Everywhere International SMEs

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The Everywhere International SMEs (EIS) project was formed out of a recognised regional and European need to encourage more SMEs to internationalise as a central pillar of the post crisis recovery to cement sustainable growth in the EU. The EU’s Single Market of 500 million consumers and the growing opportunities offered by the global economy provide Europe’s SMEs with huge potential if they push their business goals internationally. An estimated 90% of global growth originates outside the EU. Developing and emerging markets are expected to account for 60% of world GDP by 2030. There is huge potential for EU-based SMEs. SMEs are much more likely to survive in the globally competitive business climate if they internationalise. International SMEs are also more innovative than their stay-at-home cousins and more resistant to local and national crises. EIS brings together 9 partners from 7 regions to work on a 4 year project. EIS partners will develop the EIS tool, a 6 step methodology to help the participating regions develop robust Action Plans for their stakeholder groups to interrogate as the project unfolds. All partner regions will implement this common EIS tool in phase 2 as part of each Action Plan and apply the EIS tool within their Operational Programmes – an innovative approach for improving Operational Programmes and governance structures for improved policy implementation among the EIS partners. EIS has a very strong focus on European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) with a target impact of in total around €19.5 million of EIS partner regions’ ESIF programmes. EIS counts all 7 of its addressed policy instruments as being linked to Smart Specialisation Strategies. The repository of knowledge developed during the EIS project will be put at the disposal of all EU regions via the Interreg Europe programme and the relevant policy platform(s) by strong communication activities based on the EIS communication strategy.

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