NorBAN is proud to announce that we have been approved as the first and only Norwegian Contact Point for the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) programme for the years from 2025 to 2028 and are working to extend this further. This is exciting news for aspiring entrepreneurs in Norway and beyond and means that NorBAN will be able to provide the Norwegian ecosystem with more opportunities, new connections, and hands-on experience along with entrepreneurs from across Europe that are looking to bring their business ideas to life.
Overview
The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) programme is an EU-funded cross-border exchange initiative designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs in acquiring the skills needed to start and grow a business. It enables “young entrepreneurs” (individuals with no previous startup experience who is planning to launch or who have recently started a business) to collaborate with experienced entrepreneurs in another participating country. Through this hands-on exchange, participants gain practical knowledge in areas such as business management, finance, market development, and internationalization, while host entrepreneurs benefit from fresh perspectives and potential access to new markets. The programme is funded and overseen by the European Commission and forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Europe’s SME ecosystem.
Beyond individual learning, the programme plays a strategic role in fostering entrepreneurial culture, innovation, and cross-border cooperation across Europe. It supports knowledge transfer between countries with varying levels of entrepreneurial maturity and promotes inclusivity by encouraging participation from underrepresented groups. The programme consists of a large group of sub-projects, of which NorBAN takes part in the SEEDbridge consortium, which all build on this framework by expanding outreach, improving quality standards, and aligning exchanges with EU priorities like digitalization, sustainability, and social entrepreneurship.
Key Objectives:
✅ Enhance entrepreneurial skills through practical, on-the-job training with experienced business owners
✅ Facilitate knowledge exchange between new and established entrepreneurs across countries
✅ Promote business creation and growth, especially among early-stage entrepreneurs
✅ Encourage cross-border collaboration and international market access for SMEs
✅ Support innovation and competitiveness within the European SME sector
✅ Foster inclusion and diversity, including women, social, and green entrepreneurs
✅ Strengthen European entrepreneurial ecosystems by connecting networks, intermediaries, and institutions