For the 2nd consecutive year, EYIF partners with the Global Entrepreneurship Week organised an official event which took place today at the European Parliament.
This year leaders of the European Parliament and European Commission met the community of young innovators and entrepreneurs to inform the community about the significant number of financing opportunities that for the first time are available to finance young entrepreneurs and innovators, their projects and initiatives as of 1st January 2014.
The roundtable, Europe and Young Innovators: Financing Opportunities from the EU for 2014-2020, aimed to increase accessibility and awareness of the funds available to the EYIF community. The multi-annual fiscal plan has allocated a significant amount of funds for young entrepreneurs and innovators across Europe to fund initiatives and projects. The discussion also included the digital entrepreneurship plan, start-up Europe initiative, the innovation voucher in the Horizon 2020 programme. Additionally, the roundtable covered the European Parliament efforts to facilitate lower interest loans for young entrepreneurs.
During the event, María da Graça Carvalho delivered an speech on Innovation voucher within the Horizon 2020 programme. Among the speakers there were also Pablo ZALBA, MEP, Vice-President Economic Affairs Committee: Facilitating low-interest loans for young entrepreneurs;, Antti PELTOMÄKI, DG Enterprise & Industry, Deputy Director-General: Digital entrepreneurship plan; Mario CAMPOLARGO, Director, Net Futures, DG Connect Web-Entrepreneurship and Start-up Europe initiative: Start-up Europe initiative; Bruno WATTENBERGH, Director of Brussels Enterprise Agency: The Role of Enterprise Europe Network in informing and helping Young Innovators and Entrepreneurs.