The SME Assembly is Back. Live and better than ever

Editorial

Welcome back to the SME Week Newsletter!

And it's also time to welcome back the SME Assembly, which will be held live this year on 15-17 November, in Portorož, Slovenia. As the culmination of SME Week, the SME Assembly will see entrepreneurs, policymakers and innovators gather in Slovenia to put sustainability at the centre of Europe's recovery.

In this edition, we also talk to the previous Youth Essay Competition winner and two finalists, who have excellent advice for anyone thinking of participating in this year's competition. If you haven't started your essay yet, there is still time to get creative, so read on!

We also look at European Enterprise Promotion Awards 2021 to meet the European shortlist.

Finally, don't forget to share with us YOUR stories; how are you navigating these challenging times? Share your news and updates to be featured in an upcoming issue or on the Promoting Enterprise News Portal.

The SME Assembly is back. Live and better than ever

The focus of this year’s SME Assembly is Togetherness + Resilience = Recovery. The Assembly will bring together actors from across the European and international enterprise ecosystems, including citizens, businesses and policymakers, to build a more sustainable and resilient future together.

From 15-17 November 2021, the beautiful city of Portorož in Slovenia, and the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union will play host to the flagship event of European SME Week 2021 - the SME Assembly.

Save the date in your calendar and visit the News Portal to find out more about the Assembly format and programme.

YEC 2021 - There is more time to apply!

The deadline for submitting entries to this year’s edition of the SME Week Youth Essay Competition is being extended until  3 October! To those of you, who already submitted their applications – thank you and good luck during the selection process! But in case you have not started to get your ideas down on paper, the deadline extension will give you the time needed to submit a winning entry. Don’t delay! Register here, and get writing!

We are also catching up with last year’s Youth Essay Competition winner, Sabine Kerssens and finalists Pablo Pastor and Geena Whiteman.

Don’t forget to check their advice on how to write a winning entry.

There is still some time left until 3 October, so if you have some ideas to address this year’s challenge and submit an entry.

EEPA 2021 - European shortlist 

On 17 September, the EEPA 2021 Jury met to make their final selections for this year’s European shortlist. The decision came after 3-hour deliberations, during which jurors were trying to choose the most inspiring examples of entrepreneurship and SME-friendly initiatives in Europe amongst 47 entries from 28 countries.

Find out all about the European Shortlist here.

Don’t forget to check who are the national winners in each category below:

• EEPA 2021 National Winners – Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit
• EEPA 2021 National Winners - Investing in Entrepreneurial Skills

• EEPA 2021 National Winners - Improving the Business Environment and Supporting the Digital Transition
• EEPA 2021 National Winners - Supporting the Internationalisation of Business
• EEPA 2021 National Winners - Supporting the Sustainable Transition
• EEPA 2021 National Winners - Responsible and Inclusive Entrepreneurship

SME Week 2021 – Upcoming events

The European SME Week is a pan-European campaign that aims to promote entrepreneurship in Europe. It helps and supports existing entrepreneurs and encourages potential entrepreneurs to set up their own businesses.

Don’t forget to check the SME Week events happening this autumn.

You can also decide to organise your own event. Events can be submitted to the calendar, and national coordinators will help with selection, organisation and overall support.

Stay up to date

Following all the events, important updates and keeping track of EEPA and SME Assembly activities can be hard work but don’t worry. We have got you covered! Make sure that you are following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop!

Something else you would like to see on our channels? Need our help to spread the word about your innovative activities? 

Get in touch at promotingenterprise@gopacom.eu and let us know.

© European Union, 2021

The information and views set out in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Neither the European Union institutions and bodies nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. The European Enterprise Promotion Awards is a key initiative of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. This publication is financed under the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, which is mostly managed by the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME).