Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) is a European exchange programme which helps entrepreneurs start their own business! The programme matches new entrepreneurs from one country with experienced entrepreneurs in another European country for an exchange of up to six months.
The new entrepreneur benefits from on-the-job training to develop his or her entrepreneurial skills, gaining knowledge and experience on managing a small business by collaborating with the host entrepreneur.
The host entrepreneur benefits from fresh perspectives on his or her business and gets the opportunity to cooperate with foreign partners or learn about new markets.
Moldovan entrepreneurs can apply as both new and host businesses.
The programme is open to new and host entrepreneurs from the Republic of Moldova, as well as the 27 EU Member States and other participating countries – Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Lichtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine (for current participating countries please check the programme website).
Participation is not based on nationality, so third country nationals who are resident in the Republic of Moldova are also eligible to apply (as can Moldovan nationals resident in another participating country).
To apply as a new entrepreneur, you need have started a business in the last three years or plan to set one up. In this case, you need to have a concrete project or business idea, reflected in a business plan.
To apply as a host entrepreneur, you need to have at least three years running an SME.
Despite the name of the programme, there is no age limit to apply for Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (though you do need to be over 18), and your business can be in any sector of activity.
With the help of an intermediary organisation, new entrepreneurs are matched up with a host entrepreneur in another European country for an exchange that can last between one and six months. To provide entrepreneurs with more flexibility, the exchange can also be divided into slots of minimum one week each, spread over a maximum of 12 months.
Once the match is accepted by both parties, an activity plan is prepared, which includes objectives for the exchange, the business/work/learning plan, tasks and responsibilities.
Activities during the exchange can include:
The programme provides financial assistance for new entrepreneurs, which covers partly living costs during the visit and travel to and from the exchange.
The amount of funding varies depending on the country of the exchange (check the FAQs on the programme website for current country rates) and the actual period that the new entrepreneur spends abroad with the host entrepreneur. Host entrepreneurs do not receive any funding.
There is no deadline to register for the programme. Interested applicants can apply online at any time at the following page. On the registration form, you have to fill out personal and business details, as well as outlining your motivation, and what added value you can offer your host entrepreneur.
You will also need to select an intermediary organisation, which will act as your local contact point throughout the programme and help you to prepare for your exchange. The intermediary organisation will assesses your application, guide you through the matching phase, help you with your activity plan, and monitor and evaluate your exchange.
Click here for the list of local contact points to guide you throughout your exchange. There is currently no local contact point in Moldova, but you can reach out to contact points in any country to act as your intermediary organisation.
For more information about how to apply, read the programme’s step-by-step Registration Guide for new entrepreneurs and for host entrepreneurs.
Benefits for new entrepreneurs include the opportunity to:
Benefits for host entrepreneurs include the opportunity to:
The large majority of most entrepreneurs enjoyed the experience so much that they decided to host other new entrepreneurs afterwards!
No application or participation fees are requested from host entrepreneurs.
Since its launch in 2009, the scheme has has seen over 46,000 applications, with more than 23,000 entrepreneurs participating in close to 12,000 exchanges.
New entrepreneurs from Moldova have completed 24 business exchanges under the programme. Click here to find out how 26-year-old Alexandra Mihalas spent more than two months colaborating with a gallery owner in the Netherlands in an exchange that exceeded all her expectations: “For me, this programme was an opportunity to get international experience. At the same time, I learnt in practice the principles of the art business. Participating in art fairs and establishing international co-operation are very complicated processes. If it wasn’t for Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, it would have taken much longer to understand them.”
For other examples of successful exchanges, go to the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs stories archive.
More campaign pages:
Interested in the latest news and opportunities?
This website is managed by the EU-funded Regional Communication Programme for the Eastern Neighbourhood ('EU NEIGHBOURS east’), which complements and supports the communication of the Delegations of the European Union in the Eastern partner countries, and works under the guidance of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, and the European External Action Service. EU NEIGHBOURS east is implemented by a GOPA PACE-led consortium. It is part of the larger Neighbourhood Communication Programme (2020-2024) for the EU's Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood, which also includes 'EU NEIGHBOURS south’ project that runs the EU Neighbours portal.
The information on this site is subject to a Disclaimer and Protection of personal data. © European Union,