About

The Centre

The EU SME Centre is a European Union initiative that provides a comprehensive range of hands-on support services to European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), getting them ready to do business in China.

Our team of experts provides advice and support in four areas – business development, law, standards and conformity, and human resources.

Collaborating with external experts worldwide, the Centre converts valuable knowledge and experience into practical business tools and services easily accessible online. From first-line advice to in-depth technical solutions, we offer services through:

Knowledge Centre

Our library of publications, containing over 200 comprehensive market reports, guidelines and case studies available to download from our website. 

View All Publications

Advice Centre

Saving your time, money and providing reassurance that you have the right information to support your business decisions.

Advice Service

Training Centre

Offering training programmes both face-to-face and online to plug the knowledge and skill gaps of SMEs entering the China market.

Training Service

SME Advocacy Platform

Providing a coherent, consistent and consolidated voice for European small businesses. 

Advocacy

Partner Network

Helping SMEs to find the business support and trade promotion organisations most suited to their needs, as well as service providers in China and in Europe.

Find a Partner

关于欧盟中小企业中心

欧盟中小企业中心由欧盟资助成立,为来自欧盟国家的中小企业提供全面、实用的支持性服务,协助他们更好的应对进入中国市场面临的挑战。

中心拥有来自商务拓展、法律、行业标准和人力资源领域的专家团队,为欧盟中小企业提供基础服务和技术型商业解决方案。其主要职能包括提供知识、培训、建议和政策倡导服务。欧盟中小企业中心办公室位于北京,目前由六家欧洲商会联合管理,包括中国意大利商会、中国欧盟商会、意中基金会、SPI、Trade Promotion Europe、欧盟中国贸易协会。

如需了解更多中心服务,欢迎访问我们的网站 www.eusmecentre.org.cn

Background

SMEs account for 99,7% of all businesses in the EU and are acknowledged as a key source of growth, entrepreneurship, innovation, competitiveness and employment. At the same time, SMEs typically have fewer resources than larger firms to address the complexities and risks of entering global markets.

For China, the European Union allocated EUR 5 million to set up the EU SME Centre following a feasibility study that was carried out and confirmed that “EU SMEs would benefit from practical, hands-on business support solutions that will enable them to develop their international business in the Chinese market.” While the primary target audience of the EU SME Centre is made of European companies, the concept is also in line with the overall EU-China SME dialogue. The establishment of the Centre promotes EU-China trade and investment relations.

The EU SME Centre helps facilitate market access for European SMEs. Specifically, the Centre assists SMEs to establish, develop and maintain commercial activities in the Chinese market – through export and investment – particularly at the crucial early stages of their market penetration strategy.

Our implementing partners

The EU SME Centre is in phase IV (2022–2025) implemented by four consortium partners and two associated partners who, through their knowledge and experience of the China market, guide the strategic development and management of the Centre.

Through their member networks and understanding of the local market, the implementing partners bring the Centre’s complementary services to a larger number of European SMEs across Europe and China.

Contact us

EU SME Centre

北京市朝阳区工人体育场北路1号,三里屯外交公寓3号楼2单元021号
3-2-21 Sanlitun Diplomatic Residence Compound, Gongti North Road No. 1, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China, 100027

Sign up and benefit from our entire range of free services

If you sign up today you’ll be able to

  • Access to tailored advice through our Ask-the-Expert tool
  • A library of over 200 publications
  • Practical business tools
  • A network of trade promotion and business support partners
  • A comprehensive database of service providers with contact information