The European Enterprise Awards have been organised by DG Enterprise since 2006. The awards both identify and reward excellence among public authorities promoting entrepreneurship and small business at a national, regional and local level.
338 projects competed in national competitions in 28 European countries including Norway. A high-level European jury including Dr. Anders Lundström, Andrea Benassi, Lucio Gussetti, Nick Taylor, Therese Albrechtson, Patricio Rodríguez-Carmona, Joanna Drake then selected the best entries, which were announced at the special award ceremony in Madrid.
The Jury’s Grand Prize was awarded to ‘Entrepreneurs' Residencies’; an initiative from the French region of Auvergne. The Regional Development Agency set up “Entrepreneurs' Residencies” which provide short and long-term support measures for business creators or buyers from outside the area willing to settle in the region.
They are designed to support, facilitate and accelerate the setting up of new businesses by guiding potential entrepreneurs and refunding their living expenses. Since 2007, the region has arranged more than 600 residencies of which 211 have resulted in the creation of new businesses.
Other award winners included the Jury’s Special Mention, awarded to a German initiative ‘Time for Ethics’ (Zeit für Ethik). The initiative was launched by the Office of Economic Affairs of Nuremberg and a group of entrepreneurs who make ethics central to their business success.
The project relies on a strong network of volunteer experts who provide local entrepreneurs with coaching and advice on leadership ethics. In times of change or crisis, the risk is high that businesses' ethical standards fall. This initiative ensures that the competitive edge of ethics is made visible and therefore profitable.
One noteworthy candidate that didn’t win their category includes a project from Ireland competing in the Category of ‘Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit’. The Genesis Enterprise Programme was established in the south-west of Ireland in 1998, in order to accelerate the development of young knowledge-based businesses with international potential. Every year, its holistic approach of incubation brings together regional and national supporting bodies and has led to an outstanding rate of success: so far, 79% of the participants are still in business. This approach has also been replicated successfully in other regions of Ireland.
European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, said: "Small business needs the right soil to grow. The European Enterprise Awards winners are a living testimony of how the public sector can help plant the seeds for business creation and growth. The key to this success is building strong public-private partnerships that create win-win situations for companies and communities."
The awards closed the European SME Week 2010, a pan-European campaign of more than 1000 events across Europe that aim to inform entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs about the available support as well as recognising the role of entrepreneurs in society.
Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, 1st Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions talked of the importance of entrepreneurship at a regional level: "As the difficulties of the EU economy, and the Euro-zone in particular, are being discussed all over Europe these days, it is vital to acknowledge that encouraging entrepreneurship at local and regional level is a key ingredient for the success of any plan to exit the current difficult economic situation."
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