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Erasmus for entrepreneurs is a unique exchange programme of the European Union. It gives new entrepreneurs or those who are just thinking about starting a business a chance to gain experience abroad. At the same time, it offers experienced entrepreneurs the opportunity to hire motivated startup entrepreneurs into their company.
The program offers a stay in one of 41 European countries for a duration of 1 to 6 months. You can participate in the programme with any business idea. Financial support for outgoing participants is up to 1200 EUR/month.
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
To participate in the program, we are looking for those of you who are starting a business or are only thinking about it, i.e. New Entrepreneurs. At the same time, we are also looking for the more experienced among you, those who have already built their company, would like to take in fresh and promising newcomers for a few months and ideally pass on some of their experience to them, i.e. Host Entrepreneurs.
The programme is available to adults of all ages, so you have to be 18 years old or older. Anyone who has not run a business or runs a business for a maximum of 3 years can apply as a New Entrepreneur. A New Entrepreneur does not need to have an established business. If you are at the stage where you are only thinking about your business, you can also participate. All you need to do is to write down your business plan. It is not necessary to be a citizen of the Czech Republic to participate, so the program is also suitable for foreigners who live in the Czech Republic for a long time. It is important that you stay in the Czech Republic for at least 6 months within the last year.
For experienced entrepreneurs who have been in business for more than 3 years, it is important to apply as a host entrepreneur with a company registered in the Czech Republic. It can also be a new company, the business experience of you as a person is important, not the given company. At the same time, you must act as an owner, director or have another executive function in the company. You can also apply as a self-employed person.
BASIC RULES
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES. The program offers the possibility to travel not only to the countries of the European Union, but also to other European destinations such as Armenia, Iceland, Georgia, Norway or Turkey. You can choose from a total of 41 countries. Participation is also possible in the so-called "outermost regions" of EU countries, i.e. in regions such as the Azores Islands and Madeira, the Canary Islands, New Caledonia in the Pacific or Réunion on the coast of Madagascar. Complete list of countries incl. the amount of scholarships can be found HERE.
LENGTH OF THE STAY. The participant chooses the length of stay by himself based on an agreement with the host. The minimum length of stay is 1 month, the maximum is 6 months. The length can be planned not only for whole months, but also for weeks or individual days. The stay can be divided into several parts, for example if the participant needs to return to the Czech Republic for business.
LANGUAGE OF THE STAY. Although most stays take place in English, the stay can be completed in any official EU language. For example, if a participant does not speak English well, but is fluent in German, they can travel to Germany or Austria.
FIELD OF BUSINESS. The professional field of your business idea is not limited in any way. Whether it is more common business ideas or something very specific, the program can be used. After consultation with the host, you decide what you want to do during your stay. It is possible that you are very good at your craft and only need to focus on business skills. Or maybe you can handle management tasks but need to move up in technology. We will help you put together an activity plan that suits you as much as possible.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT. The program provides a financial assistance to New Entrepreneurs who is going abroad. The amount of the scholarship depends on the country to which the participant goes. The maximum amount of the scholarship is 1200 EUR for 1 full month. List of countries incl. the amount of the scholarship can be found HERE. The scholarship is paid at monthly intervals by us, the intermediary organization RERA.
THE PROCESS
IDEA. At the beginning is your business idea. Maybe you've already started your business and maybe you're just thinking about it. Maybe you know exactly what you want to do and how you want to do it, maybe you're only certain about some aspects and unsure about others. But you are interested in the possibility of gaining new experience abroad. So now is the perfect time to contact us as your intermediary organization and discuss everything.
CONSULTATION. The initial consultation usually takes place online. We will discuss with you specifically what you expect from the program and also how long, where and when you would like to travel. We will describe the whole process to you, explain how the registration takes place. We will also discuss what a business plan should contain.
REGISTRATION. Registration takes place online in the European Commission system. This is a simple form in which you must fill in your contact information, upload your CV and business plan or describe your motivation for joining the program. We consult with you on everything during the preparation and help you polish your profile.
NETWORKING. After the registration is approved, you will get access to the program's database, which contains several thousand entrepreneurs ready to cooperate. The search for a suitable host entrepreneur takes place most often through the program's database. However, if you are interested in someone who is not yet registered in the program, you can also contact entrepreneurs outside the database. At this moment, you are deciding when and where to travel.
PREPARATION. During networking, you may be in contact with multiple hosts. After you have agreed on cooperation with a specific host, you will prepare a plan of activities that you will work on together during your stay. After that, the entire stay approval process takes place.
STAY. Your stay is approved and you fly to your dream destination. You come regularly to the host's company and work on what you agreed on. You also refine your business plan and work on developing the necessary competencies. You receive a stipend from us on your account every month and we keep in touch together.
CLOSURE. Your stay ends and you fly back home. You fill out the feedback questionnaire and success story documents, and after their approval you receive the last payment of the scholarship. The stay is over.
CONTACT
Zdenek Hanzal | hanzal@rera.cz | +420 731 503 328
Romana Markova | markova@rera.cz | +420 723 013 829