United Kingdom Business Initiative, the lead partner for the Be Your Own Boss project. Part of a national consortium of Enterprise Agencies, they provide free and confidential advice for people wishing to go into business on their own or to assist existing businesses who may wish to expand or are experiencing problems.   Business Initiative is an independent non profit making organisation, sponsored by local businesses with a professional support team including experienced Business Advisors who can offer advice on all aspects of business. They also have a qualified team of trainers who offer full support, ranging from short start-up business courses to National Vocational Qualifications. The Agency is an associate of the Chamber of Commerce and a full working partner with Business Link. For more information, please go to www.business.org.uk
Greece Hellenic Regional Development Center (HRDC), a non-profit making association, is located in Patras, Greece and has branch in Athens. HRDC is a national joint venture of regional development centers and it is dedicated to promoting and enhancing the cooperation between individuals, regional bodies, universities and enterprises in vocational training end education into the European environment. In order to meet the challenges of European tomorrow, HRDC has identified the following main areas of activity:   Preparation & development of programmes for initial and continuous technological and vocational training. Contribution to the regional development of Greek territories through technology transfer and innovation. Creation of stable co-operation bonds between the world of industry and the university sector, including technology transfer between Greece and the other European Union’s members. HRDC relies on the membership of various significant enterprises of the Greek regions, as well as on the participation of universities and other social partners from Greece. Its members share long - term technological goals and closely co-ordinate their activities for research, training and information dissemination in order to reach the above objectives. It is against this background that HRDC strives to create effective channels of communication between all the actors involved in training and technology transfer. Up to nowadays, HRDC has achieved the following goals: Development of many cooperation axes between universities and industry.  Facilitation of the integration of the Greek regions into the European Union’s programs involving all society actors.  Provision of feedback for the educational systems, thereby improving the existing methods and approaches in the fields of training and education as these have been developed at European level. HRDC has the opportunity to improve continuously the current training methods.  Contribution to the transfer of knowledge and skills from higher to lower developed regions.
Lithuania KAUNAS REGIONAL INNOVATION CENTRE is a public non profit organisation aiming to promote innovation in Lithuania, technology transfer from research to business, development of innovative companies in Kaunas region.   Kaunas Regional Innovation Centre was established on 2 January 2003. The Centre is basing its activities on the experience in innovation management, technology transfer, support to innovative SMEs, international project management, collected by its team in its previous work at Kaunas Technological University‘s Innovation Centre and KTU Regional Business Incubator. We hope that our efforts will contribute to the creation of innovation culture, development of new technologies, increased science and business cooperation, improved competitiveness of companies in Kaunas and other Lithuanian regions.   The main areas of activities are: Consultations: technology transfer; innovation management; international project management; business establishment and development. Partner search for local and international business, research and other projects. Organisation of conferences and seminars on innovation development issues. Representation at exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad. Business plan development. KRIC is one of the two Innovation centres currently operating in Lithuania that provide innovation support services to SMEs and play the role of intermediary between science and business. KRIC is experienced in development of programmes and strategies, organizing training courses, exhibitions and conferences, performing studies and other kind of scientific or research works. KRIC has also experience of national and international projects addressing innovation promotion, technology transfer, and business incubation and innovation management.   Please visit us at www.ic.ktc.lt
Poland ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT The Academy of Management is a private University situated in the second biggest city in Poland, Lodz. It was established by the Association of Polish Educators in January 1995. Currently there are approx. 9,000 students enrolled in the Academy. The Academy offers MA and BA studies, post-graduate courses as well as specialized training courses on daily, evening and weekend and extramural basis. Students may complete their studies in five main subjects: Management and Marketing, International Relations, Banking, Philology, Computer Science.   Institution employs qualified administrative and teaching staff who are working in specially developed administrative entities which are to help students in gaining qualification and knowledge in modern knowledge based society. To name some of them: International Relation Office, Career Office, Student’s Association,  etc. Academy plays also crucial role as a centre for continuous education in several regions in Poland (5 branches all over Poland) by  providing entrepreneurs courses for: students,  young people, who leaving state orphans houses ( Equal Project), young people looking for a job (Career office) and unemployed young people delegated for bespoke courses by Labour Office. Learn more www.swspiz.pl
Czech Republic Euroface Consulting (Czech Republic) is the regional consulting centre supporting cooperation between educational and producing areas, training centre for promotion of information and communication technologies in education and centre providing support to equal opportunities.   We are located in the traditional enterprising region of Zlin – Middle Moravia, Czech Republic. Target groups of our activities are mostly socially disadvantaged groups of people – unemployed people, women with children, minorities, young people and elderly people, etc. We provide support to social barriers disposal in educational area and on labour market. In our activities we cooperate with several public, private, governmental and non-governmental organizations, e.g. Czech Association of Women, Centre for Healthy Disabled People, universities, schools, Ministry of Education, etc. In our courses for mothers returning to job we cooperate with network of mother’s centres and kindergartens. We are experienced in the field of EU projects: we prepare and realize projects in the framework of programmes Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and European Social Fund.
Bulgaria "EURO-training" is a non profit making and non-governmental organization, founded in 2004 and located in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. The organisation main goals are connected with promoting and supporting of different kind and forms of training activities.   The main areas of activities and fields of experience: Promoting and enhancing of democratic and social values Realisation of training programs and social activities for young people and adults Professional guidance and consulting of young people and adults Human resource development Training of disadvantaged people, disadvantaged women, equal opportunities Motivation training of people with disabilities Intercultural learning, vocational training, life-long learning Social, educational and labour integration of people with disabilities International projects initiating, development and implementation Project management The ambitious members have an experience participating in a lot European programs and initiatives, such as TEMPUS, LEONARDO DA VINCI, JOINT ACTIONS and SOCRATES.
Denmark UdviklingsCenter Haderslev (UCH) is a development agency with partners from the industry, tourism and retail sector, as well as the local government of Haderslev. The purpose of UCH is to device its members by generating and implementing projects to support the development in Haderslev.   Through various trade organisations and commercial networks we are responsible for servicing and development initiatives for approx. 781 companies in the Haderslev area. The organisations are either historical determined as e.g. tourism, trade, industries, education or professional and topically determined.   Our work is taking place as well locally, regionally, nationally as on an international level. Within all areas we have developed networks to promote the companies, especially the small and medium-sized companies – development, innovation and growth.   UCH is member of several forums dealing with entrepreneurship, innovation, and clusters.   Our everyday is characterized by the work with all types of organisations, societies, limited companies, projects, public authorities etc. We are working systematically through market and needs analysis, with a decentralized development (preparing concept development of good ideas), systematizing and implementing the ideas – typically through a 3 years period. www.uch.dk