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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Supporting entrepreneurship

The European Commission sees entrepreneurship as acting upon opportunities and ideas and transforming them into value for others, which can be financial, cultural, or social. Our entrepreneurship policy aims to support companies, in particular SMEs, throughout their life cycle, promoting entrepreneurial education at all levels, as well as reaching out and encouraging specific groups with entrepreneurial potential.

How we support entrepreneurship

Supporting EU citizens

We improve the entrepreneurial capacity of European citizens and organizations by fostering entrepreneurial learning and the entrepreneurial mindset as promoted by the European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework (EntreComp).

Supporting entrepreneurs in general

We create an environment where entrepreneurs can flourish and grow: supporting start-ups, transfers of business, insolvency and second chance.

Supporting specific groups

We reach out to specific groups whose entrepreneurial potential has not been fully tapped yet, such as women and young people through entrepreneurial learning and Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs.