TRADEIT - A new project in support of the SME bakery sector

ICC and MoniQA will support the TRADEIT project by disseminating project results and inviting bakeries to participate at training events offered by the project free-of-charge in various locations and in local languages all around Europe. TRADEIT is funded under FP7 KBBE.2013.2.3-02 Grant Agreement No KBBE-613776.

It is accepted that resource limitation precludes majority of Traditional Food Producing SMEs from participating in innovative and entrepreneurial activities. The TRADEIT project aims to address this through an ambitious program of events and supports for the Traditional Agri-Food sector which will through the promotion and facilitation of Collaboration, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Knowledge and Technology Transfer will increase the competitiveness and inter-regional advantage of participating Traditional Food Producing SMEs.

Acknowledging that time requirements and language barriers frequently disincentives SME participation in training and dissemination events TRADEIT will establish and pilot 9 TRADEIT Hubs in a total of 8 partner countries: Ireland, UK, Spain (2 Hubs), Portugal, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland. Each Hub will form a sub-network, defined by regional and language with an associated network of local and regional traditional food producers and linked to the relevant National Technology Platform, Food for Life and other national food and drink and policy organisations. A TRADEIT Advisor is allocated to each Hub to co-ordinate regional events and act as an SME liaison.

Germany will be the Hub Leader (ILU e.V.) for the Bakery Sector.

The project aims to enroll 180 SMEs in the Programme, 20 per Hub over the course of the project. Events:

• Needs and Barrier Analysis (Regional/ National)
• Brokerage Events (Trans-National)
• SME Missions (Regional/ National)
• Knowledge Transfer Training Event (Regional/ National)
• Entrepreneurial Summer Academy (Trans-National)
• TRADEIT Annual Conference (International)
• Strategic Research Agenda Workshops

For supporting participating SMEs, the Hub Events will be free-of-charge, to a specific limit in terms of travel to/from the event venue and accommodation. SMEs will be selected together with the Hub Sub-network Partners.

For further information and to contact the Hub Coordinator, please go to www.ilu-ev.eu/latest-infos/tradeit.html.