The European Commission announced the shortlist of best entrepreneurship policies 2012. European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) nominees help people create and grow businesses: technological or traditional, local or international. This year's projects supported entrepreneurs as across Europe they set-up and improve the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) which are crucial to our economy.

The nominees to the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) which recognise innovation and reward the success of public bodies and public-private partnerships in promoting enterprise and entrepreneurship at national, regional and local levels, were announced. Over 402 projects competed in this year’s national competitions, for a chance to enter the European Awards. The candidatures for EEPA were open in March 2012.

The 14 final nominees to the EEPA are distributed in five categories as follows:

• Category 1: Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit. Belgium: Supporting pre-start-ups in Flanders to create over 200 new businesses. Cyprus: Boosting women’s entrepreneurship from 10% to near 30% in 10 years by providing easy access to financing through a cooperative bank set up by female entrepreneurs. Netherlands: ‘Growing’ the spirit of enterprise in children aged 10-12. UK: Raising aspiration for enterprise among hard-to-reach groups; creating 890 jobs through grassroots engagement.
• Category 2: Investing in Skills. France: ‘PROGRESS’ for the social and solidarity economy, resulting in the creation of 880 jobs. Sweden: Fostering a digital visualisation cluster and entrepreneurship in a small rural military town.
• Category 3: Improving the Business Environment. Denmark: Assisting businesses in crisis by supporting entrepreneurs with their business needs. Estonia: e-Annual reporting, leading to savings of over €4.5 million. Italy: Tackling difficulties faced by SMEs in urban areas by providing access to advice or funding to over 200 businesses.
• Category 4: Supporting the Internationalisation of Business. Portugal: Cooperating to develop a brand and bring Douro wines to the world. Slovakia: Supporting women entrepreneurs to work cross border by offering resources and best practice exchange.
• Category 5: Responsible and Inclusive Entrepreneurship: Turkey: Supporting disabled people in the workplace by providing job training and a mentor programme. Luxembourg: Recognising commitment to socially responsible business. Lithuania: Establishing a unified approach to CSR by offering training and support to over 500 SMEs.

The winners for each of the five categories will be announced at the first ever SME Assembly on 15 November 2012 in Cyprus. One project will also receive the prestigious Grand Jury Prize.