Technical support for the European Business and Innovation Centres (EBIC) programme
In order to help implement the European Business and Innovation Centres (EBIC) programme, the European Commission is seeking the support services of an internationally based structure and/or organization to promote the programme. This includes establishing new EBICs every year and developing existing centres. The structure and/or organization will be given the following assignment: - Creation of a facility for annually monitoring the development of EBIC structures and organizations, EBIC operational results in terms of SME creation and development and, more generally, EBIC support provided to local development. This will include the development of a method for conducting annual evaluations of EBIC operations in the light of Community principles and practices. The report is to cover the 1993-1994 financial period, then 1995 and 1996; - Preparation "in situ", in cooperation with local promoters, of action programmes and provisional budgets for new EBICs; this will include preparatory visits to EBIC promoters. Sixteen assignments are to be carried out annually on average; - Development support for new EBICs for an experimental two-year period, applying Community guidelines; first, in order to provide the Commission with information concerning the progress of work planned and, second, to effect a significant transfer of know-how and experience. Activities will include: . Consulting services in connection with the selection of EBIC executive staff; . Support services for executive staff entrusted with setting up EBICs, to be provided in accordance with Community guidelines; . Transfer as required of management techniques to operational EBICs. Sixteen assignments are to be carried out annually on average, each to take approximately 15 days; - "In situ" evaluation of existing EBICs, employing coherent analytical methods, in order to monitor their operations and, if necessary, provide the technical support required to improve their performance; the aforementioned methods are to take into account EBIC functions, their structure as partnerships, their goal of creating and developing companies, and their impact on the job situation. Fifty assignments are to be carried out annually on average; - Promotion of the EBIC concept, in particular before local and regional interested parties and in the national and international institutional and economic environment, including the organization of meetings and the distribution of appropriate documentation. Service providers are to tender for all of the services concerned. The contract is for a period expiring on 31 December 1995. It is renewable for two additional one-year periods by agreement between the contractor and the Commission concluded before the expiry date. Tenders may be sent to: European Commission Directorate-General for Regional Policies 200 rue de la Loi (CSTM 8/102) B-1049 Brussels Tel. +32-2-2954567; Fax +32-2-2963315