Study supporting the ex post evaluation of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP) 2007-2013 : final report

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP) was one of three programmes within the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (2007-2013). The EIP supported actions relating to: i) access to finance for SMEs; ii) creation of an environment favourable to SME cooperation (including support and advice offered by the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN); iii) innovation in enterprises; iv) eco-innovation; v) entrepreneurship and innovation culture (including through the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) cross-border exchange programme); and vi) enterprise and innovation-related economic and administrative reform. This ex post evaluation built on the findings and recommendations made in the Final Evaluation of the EIP (2011) by focusing on the final years of the EIP. The evaluation found that the EIP was highly relevant to the challenges facing SMEs, made a contribution against its objectives and provided European added value that would not have been realised by national or regional programmes and provision. The evaluation also found that the EIP generated positive long-term impacts on the performance and competitiveness of SMEs, including high survival and growth rates of SMEs supported by financial instruments, business benefits for clients of the EEN and sustained co-operation between entrepreneurs participating in the EYE.