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SMEs and Entrepreneurship Policy:European Actions for Women Entrepreneurs

1stFORUM FOR SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

21 September 2010, Istanbul

ANNA DANTI

DG Enterprise and Industry, Unit E1, Entrepreneurship

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What is Entrepreneurship?

(Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning COM(2005)548

Entrepreneurship refers to an individuals abilityto turn ideas into action (Commission)

creativity,

innovation

risk acceptance,

the ability to plan and manage projects inorder to achieve objectives.

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Desirability

5048 48 47

4239

37 37

33 3331 30 30 30 29 29 29 28 28

26

2421 21 20 19 18 16

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

LV P

LLT

EL

US IT IE

CY

MT

EE F

I

E

U25

PT

CZ

UK

LU

ES

SK

FR

HUS

I

SE

NL

DK

DE

BE

AT

pe

rcent

Source: Flash Eurobarometer192, December2006 - January 2007

How desireable is it to become self-employed in the next 5 years?

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Source: Flash Eurobarometer 192, December 2006 - January 2007

How esrable s t or you to become sel -em loye w thn the nextyears? om arson between soco-economc rou s

30 33 2751 41 28

13

66 62 69

46

57 68 80

4 4 5 4 4 4 2

0

20

4060

80

100

EU25 Men Women 15-24 25-39 40-54 55+

ercent

Don't know / No answerRather undesirable and not desirable at allVery and rather desirable

Still a classical profileDesirability by social group

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PROMOTING WOMEN ENTERPRENEURS

IS WISE AND NECESSARY At the heart of the Lisbon strategy: ensure that the

proportion of women in active employment exceeds60% by 2010.

The entrepreneurial potential of women constitutes an

underdeveloped source of economic growth and of newjobs

Women constitute, on average, 30% of entrepreneursin the EU. (36% start-ups 20% industry)

They often face greater difficulties than men in startingup businesses and in accessing finance and training.

It is essential to provide women the support they needin order to start-up and manage their own enterprise.

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1.THE EUROPEAN NETWORK TO PROMOTEWOMENS ENTREPRENEURSHIP (WES)

launched in June 2000

It is composed of government representativesresponsible for the promotion of women

entrepreneurship. It has 30 members from the European Union,

EEA and candidate countries.

Meetings twice a year

Annual activity report

Advice on future policy orientation

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WES OBJECTIVES

Raising the visibility of existing womenentrepreneurs

Create a climate that is favourable to womanentrepreneurs

Increase the number of new womenentrepreneurs

Increase the size of existing women-ledbusinesses

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2. NETWORKING: CO-OPERATION WITHBUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF WOMEN

ENTREPRENEURS

Contacts and exchange of information, with manynational business organisations of women

entrepreneurs from all the EU 27 countries and alsofrom abroad. For example:

FEM-UEAPME - Female Europeans of Small and MediumEnterprises

FCEM - The Worldwide Network of Women Business Owners

EWN - Eurochambres Women's Networketc.

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3. WOMENS ENTREPRENEURSHIP

PORTAL

Provides links to the websites of women entrepreneursrepresentative organisations, networks, projects and events thatrelate to the promotion of female entrepreneurship.

The information on 5 areas:

National organisations of women entrepreneurs

International organisations of women entrepreneurs

Networks

Projects

Events related to women entrepreneurship

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4. Small Business Act

1. Create an environment in which entrepreneurs and familybusinesses can thrive and entrepreneurship is rewarded Thisincludes (politically binding principles)

- the creation of the European Network of FemaleEntrepreneurship Ambassadors

- mentoring schemes for women to set-up their own business

- encourage entrepreneurship amongst women graduatespartof the entr. education call.

2. General Block Exemption Regulation on State Aids (GBER)(Legislative measures- already adopted)

Enable state aid for small enterprises newly created by femaleentrepreneurs without DG COMP procedure up to 1M

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THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OFFEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

AMBASSADORS

Launched on 5 October 2009 in Stockholm

Currently has 10 European Countries as members:

Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden

Second call:12 more European countries ready toenter pending final approval (Albania, Belgium,Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg,

Malta, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and UK). Event onDecember with Belgian Presidency.

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THE AMBASSADORS

Serve as role models and highlight the role that womencan play in creating jobs and promoting competitiveness.

Promote entrepreneurship in schools, universities,community groups and the media, aiming to inspirewomen of all ages to set up their own businesses.

Telling their own stories will help to raise confidence insetting up and creating successful businesses in all areas.First feedback from ambassadors very positive.

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1/ ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION

FOR WOMEN GRADUATESProject: Women@Business EL, ES, IT, CY, UK

The project main objectives are:

to create the correct conditions for young female

graduates and young women from ethnic minorities orimmigrant backgrounds, to be encouraged to pursueentrepreneurship

to produce an innovative and sustainable model of afull consultancy package to promote entrepreneurship

2/ MENTORING SCHEMES FORWOMEN ENTREPRENEURScall November 2010

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STUDY ON WOMEN INNOVATORSAND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Data shows:

No more than 8.3% of patents awarded by the European PatentOffice are awarded to women.

20.3% of businesses started with venture capital belong to femaleentrepreneurs.

In Europe 5%-15% of high-tech business is owned by women.

Women score less than men when assessing the level of innovationof their own business (expl. process innovation: 4.1% women -7.8% men; marketing innovation: 9.1% women - 10.45% men).

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Further results

Women are lagging behind on innovative entrepreneurship

and encounter specific challenges.

Womens ideas for innovation are as marketable as mens,

but

Innovative ideas are not recognised by predominantly male

stakeholders.

Stereotypes about women in innovative sectors and difficulties

in balancing work and family still persist.

Stakeholders not aware of womens different needs and there

are no measures attempting to attract women.

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THE WAY TO IMPROVEMENT

Systematic intervention should tackle:

- contextual obstacles (i.e. running informative events and providingentrepreneurship training in schools and universities, challengingstereotypes by raising awareness on womens contribution inentrepreneurship.),

- economic obstacles (i.e. access to capital to develop and growth theirbusiness ideas), and

- soft obstacles: (access to business networks, business training, rolemodels and entrepreneurship skills).

Nature and type of challenges areconsistent across Member States.

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HAULISTIC APPROACH

Work to encourage and support entrepreneurship but,besides access to finance and access to businessopportunities also

Create the environment that would enable women to

reach their potential and become sucessfulentrepreneurs

Ensure reconciling professional personal life balanceis possible.

Fight Stereotypes-change perceptions- role models

Access to information and care take facilities tailoredmade training networking

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THANKYOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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CONTACTS WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/women/index_en.htm

FEMALE ENTR AMBASSADORS NETWORK

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/women/ambassadors/index_en.htm

ENTERPRISE EUROPE NETWORK

http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm

ON LINE TOOL FOR SME FUNDING

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/finance/guide-to-funding/index_en.htm