Events to look out for
1st European Investment Forum in Uruguay – 21-22 June, Montevideo (Uruguay). Participate in the First European Investment Forum organized by Uruguay XXI and the Delegation of the European Union and discover the opportunities for trade and investment in Uruguay as a gateway to Mercosur.
EU-Taiwan Industrial Dialogue – 26-27 June, Brussels (Belgium). Industrial seminars about 5G, circular economy and the future of manufacturing will be organised by the European Commission on 27 June. A cross-sectoral Cluster to Cluster (C2C) matchmaking will be organised throughout the event, providing great opportunities to meet with active actors on the value chain of the digital technologies. Registration is open until 19 June.
Funding available
The EIB Group and BBVA join forces to facilitate access to credit for Spanish companies. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) have agreed to provide BBVA with a EUR 143 million guarantee facility to support investment projects for Spanish small businesses. This operation will allow BBVA to provide small companies with finance of up to EUR 1 billion.
EU policies for better business
Capital Markets Union: banks to provide feedback to small businesses on access to funding. Five major EU banking federations have now agreed to provide SMEs with the feedback they need to increase their chances of getting loans
New online tool to exchange information on companies in the EU. The European Commission has launched a single platform to access company information in the EU. Linking national business registers will now facilitate cross-border trade and increase confidence and transparency in the EU Single Market.
Innovation: ICT for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS). The European Commission has launched a new EUR 77 million innovation initiative for the manufacturing sector – in particular its high-tech small and medium sized-enterprises (SMEs) – to profit from the latest advances in ICT.
Get involved
European Commission announces a EUR 3 million prize to develop a tactile display for the visually impaired. The new Horizon Prize is challenging innovators to develop the most affordable, internet-enabled, full-page tactile display.
Start-ups and SMEs: want to test business ideas in the raw materials sector? Apply to the European Institute of Technology (EIT) Booster call. The Booster call is for companies that want to test business ideas, would like to meet key players in the raw materials sector and are looking for financial and/or non-financial support.