Out of the 1800 applications, more than 1300 have been approved and 60 stays abroad have already been completed. If the current trend continues, 500 stays will be completed by June 2010.
Italy and Spain together account for nearly half of all applications (46%), while the United Kingdom is the most requested destination. The most active sectors are promotion/media (16%), information technologies (10%) and education (9%). Typically, the stays last 2-3 months.
Luca Poli, a young Italian physician specialised in plastic surgery, greatly enjoyed his stay in Spain, shadowing the work of Host
Entrepreneur Francine Huaman and acquiring the skills and know-how needed to reproduce Francine’s success in Italy. Ms Huaman was also satisfied with the experience, and said: “I was delighted to receive Luca in my wellness centre. The experience went so well that I will act as a Host Entrepreneur again in the future.”
Commenting on these results, Joanna Drake, Director for the Promotion of the Competitiveness of SMEs, DG Enterprise and Industry, at the European Commission, said: “We are confident that as a result of Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs new enterprises are being created, and that the programme will push the boundaries of SMEs' operations: they will be more international, more creative, more dynamic and more innovative.”
Ben Butters, Director of European Affairs at EUROCHAMBRES – acting as Support Office for the programme – added: “The feedback from the pioneering entrepreneurs involved in the first exchanges confirms the benefits to both the New and the Host Entrepreneurs. Participating clearly provides both parties with a great opportunity for future collaboration and a fresh perspective on their existing activities or future venture.”
About Erasmus for Young EntrepreneursThe programme enables New Entrepreneurs – someone who is firmly planning to set up his/her own business or has already started a business within the last three years – to become familiar with the management of a small or medium-sized enterprise by staying with and learning from an experienced Host Entrepreneur in another Member State.
The Host Entrepreneur on the other hand can benefit from the dynamism and innovativeness of a new colleague as well as to open up potential opportunities in a new market.
Programme extended until June 2011Given the success of the first phase of the programme, Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs has been extended until June 2011.
Thus, New and Host Entrepreneurs wishing to apply for the programme can still do so and organise their stay until this date via their nearest Intermediary
Organisation. The full list of Intermediary Organisations – which now also includes the Czech Republic, Denmark, Latvia, The Netherlands and Slovenia – as well as other practical information on the programme, are available on
www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu. Tony Harkén