Under Horizon’s SME Instrument, beneficiaries do not only receive money, they can also benefit from up to 12 days of business coaching. In each region there’s a person at Enterprise Europe Network – the Key Account Manager (KAM) – ready to help the beneficiaries identifying the challenges they face, their coaching needs and also selecting the most relevant coaches.
The Key Account Manager ensures that an SME Instrument beneficiary receives the most appropriate services and support to optimise the exploitation of its innovation project. The aim is also to leave the SME with a footprint for future sustainable growth.
The key activities of the KAMs are the following:
- Conducting a needs analysis together with the SME to identify the potential barriers to future growth and to define the priorities for coaching;
- Proposing coaches with profiles matching the SME needs and support the SME in the selection process;
- Ensuring that all relevant additional support from the regional innovation eco-system is introduced to the SME.
- Identifying the next steps to help the SME on their growth trajectory.
Depending on the challenges the SME is facing and on their priorities, the coach will deliver one of the three following services:
- Business development: identification, analysis and evaluation of potential business opportunities, the definition of business segments and the development of an effective marketing mix including the monitoring of its implementation;
- Organisation: mobilize all the resources of the SME to ensure the efficiency and performance of the company;
- Cooperation: support SMEs in planning and implementing innovation partnerships and project consortia.
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