Partnering

The Enterprise Europe Network here in Scotland has great experience of helping local companies to grow their business through finding partners abroad. One of our core services is promoting partnership profiles across our Network, be it of a technical, commercial or collaborative R&D nature. In this blog entry, Anna Chomicka tells us more about EEN partnering in practice.

As a fairly new member of a team I am really impressed how effectively Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) helps companies to develop their business and build partnerships across Europe.

If you are interested in finding international partners we can help you do that in a number of ways. 

We have access to the on-line European-wide database through which you can advertise your company’s collaboration profile and it can also be used as a way of seeking potential partners within Europe and beyond.

You would need to create a unique and anonymous profile, which would include things such as a description of your company’s activity, co-operation you are interested in, requirements and the characteristics of what you are looking for in a partner. The profile is then loaded on to a centralised database and will be disseminated to our EEN partners across Europe. Currently we have 49 Network partners.

Another way of looking for business partners would be through direct contact with our Network colleagues in other European countries. We can ask them to explore their local business community and source for instance potential distributors of a specific product and as a result of their regional market expertise they will provide us with relevant information.

As an example of a successful partnership process I can refer to my latest company engagement where I have successfully helped a Scottish Company to source a business partner in Portugal. 

Thanks to contacts made via the EEN, the Scottish company has decided to work with a Portuguese partner on their project, which is centred on link building for a car manufacturer. The role of the Portuguese company in this project is to act as a subcontractor for the Scottish company in carrying out this piece of work.

I met the Director of the Online Marketing Company to discuss how EEN can be of assistance in their European Business Development and after carrying out detailed research of the potential markets for the business, the company then decided to work with us to further investigate the opportunities.

One of the identified potential target countries was Portugal. In order to source suitable partner I got in touch with my Portuguese EEN colleague to find out if he was working with any companies that had the expertise in the relevant area and could be interested in the possible partnership. My colleague came back with a list of potential partners and my client made contact with suitable companies.

The result of that was that two companies opened discussions and negotiations in relation to the possible agreement between them. In the end companies agreed to work together on the project where a Scottish company was a main contractor.

The above is an example of Enterprise Europe Network involvement in the successful partner search. If you are a Scottish Company and looking to grow your business and find partners in Europe and beyond please get in touch. We will be more than happy to help you!

Get in touch with me via email - Anna.Chomicka@scotent.co.uk or 0141 242 8201

On the Roadshow

The Enterprise Europe Network aims to help all companies, of all sizes, across Scotland. In this blog, Michelle Wemyss, tells us a little bit more about the very successful Highland Roadshows of 2010…and what to expect in 2011!

Last year I worked with Business Gateway to deliver a Roadshow for local business folk in the Highlands & Islands. We travelled to Aviemore, Wick, Fort William, Buckie, Dornoch, Skye and of course Inverness, and….despite the best efforts of the weather….we managed to run all the events with great success.

While planning these events, there was consensus with our lovely colleagues at Business Gateway that the Roadshow should focus more on the companies themselves, rather than the organisations hosting it. Part of this was to ensure that events were a PowerPoint free zone!

So the format went something like this…

Events kicked off at around 4pm with a mini trade fair. At this, companies had the opportunity to show their wares, network with other local businesses, and meet potential customers and suppliers. In advance of the event they were encouraged to fill out a profile form (detailing a bit about who they are, what they do etc) which was included in a catalogue that we circulated to attendees prior to the event – this ensured that people were able to turn up with a bit of a “hit list” of people they wanted to speak to or companies of interest. Basically, ensuring their networking was as focused as possible.

After the trade fair, there was a bit of a group discussion.

Here, we again wanted to let those attending see real life examples of companies who had already been helped by ourselves, the Gateway, or both. With that in mind, we approached companies with whom we had previously worked and asked them to come in, give a little testimonial and answer a few questions.

I should say that both the Business Gateway advisers and the Enterprise Europe team were also on hand to answer questions and contribute where appropriate – we weren’t just there for the free lunch….

Speaking of which….the day was finished off with a buffet supper and more networking until around 7pm.

I felt this structure created a relaxed atmosphere which really allowed attendees to focus on networking and interaction, and I’m pleased to say that the positive feedback was indicative of this.

The events were such a success that we are doing it all again this year!

The plan is to follow the same format, with a few additional experts involved in the group discussion.  For the first event we have Jill Fryer from Ledingham Chalmers and the procurement team from the Highland Council.

This time around the Roadshows will be visiting:

•    Thurso – 21 September
•    Skye – 5 October
•    Inverness – 19 October
•    Fort William – 3 November
•    Ullapool – 16 November
•    Elgin – 29 November

If it’s coming to a town near you and you would like to attend then please book on our website via those links above or, alternatively, call me (Michelle Wemyss) on 01463 715 400 or email me at mailto:enterprise.europe@highland-opportunity.com

How to become a Eurostar with the help of EEN!

The Enterprise Europe Network, offer a range of services to companies in Scotland, one of which is providing support to access European funding programmes. In this, our first blog entry, Anis Mourad, discusses the Eurostars Research and Development funding programme.

 

Since 2008 we have undertaken numerous activities to promote the European Commission’s R&D funding programmes including successfully running a number of events to promote the Framework Programme Seven (FP7) funding scheme - all of which have been well attended by organisations across Scotland. However, we recognise that FP7 isn’t for every company and so feel it is crucial to highlight the opportunities for Scottish SMEs that may exist in other programmes and areas.

At the end of March this year, calls opened under a programme which is dedicated for research performing SMEs - and is reasonably close to the market. The Eurostars programme is open to all sectors, with one of the main benefits that it takes a ‘bottom-up’ approach to project generation. By that, we mean that projects can address any technological area. Projects should aim at the development of a new product, process or service.

Another bonus, in my opinion, is that the application process is a lot simpler than that of FP7 - you only need two participants from two different Eurostars member countries to be in a consortium, unlike the three participants from three countries minimum of FP7. The single-stage, online application also led to one individual saying that "an FP7 application is like doing a degree where as a Eurostars application is like doing a Standard Grade" - or GSCE depending on where you come from in the UK!

The funding rates are also quite attractive with UK participants able to receive up to 50% of of their eligible costs up to a maximum grant of 300,000 EUR. Each applicant receives funding from their own national funding body, with the total amount of funding available from each country different - in the UK the money comes from the Technology Strategy Board, in France from their equivalent organisation and so on.

Having already worked with a plethora of Scottish companies to develop proposals, find partners and review applications, we are extremely keen to see more local SMEs getting engaged in European Funding. With that said, I encourage you to investigate Eurostars further, getting in touch if you wish to develop a proposal or have any questions about the mechanics or dynamics of the programme itself.

PS: For an informal but informative insight into the programme, check out our podcast on Eurostars. It even includes a dream sequence! http://bit.ly/qPvIri

For more information on Eurostars click here.

To contact me directly email: Anis.Mourad@scotent.co.uk