The call for applications will be open until 15 September and includes grants of up to 7,000 euros for SMEs in the tourism sector in Spain, Italy, France and up to 4,000 euros in the case of Cyprus, with the aim of offering them advice, training and financial support to strengthen their environmental commitment.
Friday, 09 July 2021.- Under this initiative, at least 62 European SMEs will benefit from direct aid and, more specifically, SMEs in the tourism sector in Spain, Italy, France and Cyprus. Companies that meet the requirements set out in the terms and conditions of the call for applications may submit their applications via the official project website until 15 September this year. Depending on the objectives set by each SME, they will receive funding of up to 7,000 euros (in the case of Spain, France and Italy) and up to 4,000 euros in the case of Cyprus to participate in the TouriSME programme.
In particular, the grants are aimed at tourist accommodation, hotel SMEs and travel agencies, among other professionals in the sector, who want to benefit from training with extensive knowledge transfer, networking and exchange of sustainable best practices at European level through B2B events, as well as advice and financial support to adopt environmental certifications such as EU Ecolabel or EMAS.
The TouriSME project, co-funded by the European Union’s COSME programme, has emerged with the aim of improving sustainable tourism development and the capacity of tourism SMEs through transnational cooperation and knowledge transfer. “The essence of this project is to improve the capacities and skills of SMEs, assessing their environmental impact and adopting solutions that allow them to adapt their businesses to certain principles of the circular economy, which will help them to recover their markets in a more sustainable way in the face of the COVID-19 crisis,” says Michelle Perello, director of the Canarian company Consulta Europa and coordinator of the project together with 7 other European partners.
Of these eight partners, five will provide direct support to tourism SMEs in Spain, Italy, France and Cyprus. In the case of Spain, the Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias will provide direct support at national level. In France, it will be the Institute of Planning and Urbanisation of the Ile de France Region; in Italy, the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (RAS) and Confindustria Training Systems (SFC); and in Cyprus, the Nicosia Development Agency (ANEL).
