Access2Europe · Project

Helping Startups Break Into New European Markets Through Connected Hub Programs

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Imagine you run a startup in Berlin and want to sell in Spain, but you have no idea about local tax rules, hiring laws, or who to talk to. Access2Europe built a network of 4 startup hubs across Europe that act like local guides — they run 3-month immersion programs, 3-day market discovery trips, and quick 1-hour briefings to get you up to speed. Think of it as having a friend in every major European city who knows the local business scene and can open doors for you.

By the numbers

European countries connected (DE, EE, ES, FR)

Parallel programme formats offered

3 months

Duration of full immersion programme

3 days

Duration of market discovery programme

SMEs in the consortium

Partners in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

European startups that want to grow beyond their home market face a maze of different tax rules, employment laws, and business cultures in every new country. Most don't have the contacts, local knowledge, or time to figure it out — so they either stay small, get acquired early, or leave Europe entirely.

The solution

What was built

The project built an Online Access Academy covering taxation, social security, HR, and legislation for cross-border expansion. It also designed 3 parallel programme formats: a 3-month full immersion into another ecosystem, a 3-day market discovery trip, and 1-hour legislative briefings.

Audience

Who needs this

Startup accelerators wanting to add cross-border expansion support to their portfolio servicesConsulting firms advising tech startups on European market entryRegional innovation agencies seeking to attract international startupsScale-up stage startups (Series A/B) planning expansion into DE, EE, ES, or FRChambers of commerce running internationalization programmes

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Startup Acceleration & Incubation

SME

Target: Startup accelerators and incubators looking to offer cross-border expansion support

If you are a startup accelerator struggling to help your portfolio companies expand beyond your home market — this project developed a 3-programme model (3-month immersion, 3-day market discovery, 1-hour briefings) connecting 4 European hubs. You could replicate or join this network to give your startups real on-the-ground support in Germany, Estonia, Spain, and France.

Business Consulting & Market Entry Services

SME

Target: Consulting firms specializing in European market entry for tech companies

If you are a consulting firm advising startups on cross-border expansion within Europe — this project created an Online Access Academy covering taxation, social security, HR, and legislation across 4 EU markets. Instead of building these resources from scratch, you could license or adapt this proven curriculum to strengthen your advisory services.

Economic Development & Innovation Agencies

any

Target: Regional development agencies and innovation clusters wanting to attract foreign startups

If you are a regional innovation agency trying to attract international startups to your ecosystem — this project demonstrated a scalable model for connecting startup hubs across 4 countries. The 3-day market discovery programme format could be adopted to showcase your region to startups from partner hubs across Europe.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to participate in or replicate these programmes?

The project's EU contribution is not available in the dataset, so specific programme costs cannot be confirmed. The project ran 3 distinct programme formats (3-month, 3-day, 1-hour) across 4 countries, suggesting different cost tiers were built into the model. Contact the coordinator for pricing details.

Can this model scale beyond the original 4 countries?

The project objective explicitly describes the concept as 'scalable and agile.' The 4-country network (Germany, Estonia, Spain, France) was designed as initial hubs of a broader pan-European ecosystem. Adding new hub partners would be the natural expansion path.

Is the Online Access Academy content available for licensing?

The project delivered an Online Access Academy covering taxation, social security, HR issues, and legislation. Based on available project data, IP ownership likely sits with the consortium led by CONNECT GLOBAL GMBH. Licensing terms would need to be discussed directly with the coordinator.

What specific markets does this cover?

The consortium spans Germany, Estonia, Spain, and France — 4 distinct European markets. The programmes were designed around these specific ecosystems, with each partner providing strong regional presence and local knowledge in their respective markets.

Is the programme still running after the project ended in 2018?

The project officially closed at the end of 2018. The project website (access2europe.org) was established during the project. Based on available project data, it is unclear whether the programmes continued independently after EU funding ended. Direct contact with the coordinator is recommended.

What regulations and compliance areas does the Academy cover?

The Online Access Academy specifically addresses taxation, social security, HR issues, and legislation — the key compliance hurdles startups face when entering a new European market. Content was developed for the 4 partner countries.

Consortium

Who built it

The Access2Europe consortium is compact but strategically composed: 4 partners across 4 countries (Germany, Estonia, Spain, France), with 3 out of 4 being SMEs and a 50% industry ratio. Led by CONNECT GLOBAL GMBH, a German SME, the consortium has zero university or research partners — this is entirely a practitioner-driven initiative. The absence of academic partners and the Innovation Action funding type confirm this was about building real services, not conducting research. Each partner represents a different European startup ecosystem, giving the network genuine geographic coverage rather than token diversity.

CONNECT GLOBAL GMBHCoordinator · DE
SIHTASUTUS TALLINNA TEADUSPARK TEHNOPOLparticipant · EE

How to reach the team

CONNECT GLOBAL GMBH is a German SME — search for their team on LinkedIn or the project website to identify the right contact for partnership discussions.

Order a report on this consortium See CONNECT GLOBAL GMBH profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the Access2Europe team or explore how their cross-border startup support model could work for your organization? SciTransfer can facilitate the introduction.

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