As a part of the Enterprise Europe Network, the Friend Europe Consortium intended to deliver integrated services to SMEs covering North-East Italy area. Friend Europe worked to support business and innovation, to enhance their competitiveness, improve their innovation potential and promote the exploitation of opportunities arising from the enlarged internal market. This was implemented while playing a proactive role in the information and support of a wider target of local stakeholders for the development of policies and instruments coherent and complementary with the European strategy for SMEs, as outlined in the Competitive and Innovation Programme 2007-2013 and other Community actions, programmes and initiatives. The services planned by the Consortium under this proposal were therefore fully in line with local policy and tried to maximize the impact of the CIP on the target area by proactively integrating and complementing the services and initiatives already in place (private support services, regional and national policies and instruments) and intermediaries acting in Triveneto.

The main activities were:

Information and Promotion activities aimed to:

• provide first assistance, information and guidance to companies and to signpost for specialised services and assistance to the most appropriate partner or other local expert organizations;
• proactively promote the different EU initiatives and programmes;
• provide main stakeholders an up-to-date overview of EU policies, programmes, initiatives;
• act for the integration of the European dimension into the local context.

Stimulation and Participation service level was meant on one side to stimulate the participation of SMEs in EU consultations since they need edto understand their fundamental role in the EU decision making process and on the other side to stimulate the cross border cooperation and to facilitate the partners search. The Consortium Partners intended also to directly help the Commission, by providing impact assessments on EU legislation and programs, becoming in this way a link between Europe and the Triveneto area.

Assistance and Diagnosis services provided direct specialised support to SMEs, and particular attention was devoted to companies that have never participated or benefited from EU Single Market.

Type of service

Informest activities in the context of Friend Europe project were mainly related to the management of a Knowledge Management Platform for the internal coordination of information flows among Consortium Partners. Informest was in charge of the design, implementation, updating and maintenance of the Web Portal. Beside, Informest was also in charge of contractual activities related to EENetwork as:

• answering questions on EU subjects and/or signpost where necessary;
• giving consultancy on how to better access to EU funs;
• proactively promoting EU policies to SMEs and making available information on the EU to them through web site, leaflets, newsletter, events and presentations;
• providing support services on European issues for companies delivered through the provision of individualized assistance and advise;
• providing information and assistance aimed at encouraging business relationships and co-operation among companies;
• organizing awareness events and training activities mainly targeted at entrepreneurs and at the EENetwork members;
• producing information material and publications;
• assistance to project application and partner search.