Europe by stimulating an innovative and seamless use of ICT along their value chains. In particular, SMEs are at the centre of interest of this action, as the objective is to facilitate the participation of SMEs in global digital value networks and enable them to become international business partners. More specifically, the actions will complete a framework for interoperability among different ICT solutions and systems, building on existing communication platforms, ICT systems and standardisation work and joining them in a seamless architecture at European and/or international level. Its ultimate objective is to create an innovative, seamless eBusiness environment that would stimulate and enable the uptake of ICT and eBusiness technologies, notably by SMEs, in the construction sector, a highly SME-intensive sector, hard hit by the current economic downturn in Europe.

Important

Please note that from 1 January 2012, all tendering documents relating to DG Enterprise are published through a Commission-wide unique platform called "eTendering". Consequently, the tendering documents will not be published here any more.

If you are interested in this call, please use this link to get access to all tender documents.

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