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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
  • Press release
  • 6 December 2021
  • Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
  • 1 min read

10 000 young entrepreneurs benefit from work experience in another country

The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) programme celebrates a key milestone today, reaching 10 000 entrepreneurs who have gained experience from an  entrepreneur in a different country.

Since its establishment in 2009, the programme has helped new entrepreneurs develop their entrepreneurial skills and gain business experience through on-the-job training in a host company abroad. At the same time, host entrepreneurs can benefit from new ideas, insights and energy that come from hosting younger colleagues.

Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for the Internal Market, said: “It’s great to see so many entrepreneurs benefit from teaming up with their more experienced peers under the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme! Today’s milestone is a testimony to the success of this programme and proof that Europe has a wealth of talented entrepreneurs ready to build Europe’s next business success story.”

The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme facilitates entrepreneurial exchanges across 39 participating countries in Europe and its neighbourhood, lasting up to 6 months. The programme is funded by the Commission and has grown steadily since its launch – especially with a recent pick up after the initial slowdown at the start of the COVID pandemic. It is one of the pillars of the EU SME strategy, which supports SMEs and helps them gain access to international markets. Thanks to extra financial support from the European Parliament since 2018, new destinations beyond Europe have been included into the EYE GLOBAL initiative, which now also allows for exchanges with entrepreneurs in the US, Canada, Israel, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

More information

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE)