CONFEDERAZIONE GENERALE ITALIANA DELLE IMPRESE, DELLE ATTIVITA PROFESSIONALI E DEL LAVORO AUTONOMO

Their core work

Confcommercio is Italy's largest confederation representing businesses in commerce, tourism, services, and professional activities. Within H2020, their role has been delivering Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) services in the Lazio and Sardinia regions, helping SMEs access innovation management coaching, internationalization support, and finance opportunities. They act as a bridge between small Italian businesses and EU-level innovation support, providing needs analysis, coaching plans, and technology transfer guidance through the recurring ELSE SIM initiative.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their focus has remained remarkably consistent across all four projects — all are iterations of the same ELSE SIM initiative for SME innovation management in Lazio and Sardinia. In the early period (2015-2018), the scope was broader, covering detailed coaching plans, KAM (Key Account Management), EIMC methodology, internationalization, technology transfer, and IP rights. By 2019-2021, the keywords became sparser and more generic (just "assess", "access 2 finance", "coach"), suggesting either a streamlined or more routine operation rather than an expansion of scope.

Confcommercio's EEN work appears to have settled into a stable operational pattern rather than expanding into new domains, suggesting they are a reliable but not evolving partner for SME support in central Italy.

How they like to work

Confcommercio has never coordinated an H2020 project — they participate as a regional partner in consortia led by others. With only 7 unique partners all within a single country (Italy), they operate in a tight, recurring domestic network focused on the Lazio-Sardinia axis. This signals a loyal, regionally anchored partner rather than a connector to broader European networks.

Their network is small and entirely Italian — 7 unique partners across 4 projects, all within Italy. This reflects their role as a regional EEN node rather than a pan-European operator.

What sets them apart

Confcommercio's distinctive value lies in its massive domestic membership base — it represents over 700,000 Italian businesses across commerce, tourism, and services. For EU projects needing to reach Italian SMEs at scale, particularly in the services and retail sectors, Confcommercio offers unmatched reach into a business population that most research organizations cannot access directly. However, their H2020 track record is narrow, limited to one recurring initiative.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ELSE - SIM
  The original 2015-2016 iteration established the most detailed methodology — KAM, EIMC, structured coaching plans — setting the template for all subsequent versions.
• ELSE SIM 2020-21
  The most recent iteration, extending into 2021, demonstrates sustained commitment to the EEN SME support mission across three consecutive funding periods.