A group of award-winning entrepreneurs were selected to participate in a working trip in Brussels consisting in various information and training sessions regarding funding opportunities available to European SMEs as well as the various existing start-up accelaration programmes. All of them had previously undergone a rigorous process of selection via the MoveUp programme organised by the Castellón Provincial Council with the technical assistance of the European Center of Innovative Companies (CEEI) based in Castellón and member of the European Business Network (EBN).
The entrepreneurs had the opportunity to meet with two MEPS (Esteban González Pons and Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández) from their home region and to present them with their respective projects and companies, thus obtaining direct feedback from the European lawmakers.
They were then welcomed on the premises of the European Commission to be presented with various European policies related to the professional realms of their companies and in particular with the SME instrument, the biggest source of funding for SMEs.
In addition, they were received at the headquarters of the European Bussiness Network to talk about the potential barriers when attempting to internationalise one´s company notably that of the potential intellectual property rights infringement issues.
Finally, they were received at Partenalia´s headquarters and presented with the association´s activities in favour of SMEs from its member administrations and had the opportunity to receive first-hand advice from Manuel Mendigutía, project adviser at the SME instrument unit of the European Commission.
