SME Internationalisation Toolkit

This is a guide for SME to internationalise through the building of consortiums and partnerships and getting access to regional and european fundings. These guidelines were first introduced and implemented during the EC2i project. For more information please contact the secretariat.

Building Consortiums and Partnerships:

Legal Documents Templates

Cooperation

Letter of Intent External

A Letter of Intent expresses the intentions of the parties to collaborate and to enter into binding agreements. It is generally used in the very beginning of the negotiations between the parties and will typically include key terms for the on-going collaboration and the purpose hereof. The key terms should always be carefully assessed and should set out the immediate contributions and actions by each party.

Letter of Intent Internal

Non-Disclosure Agreement Internal

The purpose of a Non-Disclosure Agreement is to enable the Parties to discuss and assess the business opportunity. A non-disclosure agreement is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to or by third parties. It is a contract through which the parties agree not to disclose information covered by the agreement.

Letter of Understanding Internal

This Letter of Understanding is a unilateral statement by one party that implies that certain steps have been agreed between the parties.
If several parties (more than two) are involved in the delivery of the project, or if it is considered necessary that all parties express their intention to move forward with the project and enter into binding agreements (by signature), the template for the Letter of Intent should be applied.

Exploration

Process Guide Internal

This guide, which comes in a table-format gives you an overview of the internal agreement process between the partner companies that will form the final consortium and guides you through the essential steps and relevant recommended legal documents to be signed.

Process Guide External

This guide comes in a table-format that gives you an overview of the agreement process between the consortium and the client and guides you through the essential steps and relevant recommended legal documents to be signed

Pre-project Scope Questionnaire

The document describes the nature and scope of the project and sums-up what has been agreed among consortium partners and the client, and will function as a ‘light business plan’ for the project. The Pre-project Scope questionnaire takes you through all the essential questions and needed information in order to qualify and verify if your solution-based export lead is worth proceeding with. It is also well suited to use as a tool for facilitating the first dialogue with the client.

Non-Disclosure Agreement External

The purpose of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is to enable the Parties to discuss and assess the business opportunity. A non-disclosure agreement is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to or by third parties. It is a contract through which the parties agree not to disclose information covered by the agreement.

Project Development

Co-Development Agreement

A co-development agreement is an agreement that defines the framework between the parties in relation to the development of a new solution (or products). The agreement defines the scope of work to be developed, the ownership rights and the right of use to the developed solution (or products) as well as the contributions that each party will make, including IPR.

Consortium Agreement

A consortium agreement is an agreement that defines the framework between the parties in relation to preparation of the tender and the subsequent completion of the project. The agreement defines the administrative framework of the consortium members and the division of project works among the parties.

Memorandum of Understanding External

A Memorandum of Understanding is an agreement that defines the framework for the negotiations between the parties in relation to the specific project. Generally, the MoU express the intentions of the parties and it typically outlines an intended line of common actions to be performed by the parties and regulates ques-tions concerning information exchange, confidentiality and communication.

Memorandun of Understanding Internal

Sub-Supply Agreement

A sub-supply agreement is an agreement that defines the contractual relationship between the main contractor, who holds the ultimate contract with the client, and the subcontractor, who will perform some or all of the actual project work. The agreement is in many areas a back-to-back agreement and the subcontractor should as such be very observant of the terms and conditions in relation to the client as the majority of terms of conditions are not specifically described in this agreement.

Coorporation Agreement

A consortium agreement is an agreement that defines the framework between the parties in relation to preparation of the tender and the subsequent completion of the project.
The agreement defines the administrative framework of the consortium members and the division of project works among the parties.

Agreement Exclusivity

The agreement defines the framework for the continued negotiations between the parties in relation to the specific project and a period of exclusivity is agreed.

Funding Navigator

The funding navigator consists of a searchable List of funding opportunities (Country specific financial tools, EU Programme, development banks, private investors and lenders including institutional and corporate venture capital and project finance).

For Austrian SMEs

Export Funding Possibilities

EU Förderguide

Business promotion agency Styria (SFG)

OeKB

Investors, business angels and crowdfunding

Internationalisierungscenter Steiermark

Costs of market entries

Export Know How

For Belgian SMEs

Export funding possibilities

Export Agency for Wallonia