Brussels, 25/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - A 13-strong shortlist has been selected for the European Enterprise Awards 2007, announced the European Commission on 24 October. The Awards reward public initiatives supporting entrepreneurship. A jury of European entrepreneurs, leading business organisations, academics and representatives of the European Commission and Portuguese Presidency of the EU met in Brussels to sift through the 48 nominees in six categories. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Porto in December 2007.
The following projects are on the shortlist for 2007: Belgium: Cap'Ten, be captain of your project, ICHEC-PME, Brussels; Denmark: Ethnic coach for ethnic entrepreneurs in the Vejle area, Vejle Business Development, Vejle; Estonia: Company Registration Portal (CReP), Centre of Registers and Information Systems, Tallinn; France: Fund for business start-up leave, CAP Création Sarthe, Le Mans; Germany: XperRegion; Arnstorf; Hungary: Széchenyi Card Scheme, KAVOSZ, Budapest; Italy: Fabrica Ethica, Tuscan Region Production Activities Councillorship, Florence; Luxembourg: 1,2,3,GO, the Greater Region network of experts and its business start-up bonuses, Business Initiative asbl, Luxembourg; The Netherlands: Eigen Werk, Amsterdam; The Netherlands: Thuishuis Foundation, Groningen provincial centre for social development, Groningen; Spain: Development of premises for business use in Bilbao, Lan Ekintza-Bilbao, Bilbao; United Kingdom: Enterprising North Staffordshire, North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone Ltd; United Kingdom: Stoke-on-Trent; The Paper Trail, Hemel Hempstead. More info: http: //ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/smes/awards/index_en.htm (O.L.)