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ESNA - Europe Startup Nations Alliance, Associação

ESNA

ESNA has as main strategic objective the creation of conditions of excellence for accelerating the European entrepreneurship, particularly through the development of favourable conditions for the creation, growth, investment and financing of the European startup ecosystem.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Alice Guedel (Cabinet of Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque), Cristina Dias (Cabinet of Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque)

3 Jul 2025 · Introductory meeting and presentation of ESNA’s standards

Meeting with Mirzha De Manuel (Cabinet of Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis), Pim Lescrauwaet (Cabinet of Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis)

3 Jul 2025 · European Start-Up Nations Alliance

Meeting with Fausto Matos (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen), Silvia Bartolini (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen)

2 Jun 2025 · Digital policy

Response to EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy

13 Mar 2025

1. EU Startup Nations Standards 2024 Report: The annual EU Startup Nation Standards (SNS) report provides an overview of startup policies in Europe, tracking the adoption and implementation of the eight Startup Nation Standards (SNS) across European countries. The eight Standards are: 1. Fast startup creation, smooth market entry; 2. Attracting and retaining talent; 3. Stock options; 4. Innovation in regulation; 5. Innovation in procurement; 6. Access to finance; 7. Social inclusion, diversity and protecting democratic values; 8. Digital first. The report combines documentary research from credible sources with data gathered through a tailored survey directed at the ESNA signatory countries, serving as a vital tool for identifying obstacles faced by EU startups and scaleups when they are trying to grow in the EU single market as well as areas for improvement that can drive innovation across the region. In 2024, important progress was made within the Eight Standards, reaching an overall implementation level of 61%. As work continues, we underline the highlights from this year edition: Access to Finance: countries are advancing in innovative financial instruments to drive startup investment, paving the way to expand other mechanisms such as tax incentives for Business Angels. Digital First: the adoption of digital services remains a priority to enhance accessibility in public services. Enhancing the process of starting a business online remains a key focus. Attracting and Retaining Talent: streamlined visa processes and initiatives to welcome back EU tech talent from third countries are strengthening the innovation ecosystem. Social Inclusion and Diversity: meaningful progress has been made in fostering diversity and inclusion, with growing opportunities to support underrepresented groups. These findings underscore the need for targeted policy reforms to remove barriers and build a more integrated and competitive European startup ecosystem. You may read the Report on ESNAs website: https://esnalliance.eu/en/standards 2. ESNAs Compendium aims to serve as a valuable resource for the new European Commission college as a tool to address the challenges and opportunities to understand and envision a stronger and more advanced startup ecosystem in Europe. By deep diving into the past, current and future policy landscape within European Startup Ecosystem, the Compendium acts as a first contribution to the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy. It will be followed by five Volumes to be released in 2025, which will focus on the five building blocks highlighted on the Compendium: Red Tape (Legislation and Regulation), Investment, Talent, Entrepreneurial Culture and IP & Tech Transfer. ESNAs Compendium is structured around the following topics: - Startup ecosystem: why does it matter? - Maturity of the startup ecosystem - EU strategies, policies and recommendations impacting the startup ecosystem - Stakeholders point of view - A geostrategic assessment of the EU startup ecosystem - Laying the foundation for Europes startup and scaleup strategy You may read the Compendium on ESNAs website: https://esnalliance.eu/en/reports
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