Most SMEs that have received business and innovation coaching confirm that it helped them improve internal decision making and their business strategy. The KAM and EIMC experts were also able to identify other support actions the Network could provide to them, like internationalisation support to brokerage activities (submitting of cooperation profiles, participation in international matchmaking events and company missions), signposting to national support programmes and access to finance.
Due to close cooperation between EEN innovation experts and the H2020-NCPs it was possible to provide extra support to Phase 1 beneficiaries that unsuccessfully applied for Phase 2 but received the Seal of Excellence by helping them to find other sources of finance and leading them to regular internationalisation support by the Network.
In this way a complete package of services could be offered which enhanced their potential to grow internationally.
The EIMC services were offered by the Chamber of Commerce and it used the means of the host-organisations for getting leads through its Servicecenter where all phonecalls and emails were answered. Next to that several events organized by the Chamber of Commerce were used to promote the EIMC-services. All advisors in the fields of innovation and/or internationalization have been informed about and were aware of the EIMC services. Because the Chamber of Commerce has 19 offices throughout the country there was a very strong foothold in the regions. The Chamber has 20 accountmanagers who carried a digital suitcase with several possibilities for SME’s including EIMC-services and EEN-possibilities. The intakes done by the innovation experts gave an answer to the question if the SME was ready for EIMC services to improve its innovative competiveness and international potential.
The Chamber also used its Newsletter Public to inform stakeholders about interesting programmes such as EEN and EIMC-services. Stakeholders knowing the programmes was necessarily for having other interesting leads.
The activities of the KAM and the EIMC services have had a positive effect on the market improvement and innovation cycle. With the SME instrument and KAM services SMEs were able to improve their innovation project on topics as market acceptance, cost-strategy, product strategy, technological innovativeness and business strategy. These improvements will lead to increased turnover and profit in the future. It is expected that SMEs will perform better in growth and continuity. SMEs learn from their innovation projects, and increase performance in new innovation projects in the future.
This all will lead to an increase of private investment in innovation, notably leverage of private co-investor and/or follow-up investments. Eventually this will lead to a possible increase of jobs and improvements on their competitor’s position.
