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Guidance supporting Europe’s aspiring entrepreneurs
Policy and practice to harness future potential

becoming a mentor, free of charge. Nearly all (98%) of mentors who have already
completed a mentoring arrangement with a novice entrepreneur would consider
recommending mentoring to their colleague, and 80% of new starters would like
a mentor (Wikholm et al., 2008).
It seems important for Member State governments to try and tap into this
potential offered by experienced business experts (on a voluntary basis),
especially given that large numbers of successful entrepreneurs will be retiring
over the next 10 years.
It is also advisable that other Member States consider implementing
something that is coordinated centrally, rather than relying on project based, ad
hoc interventions alone. Some chambers of commerce and associations
representing entrepreneurs are already active, although many of these initiatives
are small (e.g. Luxembourg, Slovakia and Finland). Some countries have
mentoring activities only for established, high profile businesses (e.g. Ireland).
The main reason for the lack of national mentoring programmes is the relatively
high cost associated with mentoring, identified in particular by the Irish and British
stakeholders.
Many countries have focused on mentoring for specific groups of potential
entrepreneurs. For example, ESF and EQUAL funding has been used to
experiment with mentoring and/or business coaching with disadvantaged groups
and the unemployed, with such arrangements for women also fairly common.
Examples of women entrepreneur projects can be found in countries such as
Belgium, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Finland and the UK. The Small business
mentoring programme (Das ‘small business mentoring’ Programme) was set up
by the National Agency for Female Entrepreneurs (Bundesweite Gründerinnen-
agentur, BGA) in cooperation with the American Express Foundation. It ran from
2006 to 2007 in eight German federal states. The programme aimed to help
women who had an immigrant background, who were unemployed, who were
older, or who were returning to work after having children, to become self-
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employed through the support of a specialised mentoring programme ( ).

5.1.4. European programme
Europe has had its own transnational mentoring programme in place since
February 2009. Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a pilot project launched by
the European Union. The aim is to help young entrepreneurs (i.e. would-be
entrepreneurs and individuals who recently started a business) to acquire
relevant skills for managing a SME by spending time with an experienced

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( ) Available from Internet: http://www.gruenderinnenagentur.de/bga/Beratung/Mentoring/index.php
[cited 27.8.2010].

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