SMEs - small and medium-sized enterprises

Small and medium-sized enterprises (also SMBs, small and medium -sized businesses) are companies whose headcount and/or turnover falls below certain limits.

Since 2005, the EU definition of SMEs is as follows:

  • Micro enterprise: less than 10 employees; annual turnover and balance sheet total smaller/equal  2 MEUR 
  • Small enterprise: less than 50 employees; annual turnover and balance sheet total smaller/ equal 10 MEUR
  • Medium enterprise: less than 250 employees; annual turnover smaller/equal 50 MEUR; and balance sheet total smaller/equal 43 MEUR

For more info: see SME definition of DG Enterprise and SME user guide.

SMEs are an important factor in Europe's economy. Thus, the involvement of SMEs is strongly encouraged in all EU projects.

SMEs are specifically addressed in the ICT work programme 2011/12 under:

Challenge 4: Technologies for Digital Content and Languages - Objective ICT-2011.4.1 SME initiative on Digital Content and Languages

The envisaged target outcomes of this objective are:

a) Bootstrapping a data economy
b) Community building and best practices
c) Sharing language resources
d) Building consensus and common services

The call will be open from 1 February to 28 April 2011.