Doing Business

In order to help you and your business make the most of all the opportunities the single market brings, the European IMF has posted this video on youtube, on doing business in Europe.

See also sources of financing.

And if you are just starting out, you may be able to take part in the EU’s young entrepreneurs scheme.

Practical support for UK business and consumers is also available at the UK Single Market Centre in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

SMEs

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Europe's economy. In the UK, small businesses accounted for 99.3% of all private sector business at the start of 2015 and 99.9% were SMEs. 

Want to know more about what the EU does for small business?  This portal gathers together all the information provided by the EU on and for SMEs, ranging from practical advice to policy issues.

SMEs in the UK can also get also get help from a coach or mentor for example to improve management skills, create a management strategy or raise finance.  For more help, you can contact Enterprise Europe UK.

COSME is the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises running from 2014 - 2020 with a planned budget of EUR 2.3 billion. The aim is to help SME in the UK and across Europe accessing finance in all phases of their lifecycle - creation, expansion or business transfer.

For more information on ongoing calls for proposals in the framework of COSME, please consult the website of the Executive Agency for SMEs.

Horizon 2020 (for SMEs)

20% of funds allocated to research and innovation under Horizon 2020 programme are dedicated to SMEs (nearly 9 billion euros over 2014-2020). This provides a window of opportunities for innovative SMEs, including cooperation with other SMEs throughout Europe.

Grants

Find out about EU-backed small business loans