This month, the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Programme has reached a significant milestone. Having been launched by the European Commission (EC) in 2007 as a pilot project, the programme has now involved 2 600 entrepreneurs, corresponding to 1 300 exchanges between new and experienced entrepreneurs.

The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs consists of exchanges bringing together new entrepreneurs – individuals firmly planning to create their own business or having already done so in the previous three years – and experienced entrepreneurs – individuals who own or manage a small or a medium-sized enterprise in the European Union. The exchanges can take from one to six months and aim to support the new entrepreneurs in the start of the new business, to facilitate networking and international cooperation.

According to the EC, 93% of new entrepreneurs and 86% of host entrepreneurs that have participated in the programme considered the exchange to be beneficial for the development of their business. The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Programme is currently part of the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) and is foreseen to continue under the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME), to run between 2014 and 2020.

European Commission

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Programme