Enterprise European Network Activity 3: network development and capacity building

Before you continue your reading, check the previous articles on Enterprise European Network to make sure you have all the information needed on this matter:

–EEN: Support to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Europe

–EEN Activity 1: Provision of value-added services to clients

–EEN Activity 2: Network promotion and communication

Introduction

Active support and communication between the Network partners is a key factor for the quality and success of its operation and development, and follows a client-centred approach, whereby services are designed from the client’s perspective, where a central point is the identification of the needs and follow-up of the individual client. This approach aims to create a positive experience for businesses, maximising quality and building relationships, and achieving concrete success for SMEs in terms of impact.

Enterprise European Network Activity 3: Network development and capacity building

 With this concept of active support and communication synergies between partners, Activity 3 is meant to be developed in all proposals.

For such Network Development and Capacity Building, actions are related to increase the competences of the Network’s advisors, reflecting the fact that their strength lies in the professionalisation of each individual, as well as in fostering the Network’s common capital of knowledge and experience.

This way, this category boosts and expands the Network’s internal capital and knowledge, ensuring that current and new advisors adhere to the same EEN values, principles, quality standards and modus operandi.

Such objectives can be achieved through the development of the following activities:

• Participation in sectoral, thematic or other groups, organised by the Network, the Agency and/or the European Commission.
• Participation in centralised and de-centralised training, organised by the Agency or the European Commission
• Participation in staff exchanges and study visits approved by the Agency;
• Participation, as a beneficiary, in learning events, these being mentoring or coaching programmes provided by other Network partners
• Participation in national and regional meetings of Network staff
• Contribution to or participation in EU campaigns organised and led by the European Commission

Conclusions

It is essential that the proposals are designed to demonstrate and justify the training and capacity building actions of the professionals involved, as well as the exchange of knowledge and synergies with other consortia or clusters of the Network. This is how to achieve an optimal implementation of the programmes later on, after their approval and, beforehand, a good evaluation of the proposals.