AWARENESS – Potential Activities

Business Assist Programme

BUSINESS ASSIST – WHAT IS IT?AIM UK INTRODUCED A BUSINESS ASSIST PROGRAMMEFOR SMEs in 2004

THEY HAD TO SATISFY A SMALL PANEL OF RECOGNISED EXPERTS OF THEIR OWN UNDERSTANDING OF RFID

AIM SECONDED A GROUP OF BUSINESS ASSIST EXPERTS FROM ITS MEMBERSHIP.

WE WERE SUCCESSFUL AND WERE ABLE TO OFFER UP TO 40% CONTRIBUTION TO IMPLEMENTATION COSTS UP TO €40,000

AIM WENT OUT TO OBTAIN NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT FUNDING.

AIM EMBARKED ON

A MAJOR PR CAMPAIGN NATIONAL, REGIONALAND LOCAL NEWSLPAPERS,INDUSTRY SECTOR MAGAZINES

THE OFFER: AIM DEVELOPED A STANDARD TWO HOUR BREAKFAST BRIEFING PRESENTATION

SMEs WERE INVITED TO ATTEND

IF THE SME WAS INTERESTED IN HAVING AN EXPERT VISIT HE WAS ASKED TO COMPLETE THE 5 MINUTE DIAGNOSTIC AND EXPLAIN A LITTLE ABOUT HIS COMPANY

AIM SELECTED THE APPROPRIATE EXPERT TO MAKE THE VISIT

THE EXPERT PHONED THE SME FOR AN INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION. WAS HE SERIOUS. DID HE HAVE MONEY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

DEPENDANT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE CONFERENCE CALL HE MADE THE VISIT AND PRODUCED A REPORT

BECAUSE AIM WASGOVERNMENT FUNDED IT HAD TO GO THROUGH A PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE

THE REPORT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO THE EXPERT GROUP TO SEE WHO WISHED TO TENDER FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION.

AIM WAS KEPT INVOLVED AT ALL TIMES AND ULTIMATELY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DISTRIBUTING THE FUNDING TO THE SME PLUS A NOMINAL AMOUNT TO THE EXPERT INVOLVED

WE HAVE PROPOSED ESTABLISHING A SIMILAR PROJECT FOR MEMBERS OF RACEACROSS MEMBER STATES

ONLY MEMBERS WOULD BE

ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE

THE PROGRAMME COULD BE PROMOTED

• Via UEAPME to its 84 partners and 12 million SME members• Via the members of RACE to their potential audience• Via national or European industry associations to their members• Via a major PR campaign.

WHAT WOULD WE OFFER?

FREE ON-LINE SEMINAR (IDEALLY IN MAJOR EUROPEAN LANGUAGES) TO DEMONSTRATE THE BENEFITS OF RFID TO SMEs FREE CONSULTANCY AND FEASIBILTIY REPORT

POSSIBLE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCETOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION

THIS WILL DEPEND ON FUNDING POSSIBILITIES BY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER STATES