Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs

ICT Cluster Bulgaria is looking to support and fund would – be entrepreneurs and start-ups form Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro and Ukraine to participate in Erasmus for Young entrepreneurs programme.

If you have a business idea or if you have already started your own business, Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs offers you the possibility to spend up to six months abroad to learn how to bring your business to the next level.

ICT Cluster is an intermediate organisation form Bulgaria under the programme at the moment has €100 000 to support young entrepreneurs, with no experience to contributes to travel and subsistence costs during the visit and gain the skills and knowledge to develop their own successful business.

Who can participate?

New entrepreneurs (NE): New entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs who are firmly planning to set up their own business or have already started their own business within the last three years. The business can be in any sector. NEs must demonstrate a sound educational and vocational background and aviable business idea.

Host entrepreneurs (HE): Host entrepreneurs are experienced entrepreneurs who own or manage a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise more than 3 years.

There are no age limit and no topic restrictions, any industry or sector can take part.

Benefits for the new entrepreneur:

· Learning from an experienced entrepreneur in another EU country and knowledge on start-up and business management form the host entrepreneur;

· Practical and financial assistance, such as match-making, issuing contracts, induction before going abroad, logistical and local support during the stay, and a European Commission grant to the travel and subsistence costs during the stay abroad;

· Development of international connections and knowledge about foreign markets;

· Benefit from possible co-venturing opportunities and the development of cross-border markets;

· Gain of insights into a different cultural and organisational setting/workplace.

· Understanding of the regulatory framework in another EU country.

Benefits for the host entrepreneur

· Work with a serious, committed and motivated new entrepreneur contributing to your business through new ideas and views;

· Access to new skills and innovative knowledge provided by the new entrepreneur;

· Gain of knowledge about foreign markets – including business contacts – and increased opportunities to internationalise your business;

· Improved growth potential of your company and opportunity to establish a new business partnership directly with the new entrepreneur from another country;

· Opportunity for interaction with host entrepreneurs from other EU countries and become part of a dynamic pan-European business network of successful entrepreneurs;

· Benefit from the assistance of professional intermediary organisations for the search of a potential business partner and the support of the relationship with the new entrepreneur.

How to participate?

Just 6 easy steps:

Ø Prepare your CV

Ø Prepare your business plan /up to 10 pages/

Ø Register in www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu

Ø Chose ICT Cluster as your Intermediate Organization

Ø Connect with an entrepreneur in another country and negotiate details for the exchange (dates, objectives, etc.)

Ø Start the exchange

Success stories of Bulgarian new entrepreneurs:

Todor Balabanov – Business summer in Estonia

Georgi Nikolaev – 1 month in Luxembourg

Svetlana Goranova – Mathematics and Adriatic sea [movie]