style="display:none">
The European Commission is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) programme, a landmark initiative designed to shape the future of entrepreneurship across Europe. This year's anniversary highlights EYE's success in supporting international cooperation, enriching entrepreneurial skills and promoting innovation.
Like the Erasmus+ programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport, the EYE programme provides young and potential entrepreneurs with a unique opportunity for international exchanges aimed at implementing innovative ideas. It helps to overcome the initial obstacles to starting and running a business, while facilitating international development and the creation of business partnerships.
Participants gain valuable on-the-job training and develop their entrepreneurial skills through a rewarding partnership with an experienced host entrepreneur abroad, over a period of up to six months. The EU offers financial support to cover travel and accommodation costs, ensuring accessibility.
Experienced host entrepreneurs benefit from new perspectives and skills offered by highly motivated young entrepreneurs. This collaboration opens the doors to explore innovative ideas that can benefit their businesses, enabling internationalization, access to new markets and the creation of new partnerships, further strengthening their competitive advantage.
To date, the program has facilitated nearly 12,000 business exchanges in more than 45 countries. In 2023, it reached a record high of over 5,000 applications, demonstrating the great success of the program. The EYE program has strong acceptance rates, with 98% of young entrepreneurs recommending it and 92% of beneficiaries staying in touch after their participation experience. In addition, 20% of host entrepreneurs plan to create joint business activities with young entrepreneurs.
The European Commission remains committed to strengthening the EYE programme in the future, ensuring that it continues to support emerging entrepreneurs and contribute to a resilient and innovative European business ecosystem.
Learn more:
