Project description
New support service for SME innovation
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Europe's economy and represent 99 % of all businesses in the EU. This is why the innovation of SMEs is encouraged. The EU-funded DCS-iSMEs project will create a new innovation support service to enable SMEs to develop their operations and for the host country to profit from the investments. The project aims to highlight the benefits of investing in SMEs and the benefits for SMEs. The project will compare two distinct groups of five enterprises. The first includes SMEs that applied for traditional programmes. The second group will make use of the new innovation support scheme. The project will follow both groups and will conduct a feasibility study.
Objective
The aim of this specific project is to set up a brand-new innovation support service –a service that will enable both the country make profit out of its investments on SMEs and the SMEs further develop their operations by enhancing the use of Design. Two closed groups will be developed; the first one will be a traditional group of 5 beneficiaries of previously implemented programmes, which will run the common procedure after finishing the implementation of their project –the Comparison Group. This group, just like all those beneficiaries till today, will have no contact/support by our organisation, after finishing their project. The second closed group will make use of the new innovation support scheme. A closed group of 5 SMEs –the “Treatment Group”– will be selected and they will be offered a Design Clinic service, a service that through which, they will fully understand their future challenges and which are their opportunities. They will be also offered some introductory workshops in order to understand the value of Design and its mindset. After the introductory workshops, they will receive a Design Customized Mentoring service –a service through which they will be provided guidance on how to strategically integrate design thinking in their products, services and operations. This is a new innovation support scheme, which seems more than needed. A call for expression of interest will be published targeting to SMEs that have already made use of a financial support programme. After selecting the Treatment Group, the project will directly call SMEs that will be monitored regarding their business indicators, and will not receive the new service, formatting the Comparison Group. This way, the project will assure that the two groups will be equivalent. The project will monitor both groups development rates and will come up with a feasibility study regarding the provision if the specific scheme, which intends to make permanent.
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
57001 Thermi Thessaloniki
Greece