Eurosportello Confesercenti

Consorzio Eurosportello Confesercenti is located in Tuscany Region and it covers a national relevance thanks to its services provided to the local entities and small and medium companies in the whole Italian territory.
Consorzio Eurosportello Confesercenti (EuCo) is promoted by Confesercenti (non-profit-making business association), which represents the economic interests of about 250.000 enterprises in Italy. This subject developed a strong capacity to manage local development processes through information on Community policies and assistance for the access to financial opportunities, targeted both to the private and to the public sector. A wide expertise was gained with the conception and management of web applications providing information and assistance on Community issues and instruments and with the management of on-line communities of local stakeholders, able to communicate on the different aspects of local development.
Consorzio Eurosportello Confesercenti participates, through Confesercenti Association, to the national and European social dialogue. It entertains contacts with UEAPME, the European Association of craft, trade and SMEs, representing the interests of small and medium size enterprises all over Europe and incorporating 83 member organisations from 36 countries, consisting of national cross-sectorial SME federations, European branch federations and other associate members, which support the SME family; Confesercenti is an organization which incorporates different sector associations representing specific interests of SMEs.
EuCo also provide its experience thanks to its active participation in the Enterprise Europe Network and its partecipation, among other, in Intelligent Energy Sector Group.

The main activities of the EuCo are:

• Assistance to the local entrepreneurship development (internationalisation, information on financing opportunities at local, nation and European level, assistance on-demand, update on policies and grants) through web platforms and ICT products arranged for public entities and for users directly connected with them.
• Two other web products aiming to develop some priorities of Lisbon Strategy: e-governance for local development actors (public entities, category associations, Universities, companies and Chamber of Commerce, …) and e-democracy for the public services users.
• Creation and management of professional local communities, putting in contact key actors of local development (public entities, Universities and research centres, SMEs Associations and Chambers of Commerce).
• Territorial Requirement Analysis and Financing surveys of project ideas.
• Financing scouting and project assistance.
• Vocational training on European opportunities.
• Open days and awareness raising activities addressed to the general public.

European level:
- participation to the Enterprise Europe Network, created by the European Commission (DG Enterprise), that is the largest information and consultancy network in Europe. The aim of the network is to assist SMEs in developing their innovative potential and to raise awareness for the policies of the European Commission aimed at businesses. Enterprise Europe Network is a focal point network consisting of 600 organizations - chambers of commerce, regional development agencies, university technology centers, where about 3000 professionals are working in over 40 countries worldwide.
- EuCo, moreover, is part of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign since this initiative was created and it actively works in the field of energy and environment, through the organization of several courses open to enterprises and public entities of the geographical area of Florence. In this context, Eurosportello organized in the past years several information days and conferences in the field of funding for environmental initiative for small and medium companies, expressing a strong interest in strengthening the “green awareness” of policy makers and entrepreneurs. EuCo is always informed on the funding possibilities in this field of activity that the European Union periodically grants and it provides information and answers to several questions on this topic that the interested subjects ask.

Regional level: Its connection in the regional contest is a consequnce of the PROMETEO project of DOCUP ob.2, 2000-2006 – Measure 1.7. Technological transfer for small and medium enterprises – Action 1.7.1. “Network for technological transfer”. This provides a strong relationship among partners of the network that represents the main actors of CINEMA partners at regional level.

4. esperienza nel campo specifico del progetto
EuCo has a strong experience in the different areas of the project:
 vocational training
 tourism sector
 european project on tourism with Romanian partners

EuCo organizes about 30 seminars per year and sets up awareness raising events on different EU policies and programmes of interest of public and private entities. EuCo organized also in the last years several info days on topics concerning European dimension. Those info days have been organized with other Enterprise Europe Network members and public entities. The main topics are: strategic organisation and innovation, strengthening competences for a local and economic development, European programmes and call for proposals.

EuCo is promoted by Confesercenti (non-profit-making business association) strongly involved in the field of Tourism (see the different internal associations dedicated to tourism: http://www.confesercenti.it/ass_settore.php?cat=turismo).

EuCo participated also to a project promoted by UEAPME called Business Support Programme. This project aimed to help Small Enterprises and SMEs organisations in the CEECs countries to familiarise with the community acquis that will regulate their markets once these countries join the EU. EuCo was involved for the commerce and tourism sectors.