Programme: Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Global (traditional Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme to go to European entrepreneurs, check  here)

Place: USA (states of New York and Pennsylvania), Singapore or Israel

Duration: 1 – 3 month, any time

Participating countries: 27 European Union countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden), United Kingdom

Apply here: application form

Organizer: European Commission

Deadline to apply: the programme is on-going, thus applications are accepted continuously

Inquiries about the programme: support@erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu

Costs:

• the programme is funded by European Commission, thus participants receive a grant of €530-1100 / month (see below for exact amount, which is based on the country)
• Traveling is also fully funded.

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Global

Within EYE Global, collaboration between the two entrepreneurs takes place during a 1-3 month stay with the experienced entrepreneur, which helps the new entrepreneur acquire the skills needed to run a small firm. The host benefits from fresh perspectives on his/her business, cooperating with foreign partners, and learning about new markets.

The stay of the new entrepreneur is partly financed by the European Commission.

Who can participate?

• Experienced entrepreneurs who own and manage a Small or Medium-Sized Enterprise based in the USA (states of New York and Pennsylvania), Singapore or Israel
• New entrepreneurs, firmly planning to set up their own business or have less than 3 years of entrepreneurial experience

EYE Global is a pilot project financed by the European Commission to facilitate the exchange of European new entrepreneur and experienced host entrepreneurs in the USA, Singapore and Israel with the help of the local contact points, active the field of business support and entrepreneurship.

As a host entrepreneur (HE), you can benefit from fresh ideas from a motivated new entrepreneur on your business. He/she may have specialised skills or knowledge in an area that you do not master, which could also complement yours. You can also benefit from access to new markets, international cooperation and potential possibilities for collaboration with business partners abroad.

New entrepreneurs (NE), on the other hand, benefit from an experience in a small or medium-sized enterprise in a country outside of Europe. This will ease the successful start of their business or strengthen their new enterprise.

The exchange between the two entrepreneurs, which can last between 1-3 months, is a win-win collaboration whereby both of entrepreneurs can also discover new markets or business partners, as well as different ways of doing business.

The role of this contact points, also referred to as Intermediary Organisations (IOs), is to facilitate successful relationships between the new entrepreneurs and the host entrepreneur. To this end, they promote the programme, offer information, validate the applications, arrange contacts, support the drafting of the commitment for the exchange, and provide support for the stay. Every relationship between a new and a host entrepreneur needs two IOs (one as the contact IO for the NE and the other as the contact IO for the HE), as the NE and HE must be from different countries.

What are the steps to participate in the programme?

Step 1: Prepare your application, including a CV that demonstrates your entrepreneurial experience, and the motivation that you will outline in the online application;

Step 2: Register via the online form (link) and reach out to your local contact point;

Step 3: Once accepted, build a relationship with a European new entrepreneur (two options):
a) You look for a new entrepreneur in the online catalogue with the help of your local contact point, or
b) You suggest to your local contact point a new entrepreneur that you have come across outside of the catalogue, providing that there is no existing collaboration between the two of you.
Note that note that an exchange might not be considered as eligible is if is not in line with the programmes’ eligibility criteria for an exchange (e.g. internship, work placements, etc.)

Step 4: Reach an agreement with your new entrepreneur about the exchange and learning project (i.e. the dates, objectives and activity plan of the exchange) and submit the details to your local contact point.

It is important to keep in mind that the programme supports only entrepreneurial collaborations between to the individual entrepreneurs. Participation in the programme is an individual responsibility and cannot be delegated to others.

Step 5: Signature of Commitment to Quality: A Commitment to Quality, based on the agreed points from step 4, should be digitally signed in the IT Tool by all partners involved in the relationship.

Step 6: Start of the stay abroad: The duration of the exchange may be from 1 to 3 months, with the possibility of dividing the stay into multiple periods abroad (providing the time span does not exceed a total of 12 months);

Step 7: The financial assistance to the new entrepreneur will be provided in several payments, according to the agreement signed with the relevant local contact point.

Step 8: During the exchange, the collaboration will be monitored by the two IOs in order to ensure that it is implemented as agreed. Changes to the activity plan or the dates of the exchange may be possible, provided that all parties involved (NE, HE and both IOs) agree to the changes in advance.

Step 9: After the exchange, both entrepreneurs will need to respond to the online feedback questionnaire that will be available in the IT Tool.

Should a host entrepreneur wish to host again, he/she will be able to do so once the previous exchange has been successfully completed.

Can I apply as a host entrepreneur?

Registration guide to download here: Host entrepreneur registration guide-EYE-Global – abroadship.org

As a host entrepreneur you can participate in the programme if:

• Your company is registered in the USA, Singapore or Israel and you are residing in that country;
• You are the owner-manager of a small or medium enterprise OR a person directly involved in entrepreneurship at SME board level (not employee);
• You have more than 3 years of cumulative experience as an entrepreneur (owner-manager of own company, not employee);
• You are willing to share your knowledge and experience with a new entrepreneur and act as a mentor.

Benefits for host entrepreneurs

As a host entrepreneur participating in this pilot project, you will benefit from the exchange by having the opportunity to:

• Work with an energetic and motivated new entrepreneur who can contribute to your business with innovative views, new skills and knowledge;
• Benefit from a “fresh eye” on your business, and specialised knowledge that the new entrepreneur may have and that you do not master;
• Act as a coach or mentor;
• Learn about foreign markets, expand your business opportunities and engage in cross-border activities;
• Network and build strong relationships, which can be useful for mutual consulting, business referrals, and for finding business partners abroad;
• The large majority of host entrepreneurs in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme enjoyed the experience so much that they decided to host other new entrepreneurs afterwards!

Discover the benefits experienced by European host entrepreneurs in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs success stories.

Activities and responsibilities

As a participating host entrepreneur in the EYE Global project, you will have the following responsibilities:

• You must ensure the high quality of the learning experience and overall entrepreneurial collaboration with your new entrepreneur, who must gain insight to help ensure a viable business start-up;
• You are asked to sign an online “Commitment to Quality” document, which ensures the smooth collaboration with the new entrepreneur. Among others, it sets out the objectives of the stay and a proposed plan of activities during the stay. Note that this commitment is always based on the agreement of the new and host entrepreneur with regards to the exchange;
• You must inform the involved Intermediary Organisations in the event of any changes to your profile or to the implementation of the exchange;
• You must fill in an online feedback questionnaire after the exchange.

Local contact point

Your main contact throughout the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme will be your local contact point, which will help you with your application, help you establish a successful relationship with a suitable entrepreneur, and will provide you with the answers to your questions.

You should choose a local contact point which is active in your region or in your country of residence.

• USA (State of New York)

Unione Regionale delle Camere di Commercio, I.A.A. del Veneto – Eurosportello Veneto

Contact person:

Ms Geyleen Gonzalez

europa@eurosportelloveneto.it

• USA (State of Pennsylvania)

EOC International
Contact person:

Mr. Sebastien Torre

storre@eaecouncil.com

• Israel

Belgian-Italian Chamber of Commerce

Contact person:

Mr Marco Iacuitto

iacuitto@ccitabel.com

• Singapore

Belgian-Italian Chamber of Commerce

Contact person:

Mr Marco Iacuitto

iacuitto@ccitabel.com