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Lisbon Entreprenuership
Published on 08 March 2019
Portugal
Área Metropolitana de Lisboa
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
The LISBON ENTREPRENEURSHIP is a responsible and inclusive program, developed by the Lisbon City Council to help entrepreneurs to start small businesses in Lisbon.
It is a completely free and wide open program to whom anyone can apply. The only condition is that the business has to be installed within the city limits.
It provides support from the earliest stage of the project till the first years of the business implementation.
The LISBON ENTREPRENEURSHIP´s model is comprehensive and allows any entrepreneur to get consulting support and/or funding.The program was implemented by creating in the Municipality a team of experts that provided personal support to entrepreneurs and to their projects. Considering the wide range of projects and the different necessities, from the first moment, the strategy was to celebrate partnerships with entities that could give support in areas that the Municipality has no jurisdiction (as for example financing) or is not able to. The purpose was to use the institutional power of the municipality to celebrate protocols with public and private entities in order to promote business in Lisbon, facilitate access to financing, boost SMEs and create jobs.
The LISBON ENTREPRENEURSHIP was created in 2013, in the middle of the European economic and financing crises, so the program was focused on a segment of the population often overlooked or considered less attractive to the demands of the labour market, the unemployed people.
It is a completely free and wide open program to whom anyone can apply. The only condition is that the business has to be installed within the city limits.
It provides support from the earliest stage of the project till the first years of the business implementation.
The LISBON ENTREPRENEURSHIP´s model is comprehensive and allows any entrepreneur to get consulting support and/or funding.The program was implemented by creating in the Municipality a team of experts that provided personal support to entrepreneurs and to their projects. Considering the wide range of projects and the different necessities, from the first moment, the strategy was to celebrate partnerships with entities that could give support in areas that the Municipality has no jurisdiction (as for example financing) or is not able to. The purpose was to use the institutional power of the municipality to celebrate protocols with public and private entities in order to promote business in Lisbon, facilitate access to financing, boost SMEs and create jobs.
The LISBON ENTREPRENEURSHIP was created in 2013, in the middle of the European economic and financing crises, so the program was focused on a segment of the population often overlooked or considered less attractive to the demands of the labour market, the unemployed people.
Resources needed
Lisbon Municipal Council has developed a partnership with privates entities which manages the financial instrument and also with banks.
Evidence of success
Since 2013, when this programme was created, the Lisbon Entrepreneurship: - has received over 2000 enrolments; - more than 1200 entrepreneurs with potential business; - 122 establish business in commercial and services areas; - more than 300 new jobs; - €1,5M in bank financing to small business using microcredit; - 80% are unemployed; - 55% are women; - 75% with ages between 30 and 50 years old (that have difficulties in getting back to work).
Potential for learning or transfer
The very first aim of the program was to create conditions for unemployed people that want to create a business to have access to financing or some kind of funding. Another strong part of the program is its inclusiveness characteristic, all entrepreneurs who register on the online form of CML (http://www.cmlisboa.pt/investir/empreendedorismo/formulario) or at the Municipality´s front office are received in person by the municipality experts and their situations are evaluated individually in an exploratory meeting to identify the best support for the project.
Projects supported under the program are helped in different levels: 1. Consultancy during the whole process of creating the business – including support for the business plan; 2. Benefit from the Municipality partners and the entrepreneurial ecosystem network that facilitates and streamlines the process; 3. Benefit from very favourable financing rates (in microcredit) and special conditions on funding.
Projects supported under the program are helped in different levels: 1. Consultancy during the whole process of creating the business – including support for the business plan; 2. Benefit from the Municipality partners and the entrepreneurial ecosystem network that facilitates and streamlines the process; 3. Benefit from very favourable financing rates (in microcredit) and special conditions on funding.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
other
Portugal
Área Metropolitana de Lisboa
Contact
Project Manager