The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme has been
initiated by the European Union and is managed by DG Internal Market, Industry,
Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) of the European Commission. As such, the European Commissions bears the overall political and financial responsibility of the Erasmus for Young
Entrepreneurs programme. It raises awareness of the programme, monitors the overall
quality of the programme, and evaluates the programme.
The Executive Agency for Small and
Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) has been set up by the European Commission to
manage on its behalf several EU programmes on its behalf. As an executive agency of the
European Commission, the Agency manages significant parts of the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME) programme, under which Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is funded. It ensures
that actions funded COSME deliver results and provide the
Commission with valuable input for its policy tasks. Since 2014, following the Commission decision to delegate substantial tasks of the programme management under COSME to an executive
agency, the EASME has had this responsibility for the Erasmus for Young
Entrepreneurs programme.
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs currently operates across 27 European Member States and 11 additional participating countries with the help of 175
intermediary organisations. Their activities are coordinated at European level by a Support Office.