The International Network for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

EU Legislative Interests

By its statute of not-for-profit association, INSME does not work directly with EU legislations or policies but it rather supports them by promoting the exchange of knowledge and good practices through its network and members in the fields of innovation, SMEs, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship at the international level. The Association gathers innovation and technology transfer stakeholders including governmental bodies, international organizations, NGOs, business support organizations, chambers of commerce on an international scale. By taking this into account and given its global outreach, its active involvement in the OECD Committee on SMEs and Entrepreneurship and a diversified pool of Members, INSME collects and formalizes best practices. INSME works on European Programmes (Horizon, COSME, Erasmus+, Interreg) through several project proposals to promote the SME strategy policy and to support entrepreneurship and the digital and green transitions advanced by the European Parliament Resolution on the European Green Deal, the Recovery Plan for Europe and EU Action Plan. INSME activities indirectly support EU SMEs related policy by providing an environment an environment that is conducive to business creation and development of SMEs. Supporting particularly sustainable growth, digitisation, competitiveness and resilience and promoting an entrepreneurial culture (education, training and capacity-building) and European-Funded initiatives for innovation investments in SMEs, but also for enhancing SME internationalisation and access to markets, supporting especially The Small Business Act for Europe (SBA). Moreover, INSME is part of the working group of the CPR partners Group of Experts, working on the cohesion Open Data Platform as well as the New European Bauhaus.

Communication Activities

INSME offers a wide array of services helping its Members and promotes EU policies to better achieve their goals by taking advantage of cross border connections and collaborations enhanced by the Network: i) Observatory of Innovation Best Practices. Programmes, initiatives, projects and policies endorsed and implemented by key innovation players that represent successful and ‘best in class’ approaches in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation. ii) INSME Annual Meetings. The Association’s major event gathering Members and innovation stakeholders worldwide in a dense programme of initiatives including workshops and an International Conference to discuss emerging trends, share ideas and put the basis for potential business partnerships. iii) Promotion, Dissemination and Information activities through INSME communication channels: – INSMEnews. The monthly newsletter is released in English and reaches 19.000+ innovation stakeholders worldwide. The newsletter offers up-to-date information on initiatives, current innovation trends, funding opportunities and events regarding innovation and technology transfer. – INSMEblog. A virtual window to share and discuss ideas, hints, and visions on innovation. – INSME Alerts. Customized e-mail alerts to INSME Members covering selected thematic and geographic priorities.

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Organisation Members

As of 2025, INSME can count on the support of 50 Members. Here's a link to the web page with our Members' details: https://www.insme.org/the-network/members/