Call for proposals - No 6/G/ENT/CIP/10/E/N01C21: European Network of Mentors for Women Entrepreneurs

This project is intended to encourage and support entrepreneurship among women by creating a European Network of Mentors for Women Entrepreneurs. It recognises and supports the distinctive nature of women’s business start-ups and aims to ensure that women entrepreneurs can keep their new businesses going throughout the first, very challenging years. It is designed as a contribution to implementing the Small Business Act, particularly Principle 1: ‘Create an environment in which entrepreneurs and family businesses can thrive and entrepreneurship is rewarded’.

This call is intended to set up national networks of mentors for women entrepreneurs in at least 15 countries. These networks will jointly form the European Network of Mentors for Women Entrepreneurs.

The main role of the national networks will be to:
- identify, select and train mentors for women entrepreneurs,
- identify and select women entrepreneurs to be mentored,
- form the best and most efficient ‘mentor/mentoree’ relationships based on the experience and expectations of those taking part,
- monitor and facilitate these relationships for the duration of the action,
- evaluate and report on these relationships in a comprehensive and consistent manner,
- ensure the visibility of the national networks of mentors as part of an EU-funded and supported initiative.

Mentors are men or women, who:
- have personal experience of owning and managing a small or medium-sized company successfully for at least five years,
- be aware of specific challenges women entrepreneurs may face (e.g. in starting up a business, accessing finance, networking, etc.), and
- be ready to share their know-how with mentorees and be available to meet them regularly over a period of at least a year.

Each mentor is expected to take on at least two mentorees for the duration of the project.

Mentors will act on a voluntary basis, and will commit to refrain, during the two years following the end of the mentoring scheme, from taking any participation in the company led by their mentorees.
Organisations active in business support and/or in the promotion of women entrepreneurs are invited to participate. Applications must be from organisations in the following countries: the 27 EU Member States, plus Liechtenstein, Norway, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Montenegro, Turkey, Albania, Israel, Serbia.

Applicants must act in a national consortium of at least two partner organisations established in the same country (i.e. a minimum of two organisations should be involved). The applicant will act as coordinator for the consortium, though all partners must satisfy the eligibility criteria.

Applications must be submitted by a legal person. Applicants must be from a public or private entity, the core activity of which is in the field of business support and/or in the promotion of women entrepreneurs. This may in particular include:
- public authorities responsible for or active in the fields of economic affairs, enterprise, business support or related issues,
- chambers of commerce and industry, chambers of handicrafts or similar bodies,
- business support organisations, start-up centres and incubators,
- business associations and business support networks,
- women entrepreneurs’ associations,
- public and private entities offering business support services.

Corporate bodies must be legally constituted and registered.
The maximum budget for this call is €1 million, which is expected to fund the creation of national networks of mentors in at least 15 countries. The maximum rate of EU co-financing will be 60% for all projects. The maximum amount payable will vary from €35,000 to €75,000 according to the proposed number of mentorees. The maximum duration of a project will be 24 months.

The deadline for applications is 20 April 2011. Agreements will be signed in September 2011; mentors will be selected at national level in September-October 2011; activities will start from November 2011 onwards.
The full text of the call  is available on the Commission’s Enterprise website.

Reference: 2011/C 96/06

(Added 2011-03-29)