The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development has published a tender "European Enterprise Promotion Award 2022“ (European Enterprise Promotion Awards – EEPA 2022).
The EEPA is an annual recognition by which the European Commission rewards the success of public authorities and public-private partnerships in fostering entrepreneurship and small businesses across the European Union.
This award was launched in order to open up new opportunities for the local and regional community through examples of best policies and practices with the aim of developing entrepreneurship, employment and retaining the population in their environment.
Since 2006 The European Enterprise Promotion Awards reward excellence in promoting small-scale entrepreneurship at national, regional and local level, with more than 3,000 projects submitted so far.
Objectives of the Award recognition of successful activities and initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, presentation and sharing of best policy examples and examples of entrepreneurship, increasing awareness of the role of entrepreneurs in European society, and encouraging and promoting potential entrepreneurs.
The 2022 EEPA Awards competition involves 27 Member States of the European Union and countries associated to the COSME programme.
Candidates can compete in their projects/initiatives in six prescribed categories of competitions:
1) Promoting an entrepreneurial spirit;
2) Investing in entrepreneurial skills;
3) Improving the business environment and supporting the digital transition;
4) Supporting the internationalisation of business;
5) Supporting a sustainable transition; and
6) Responsible and inclusive entrepreneurship.
All information related to the tender (application form, instructions, contact details) is available on the website of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. Applications must relate to Recent projects that have been successfully completed, and lasted at least 15 months, or Existing projects still ongoing, but they are successfully implemented and their result, i.e. their impact on the development of the local or regional environment over a period of fifteen months, is measurable.
The application must be submitted in Croatian language, electronically, by 27 May 2022.
EEPA 2022 competition It takes place in two phases..
In the first phase – the national level, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, through the Project Evaluation and Selection Committee, selects, according to the prescribed EU criteria, two projects from two different categories applying to the EU level.
In the second phase – the European level, the European Commission selects the members of the European jury, which then selects them at EU level.
All candidates nominated for the 2022 EEPA by their countries will be invited to the 2022 EEPA Winners’ Award Ceremony, which will take place in November 2022 in Prague, Czech Republic, as part of the multi-day annual SME Assembly organised by the European Commission each year in the Member State holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The SME Assembly is an event dedicated to European entrepreneurship and institutions supporting its development. It brings together a wide range of participants, from Member States' authorities and institutions at local, regional, national and European level, to business, academia and the media.
The Prague Winners' Announcement Ceremony will award prizes to the winners in each of the six categories. In addition, the Grand Jury Prize will be awarded to the main winner, that is, the candidate whose project, from any of the six categories, has been rated as the most creative and stimulating for the promotion of entrepreneurship and small business in Europe.
More information on the European Enterprise Promotion Awards can be found at: link.
The application form can be downloaded at the link.
