The EYE Programme: a chance for young European farmers

1. The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs: a win-win collaboration for European farmers27th February 2013Matteo Bartolini AGIA-CIA

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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. 6

7. How to register? www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu

8. How does the Programme works? Coordination Support Matching New entrepreneur going abroad to learn from an experience one Experienced host entrepreneur established in another EU country 1- 6 months stay abroad Learning on the job, exchange of experience, market access, networking

9. 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 match-making, 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;

10. What are the benefits for a NEW entrepreneur? • Development of international connections and knowledge about foreign markets; • 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.

11. 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;

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. “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

15. Thanks for your attention!For more information:http://www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu/ erasmus-impresa@cia.it