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SMEs and Entrepreneurship Policy: European Actions for Women Entrepreneurs

SMEs and Entrepreneurship Policy: European Actions for Women Entrepreneurs. ANNA DANTI DG Enterprise and Industry, Unit E1, Entrepreneurship. 1 st FORUM FOR SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS 21 September 2010, Istanbul. What is Entrepreneurship?.

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SMEs and Entrepreneurship Policy: European Actions for Women Entrepreneurs

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  1. SMEs and Entrepreneurship Policy: European Actions for Women Entrepreneurs ANNA DANTI DG Enterprise and Industry, Unit E1, Entrepreneurship 1st FORUM FOR SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS 21 September 2010, Istanbul

  2. What is Entrepreneurship? • Entrepreneurship refers to an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action (Commission) • creativity, • innovation • risk acceptance, • the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. (Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning COM(2005)548

  3. Desirability How desireable is it to become self-employed in the next 5 years? Source: Flash Eurobarometer 192, December 2006 - January 2007

  4. Still a “classical” profileDesirability by social group Source: Flash Eurobarometer 192, December 2006 - January 2007

  5. PROMOTING WOMEN ENTERPRENEURSIS WISE AND NECESSARY • At the heart of the Lisbon strategy: ensure that the proportion of women in active employment exceeds 60% by 2010. • The entrepreneurial potential of women constitutes an underdeveloped source of economic growth and of new jobs • Women constitute, on average, 30% of entrepreneurs in the EU. (36% start-ups 20% industry) • They often facegreater difficulties than men in starting up businesses and in accessing finance and training. • It is essential to provide women the support they need in order to start-up and manage their own enterprise.

  6. 1.THE EUROPEAN NETWORK TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP (WES) • launched in June 2000 • It is composed of government representatives responsible for the promotion of women entrepreneurship. • It has 30 members from the European Union, EEA and candidate countries. • Meetings twice a year • Annual activity report • Advice on future policy orientation

  7. WES OBJECTIVES • Raising the visibility of existing women entrepreneurs • Create a climate that is favourable to woman entrepreneurs • Increase the number of new women entrepreneurs • Increase the size of existing women-led businesses

  8. 2. NETWORKING: CO-OPERATION WITH BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS • Contacts and exchange of information, with many national business organisations of women entrepreneurs from all the EU 27 countries and also from abroad. For example: • FEM-UEAPME - Female Europeans of Small and Medium Enterprises • FCEM - The Worldwide Network of Women Business Owners • EWN - Eurochambres Women's Network etc.

  9. 3. WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP PORTAL • Provides links to the websites of women entrepreneurs’ representative organisations, networks, projects and events that relate to the promotion of female entrepreneurship. • The information on 5 areas: • National organisations of women entrepreneurs • International organisations of women entrepreneurs • Networks • Projects • Events related to women entrepreneurship

  10. 4. Small Business Act 1. Create an environment in which entrepreneurs and family businesses can thrive and entrepreneurship is rewarded This includes (politically binding principles) - thecreation ofthe European Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors -mentoring schemes for womento set-up their own business -encourageentrepreneurship amongst women graduatespartof the entr. education call. 2.General Block Exemption Regulation on State Aids (GBER) (Legislative measures- already adopted) Enable state aid for small enterprises newly created by female entrepreneurs without DG COMP procedure up to €1M

  11. THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMBASSADORS • Launched on 5 October 2009 in Stockholm • Currently has 10 European Countries as members: Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden • Second call:12 more European countries ready to enter pending final approval (Albania, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and UK). Event on December with Belgian Presidency.

  12. THE AMBASSADORS • Serve as role models and highlight the role that women can play in creating jobs and promoting competitiveness. • Promote entrepreneurship in schools, universities, community groups and the media, aiming to inspire women of all ages to set up their own businesses. • Telling their own stories will help to raise confidence in setting up and creating successful businesses in all areas. First feedback from ambassadors very positive.

  13. 1/ ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION FOR WOMEN GRADUATES Project: ‘Women@Business’ EL, ES, IT, CY, UK • The project main objectives are: •        to create the correct conditions for young female graduates and young women from ethnic minorities or immigrant backgrounds, to be encouraged to pursue entrepreneurship •        to produce an innovative and sustainable model of a full consultancy package to promote entrepreneurship 2/ MENTORING SCHEMES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS call November 2010

  14. STUDY ON WOMEN INNOVATORS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP Data shows: • No more than 8.3% of patents awarded by the European Patent Office are awarded to women. • 20.3% of businesses started with venture capital belong to female entrepreneurs. • In Europe 5%-15% of high-tech business is owned by women. • Women score less than men when assessingthe level of innovation of their own business (expl. process innovation: 4.1% women - 7.8% men; marketing innovation: 9.1% women - 10.45% men).

  15. Further results • Women are lagging behind on innovative entrepreneurship and encounter specific challenges. • Women’s ideas for innovation areas marketable as men’s, but… • Innovative ideas arenotrecognised by predominantly male stakeholders. • Stereotypes about women in innovative sectors and difficulties in balancing work and family still persist. • Stakeholders not aware of women’s different needs and there are no measures attempting to attract women.

  16. THE WAY TO IMPROVEMENT Systematic intervention should tackle: • contextual obstacles (i.e. running informative events and providing entrepreneurship training in schools and universities, challenging stereotypes by raising awareness on women’s contribution in entrepreneurship.), • economic obstacles (i.e. access to capital to develop and growth their business ideas), and • soft obstacles: (access to business networks, business training, role models and entrepreneurship skills). Nature and type of challenges areconsistent across Member States.

  17. HAULISTIC APPROACH • Work to encourage and support entrepreneurship but, besides access to finance and access to business opportunities also… • Create the environment that would enable women to reach their potential and become sucessful entrepreneurs Ensure reconciling professional –personal life balance is possible. Fight Stereotypes-change perceptions- role models Access to information and care take facilities– tailored made training – networking

  18. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

  19. CONTACTS • WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/women/index_en.htm • FEMALE ENTR AMBASSADORS NETWORK http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/women/ambassadors/index_en.htm • ENTERPRISE EUROPE NETWORK http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm • ON LINE TOOL FOR SME FUNDING http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/finance/guide-to-funding/index_en.htm

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