The SMEs Academy Avignon (which takes its name from the 1st European Conference promoted by SME organizations dedicated to crafts and SMEs in Avignon, France, in 1990), was founded by UEAPME, EUROPMI (an organization led by CNA), by the Chamber of Commerce of Luxembourg, by the Austrian, Greek (GSEVEE) and other SME organizations.
Along the years, it has built its reputation through several training and scientific research activities and with the support of European experts network and international scientific relations in partnership with EU Institutions.
SMEs Academy Avignon is an international no-profit organization, under Belgian law, with a Board of Directors and an Assembly, is currently supported by EU and National SMEs organizations (UEAPME, GSEVEE, CNA) and other SMEs representative bodies from France and Spain.
The mission promoted by the European Academy of SMEs
To respond to the growing need for new skills, competences and knowledge, conceiving “capacity building” and tailor made training programs for SMEs organization and their business members, International/National/regional Public and Private actors;
To participate, as a research and technical support body to EU/Institutions, on strategic SME challenges such as globalizations and technical standard, circular economy, innovation and digitization, optimal use of European structural funds, cross sector social dialogue ;
To contribute in providing knowledge based scientific research/reports and to conduct public awareness campaigns by SMEs communities to analyze the effectiveness and impact of European policies on SMEs and wider stakeholders;
To promote small business values in the EU, competition, competitiveness and economic cohesion, especially micro and small-sized enterprises, by identifying European policies and growth sustainable solutions, growth in investment, and more generally of employment;
To anticipate and to identify main changes that are taking place in the Internal Market and in the processes of globalization and in SMEs “value chains”, able to transfer EU “added value” by enhancing the experiences and SMEs and organizations practices;
To collaborate with other similar European /International organizations on the scientific and technical level through independent technical experts, elaboration of specific Observatory and publications, periodical studies, multilingual material and on – line training tools and publications, conferences, newsletters.