Updated last 26.03.2021
What is the program about?
COSME is the EU program for competitiveness of enterprises, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The Programme has a horizon till 2020. Currenty the programme period has expired. Nevertheless, financing of the measures falling into the priorities of this programme has been provisioned in the budget framework of the European union for 2021 – 2027 period.
What is the objective of the program?
COSME is for the implementation of the Small Business Act reflecting the will of the Commission to acknowledge the central role of SMEs in the economy of the EU. The Executive Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises manages COSME on behalf of the EC.
COSME provides support for SME in the following areas:
- Improving access to financing;
- Improving access to markets globally;
- Developing an environment conducive to competitiveness;
- Promoting entrepreneurship.
Through this financial instrument the EU provides loans and capitalinvestments for SMEs:
- Through the Loan Guarantee Facility, the programme will provide guarantees and counter-guarantees to financial institutions (e.g. guarantee societies, banks, leasing com-panies) so they can provide more loan and lease finance to SMEs. It is expected that COSME will enable between 220 000 and 330 000 SMEs to obtain financing for a total value of between €14 and €21 billion.
- Through the Equity Facility for Growth, the programme will provide risk capital to equity funds investing in SMEs mainly in the expan-sion and growth-stage phases. The Facility should help between 360 and 560 firms to receive equity investment with an overall volume invested ranging from € 2.6 to € 4 billion.
Enterprise Europe Network is financed through COSME. It consists of more than 600 centers in over 50 countries and provides support to SMEs in finding partners in business and technologies, getting familiar with EU legislation and obtaining access to financing from the EU.
How does the program support SME?
One of the key objectives of COSME is to provide better access to financing for SMEs in the different stages of their lifecycle. To this end, the EU provides loans and capital investment and counter guarantees for financial institutions so that they are able to provide more loans and lease financing to SMEs.
What is the budget of the program?
It is implemented between 2014 and 2020, with a budget of EUR 2.3 bln. COSME is designed to allow between 220,000 and 330,000 SMEs to obtain funding totaling EUR 14 – 21 bln.
The Equity Facility for Growth of the program provides venture capital for equity funds investing in SMEs mainly in the stages of expansion and growth. The expectations are that the facility will support between 360 and 560 thousand enterprises in the 2014-2020 for obtaining capital investment totaling EUR 2.6 – 4 bln.
What is the deadline to apply in calls for proposals under the program?
For each call for proposals deadlines are different. The close of the program is 2020.
How can you apply under the program?
| For more information | |
 | Additional information about applying under COSME is available in the links to the website of the European Commission: |
It should be noted that each call for proposals has specific objectives and indicators to be achieved, as well as amounts of grant financing and number of projects that can be funded. In the calls eligible candidates, activities, expenses, evaluation criteria, expected duration of projects, and other specific terms and conditions are specified.
| For more information | |
| For more information about the financing opportunities in the new programme period follow the website of:
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