Links

Explains how standardisation can support competitiveness within the Single Market, and the benefits of compliance. It gives links and resources in the field, including forthcoming events and publications.

Products that must meet requirements set out in European Union (EU) directives normally have to carry CE marking if they are sold in the UK and the rest of the EU.

Find out more on the NI Business Info website.

Gives details of the European Commission funding programmes, their aims and the types of activity each supports. It also lists contacts for further information.

The Business support finder allows you to search for potential sources of help with starting up, running or developing your business. Support may be available in a number of forms, including financial assistance and free or subsidised services which provide advice.

By identifying key areas of science, technology and innovation in which Northern Ireland has a lead over it competitors, and advising on the policy required to exploit these strengths and deliver economic success, MATRIX will help to ensure the sustainability of Northern Ireland’s economic growth in the face of increasing competition in high value global markets.

The NI Business Info Site provides guidance on all aspects of business legislation in force in Northern Ireland, whether you need to know about employment law, health and safety, tax or data protection.

The European Commission's 'single access point' to a wide variety of consultations, discussions and other tools which enable you to play an active role in the European policy-making process.

The Commission is developing a proposal for a European statute for small enterprises, which will make it easier for small firms to operate in the Single Market.

The UK Trade Tariff helps you find commodity codes to classify goods for export and import. Commodity codes are used to find import duties, taxes, tax rebates, reliefs, licences and special conditions such as prohibitions that may apply to particular goods.

Information on a package of measures to help simplify and clarify the rules relating to public procurement. Access is given to public procurement databases, public procurement legislation, key documents, guidelines and other useful tools.

An information space for European Research and Development (R&D) and exploitation of European R&D results.

By identifying key areas of science, technology and innovation in which Northern Ireland has a lead over it competitors, and advising on the policy required to exploit these strengths and deliver economic success, MATRIX will help to ensure the sustainability of Northern Ireland’s economic growth in the face of increasing competition in high value global markets.

Knowing how to manage Intellectual Property (IP) and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is the ticket to innovation and competitiveness in Europe. The European IPR Helpdesk offers free of charge, first-line support on IP and IPR matters to beneficiaries of EU funded research projects and EU SMEs involved in transnational partnership agreements, especially within the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).

They have lots of resources and advice on their website, but the link above, with template documents is particularly useful. Lots of the information and documents relate directly to FP7.

Provides free environmental guidance for small and medium-sized businesses in the UK.  It may even help to save money by showing how to use resources more efficiently.