Definition and examples

Business support organisations are represented by e.g. chambers of commerce, chambers of trade and crafts, business incubators, innovation centres, business clusters, etc.

Chambers of commerce, trade and crafts are a form of business network, for example, a local organisation of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of the business community.

Business incubators, innovation centres and business clusters are organisations helping companies to develop by providing them with business support services e.g. easier access to specific infrastructure,rent of premises, management training etc.

Definition and examples

This category comprises entities that provide education other than higher education which is covered by partner type ‘Higher education
and research institution’. It covers, for example, pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, vocational training centres, continuing education centres, etc.

Pre-primary education is defined as the initial stage of organised instruction designed primarily to introduce very young children to
a school-type environment.

Primary education is a sound basic education in reading, writing and mathematics and an elementary understanding of other subjects, e.g. art and music. It also covers adult literacy programmes for those considered too old to enter elementary schools.

Secondary education comprises general secondary and technical and vocational secondary education.

Other education is general continuing education and continuing vocational education and training for any profession, hobby or self development purposes. It covers educational activities which are not pre-primary, primary, secondary or higher education. It includes sports and recreation education (except academic), cultural education (except academic), driving school activities, foreign language instruction, remedial courses, professional examination review courses, language instruction and conversational skills instruction, computer training, etc.

Definition and examples

‘European Economic Interest Grouping’ (EEIG) is a special legal form and defined in REGULATION (EEC) No 2137/85. The purpose of the grouping is to facilitate or develop the economic activities of its members by
a pooling of resources, activities or skills. This is intended to produce better results than the members acting alone.

Definition and examples

‘European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation’ (EGTC) is a special legal form and defined in REGULATION (EC) No 1082/2006 as amended by REGULATION (EU) No 1302/2013. The EGTC allows public entities of different Member States to come together under a new entity with full legal personality.

Definition and examples

Higher education and research institutions are, for example, university faculties, colleges, research institutions, a research and technological development (RTD) facility, research cluster, technology transfer agencies, research-oriented physical or virtual collaborative entities, innovation intermediaries, etc.

Higher education institutions provide post-secondary and academic courses. They grant degrees at baccalaureate, graduate or post-graduate level. The requirement for admission is a diploma at least at upper secondary education level. Higher education excludes non-academic adult education as covered by partner type category ‘education/training centre and school’.

Research institutions are entities which work creatively and systematically to increase the stock of knowledge and the use of this knowledge to devise new applications.

Definition and examples

This group includes, for example, short or long-term hospitals, general
or specialist medical, surgical, psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, sanatoria, medical nursing homes, mental hospital institutions, rehabilitation centres and other human health institutions which engage in providing diagnostic and medical treatment to patients with any of
a wide variety of medical conditions.

Definition and examples

Infrastructure and public service providers are companies that provide and maintain physical structures such as roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, water supplies, sewers, electrical grids, and telecommunications. They supply water/electricity/gas/etc., collect/treat/dispose waste/sewage/etc., operate ports/airports/roads/railway/broadband/etc., provide passenger or freight transport, and the like.

Definition and examples

Interest groups, also called special interest groups or advocacy groups, are associations of individuals or organisations, that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempt to influence public opinion or policy in their favour. All interest groups share a desire to affect government policy to benefit themselves or their causes. Other than NGOs, interest groups are organised to address the interests of their members, rather than those of outsiders or the common good.

Interest groups are, for example, trade unions, foundations, charities, voluntary associations, clubs, etc. other than NGOs.

Definition and examples

In the Programme, international organisations are understood as governmental international organisations, such as HELCOM, BSSSC, CBSS, VASAB, etc.

International governmental organisations are established by governments of several countries for a specific purpose of representing government interests but not to run a regular business activity.

This partner type does not covers international corporations. International corporations are covered by the types ‘small and medium sized enterprise’ or ‘large enterprise’.
Further, the partner type does not cover non-governmental international organisations. These fall into the partner type ‘NGOs’

Definition and examples

An enterprise is any entity regularly engaged in an economic activity.

Large Enterprise means any enterprise that is not a small and medium enterprise as defined below.

Definition and examples

Public authorities are official organisations created by the government.

They perform activities of a governmental nature, such as general administration (e.g. executive, legislative, financial administration etc.
at all levels of government), national defence, public order and safety, immigration services and foreign affairs.

Local public authorities are responsible for local districts, e.g. municipalities, cities, etc.

Definition and examples

Public authorities are official organisations created by the government. They perform activities of a governmental nature, such as general administration (e.g. executive, legislative, financial administration etc.
at all levels of government), national defence, public order and safety, immigration services and foreign affairs.

Regional authorities are responsible for regional districts, e.g. counties, regional councils, etc.

Definition and examples

Public authorities are official organisations created by the government. They perform activities of a governmental nature, such as general administration (e.g. executive, legislative, financial administration etc.
at all levels of government), national defence, public order and safety, immigration services and foreign affairs.

National public authorities are responsible for the country as a whole, e.g. federal ministries, etc.

Definition and examples

NGOs are non-profit organisations operating independently of any government. The Programme defines NGOs as private organisations that pursue activities, for example, to relieve suffering, promote the interests of the poor or protect the environment. NGOs are usually value-based organisations which depend, in whole or in part, on charitable donations and voluntary service. Although the NGO sector has become increasingly professionalised over the last decades, principles of altruism and voluntarism remain key defining characteristics. Other than interest groups, NGOs address the interests of outsiders and are active for the common good.

NGOs include, for example, WWF, Friends of the Earth (BUND), Greenpeace, etc.

Definition and examples

A sectoral agency is a government organisation that is responsible for
a specific service in a particular economic sector, such as environmental agency, immigration agency, local or regional development agency, etc.

An agency that is a business providing a (usually specific) service to other people or organisations falls under partner type ‘small and medium sized enterprise’ or ‘large enterprise’. Such an agency is, for example, an advertising agency, employment agency, energy agency, estate agency, travel agency, etc.

Definition and examples

An enterprise is any entity regularly engaged in an economic activity.

The category of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (‘SMEs’) is made up of enterprises which employ fewer than 250 persons and which have an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million.