The Erasmus for Young
Entrepreneurs: a win-win
collaboration for European
farmers
27th February 2013
Matteo Bartolini AGIA-CIA
Why an Erasmus programme for entrepreneurs?
To give to a young entrepreneur the opportunity to interact
with the best entrepreneurial realities in Europe, meaning
not only to facilitate its entry in an increasingly and complex
market, but also to create conditions of economic and social
progress for the new generations.
The general objective is to help entrepreneurs in enriching
their experiences, through direct learning and networking, and
by spending periods abroad within enterprises run by
experienced entrepreneurs. It also aims to enhance
entrepreneurship, internationalization and competitiveness of
new and established SME within the Participating Countries.
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The EYE Programme: a chance
for young European farmers
• The programme is open to all the economic categories.
• CIA and AGIA are involved in the programme since the
beginning (2009) as we strongly believe that this
programme can be an essential element for the
training of new farmers and for the creation of an
agricultural network between European farms.
• As Intermediary organisation we have focused our
intervention in transversal sectors related to
agriculture, sustainable development, food industry
and renewable energies in the wider view of improving
market competitiveness, exchanges of best practices
in order to realize quality products and strategies.
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Some figures:
• The programme, launched in 2009, counts at the moment
of more than 4.000 applications both from potentials/new
and experienced entrepreneurs officially registered to the
EYE programme.
• Around 2.445 are New entrepreneurs and 1.640 are Host
entrepreneurs.
• The number of relationships concluded is 1.179 and many
others are under construction! There is no deadline for the
registration and the Intermediary Organizations in Europe
are more than 100!
• The agricultural sector represents the 4% of the current
exchanges.
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What does the programme offer?
 An exchange from 1 to 6 months between two
entrepreneurial actors: one established and the other one in
a start-up phase.
 A financial assistance for NEs staying in another country
(the European economic contribution is a lump sum
depending on the country of destination).
 The support of an Intermediary Organisation, competent in
business support, who provides all the information needed
for the registration, helps the candidates to find their match
and carries out their business exchange.
 An European visibility for both the categories involved.
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Who is involved?
• New entrepreneur (NE): entrepreneurs in the early stages of
their business activity. This includes both nascent (i.e.
‘would-be’) entrepreneurs, who are firmly planning to start
their own business based on a substantiated business plan,
and entrepreneurs who have recently started their own
business (i.e. have been in operation for not more than three
years).
• Host Entrepreneur (HE): successful and experienced
entrepreneurs (ideally owners of a micro or small enterprise
for more than three years) or people directly involved in
entrepreneurship at SME management board level.
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How to register?
www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu
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How does the Programme works?
Intermediary Organisation (e.g. Confederazione Italiana
Agricoltori)
Coordination
Support
Matching
New
entrepreneur
going abroad to
learn from an
experience one
1- 6 months stay abroad
Experienced
host
entrepreneur
established in
another EU
country
Learning on the job,
exchange of experience,
market access, networking
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What are the benefits for a NEW
entrepreneur?
 Learning from an experienced entrepreneur in
another EU country how to best start and manage
an SME;
 Practical and financial assistance, such as matchmaking, issuing contracts, induction course before
going abroad, logistical and local support during the
stay, and a European Union grant to the travel and
subsistence costs during the stay abroad;
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What are the benefits for a NEW
entrepreneur?
 Development of international connections
knowledge about foreign markets;
and
 Benefit from possible co-venturing opportunities
after the end of the experience;
 Gaining insights coming from a different cultural and
organizational setting/workplace;
 Understanding of the regulatory framework in
another EU country.
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What are the benefits for an HOST
entrepreneur?
 Working with a serious, committed and motivated
new entrepreneur who contributes with new ideas
and fresh views;
 Accessing to new skills and innovative knowledge
provided by the new entrepreneur;
 Gaining knowledge about foreign markets and
increased opportunities to internationalise his/her
business;
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What are the benefits for an HOST
entrepreneur?
 Improved growth potential of his/her enterprise and
opportunity to establish a new business
partnership directly with the new entrepreneur from
another country;
 Benefit from the assistance of a professional
intermediary organization for the search of a
potential business partner and the management of
the relationship with the new entrepreneur.
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Some critical points:
• Our experience clearly shown the potential
benefits for both the categories involved in the
programme but we still need some adjustments
more suitable for the agricultural context.
• The definition of an NE doesn’t correspond to the
definition of young farmer and is too strict.
• We need to have a special sub-programme
dedicated to farmers in order to use the actual
framework without the necessity to create another
specific programme.
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“The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs
programme is an enriching experience and
absolutely concrete, which I highly recommend
to anyone who seriously wants to launch a
business. My exchange was extremely useful to
understand the environment, rules and
procedure for starting my business, an
essential occasion for structuring a useful
network.” – NE Simone Galati – Organic farmer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn1p6Ogjwv4
“The support and the enthusiasm, added to
the marketing expertise, bring by the NE was
impressively useful and important for
implementing future partnerships”. – HE
Roberto Del Buono - Winegrower
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVllKM2lxyk
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Thanks for your attention!
For more information:
http://www.erasmusentrepreneurs.eu/
erasmus-impresa@cia.it
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