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Apart from direct financing, indirect forms of support are also possible:investment aid (structural, non-reimbursable funds) rather than direct funds forexport, employment or specific corporate development, co-financing (nonreimbursable), loan or bank guarantee (EIB, EIF etc.), participation (VC throughintermediaries), non-financial aid (technical tools such as Ecolabel, orinformation), payment of service or purchase (calls for tender in the case ofprogrammes with non-EU countries).During the submission process, companies need to prepare the applicationform, the budget form, a checklist, compulsory appendices, and possibleappendices including letters of support, and information on subcontractors andmethods of calculation. Any application needs to state the objectives precisely,the duration of activities, and the project methodology. Managers need toconsider the following questions: do the rationale and the problems identifiedmatch the programme and EU objectives? Is our project innovative? How willits results make a difference that benefits all partners and the community?Established companies, as well as for start-ups, are able to obtain financialadvice. This service is provided by:%u25aa The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)EISMEA%u2019s mission is to provide high-quality support to European innovators,researchers, businesses, and consumers. It aims to reinforce the EuropeanUnion%u2019s position as a global leader in research and innovation, strengthen itssingle market, open up opportunities for SMEs, and maintain high standardsof protection for its citizens towards a more competitive, digital, green, andinclusive EU. Established on 1 April 2021, EISMEA groups all the activities ofthe European Innovation Council (EIC) and the programmes related to smalland medium-sized enterprises in one agency,%u25aa Business and innovation centres,%u25aa Regional co-financing (local Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Euro InfoCentres, etc.).EU support tools for SMEs are dynamically changing and the websites of theEU institutions provide the most updated information. Here are some examplesof the current initiatives: Access-2-Finance, Access-2-Markets, the CASSINIinitiative, Enterprise Europe Network, the InvestEU Portal, and Erasmus forYoung Entrepreneurs. For more detailed information, see: https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/running-business/eu-support-tools-sme/index_en.htm.782 European Entrepreneurship