Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme

Period: 2007 - 2013

Budget: EUR 2166 million

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme is one of three subprogrammes within the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), the other two being ICT Policy Support Programme and Intelligent Energy-Europe Programme (IEE) . It will aim to support competitiveness and eco-innovation throughout Europe in line with the renewed Lisbon Strategy.

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme will bring together activities that were previously carried out under the Multiannual Programme for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (MAP), and the environmental technologies part of the LIFE-Environment programme. It will also build on innovation activities that were previously implemented through framework programmes for research, technological development and demonstration.

This programme will help enterprises innovate through:

• Providing the SMEs with access to finance

• Providing the SMEs with simple, clear and efficient access to the EU via the business support networks (today's EICs (Euro Info Centres) and IRCs (Innovation Relay Centres))

• Exchanges of best practices

Whilst building on such tried and tested programmes, CIP also includes new elements such as:

• A risk capital instrument for high growth and innovative companies

• "Securitisation" of bank's SME loan portfolios

• Enhanced role for innovation and business support networks

The total budget of EIP will be EUR 2166 million, of which EUR 430 million is allocated for eco-innovation, and EUR 1130 million for financial instruments.

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