SMEs are drivers of growth. The challenges that remain however are how to increase SMEs’ innovation potential and how to enable them to bring their innovative ideas to market. Although many SMEs benefit from national and international programmes and support systems many companies
lack the ability and expertise to successfully commercialise their innovation. Therefore the European Commission offers coaching to SMEs with a particularly high EU-wide market and innovation potential and to all SME Instrument beneficiaries in addition to the financial grant received. The
aim is to help companies increase and accelerate economic returns from innovation by raising their innovation management capacities, using proven, high quality methodologies. Coaches will help the beneficiaries to progress over the life cycle of their innovation, from idea to
proof of concept, to first pilot application and finally upscaling and expansion. They will empower the SME to cope with challenges such as developing their strategy and organisation, identifying their market and improving ability to attract finance.
The Enterprise Europe Network has been assigned by the European Commission to supply in-depth innovation support services by working with the management of particularly innovative SMEs in order to address innovation management deficiencies (EIMC) or to help them make the most of their SME Instrument project (KAM) by linking them to the right coach.
The overall objectives of the project were to deliver services designed to enhance the innovation management capacity of SMEs in the Netherlands in the period of 1 January 2017 – 31 December 2018. The services comprised both key account management (KAM) services under the SME Instrument of Horizon 2020 and services to enhance the innovation management capacities (EIMC) of SMEs.
The sub objectives for the first category were: to develop regional SME innovation management capacity by carrying out an innovation management gap analysis and developing and implementing a coaching action plan for a specific project under the H2020 SME Instrument.
The sub objectives for the second category were: to identify promising SMEs capable of growth and successful internationalisation, to carry out a diagnostic audit to identify gaps in the regional SME innovation management capacity and to develop and implement a tailored
action plan to make the innovation system in the company more efficient and effective.
