The EPN Consulting Newsletter - 077 - January 2017

Dear Colleague,

Following the speech the UK Prime Minister Theresa May made on Tuesday 17 Jan 2017, when she confirmed the intention of proceeding with Brexit, many people and companies got worried about their business and professional future.

The feeling of uncertainty in the UK has been growing since June 2016 after the referendum results and this speech does not make feel better.

Some companies already decided to invest abroad, some others decided to wait until the over-mentioned Article 50 will (or may) be triggered, some banks already threatened to move funds and personnel to continental cities such as Paris, Frankfurt and Milan. To make the long story short, it is a mess. And not only in the UK but in the entire European Union.

It is interesting to read the synonyms of Uncertainty:
ambiguity, ambivalence, anxiety, concern, confusion, distrust, mistrust, skepticism, suspicion, trouble, uneasiness, unpredictability, worry, bewilderment, conjecture, contingency, dilemma, disquiet, doubtfulness, dubiety, guesswork, hesitancy.....

All these terms apply to what many British and (continental) European individuals feel at the moment and we can easily understand that it is not good for business.

One thing must be said to reassure companies: for the time being the UK is still a full EU member and therefore fully entitled to participate in European projects with other European partners. Horizon 2020 offers a wide range of topics (Transport, Energy, Environment, ICT, Food & Agriculture, Advanced Manufacturing, etc.) that can be funded and if you have some great ideas to improve your business, don't limit your aspirations nor visions: find partners, participate in a H2020 project and, if successful, receive good funding for your expenditures (from 70% up to 100%).
SMEs can also participate in a dedicated H2020 funding scheme: the SME Instrument.

If you don't feel confident about starting this route alone, contact EPN Consulting: we are  Based in London, Engaged with Europe. We will be happy to listen to your ideas, assess them, shape them effectively, find suitable partners in Europe to build a strong consortium and prepare a sound proposal.

The same applies to EU companies: search for UK partners (we can put you in touch with some great companies and universities) that are experienced, reliable and eligible for EU funding. Cheers!

Stefano Mainero