6. März 2026
January and February have been - again - relatively busy at the European Center for Social Finance. We have been working on embedded finance, artificial intelligence, impact ontologies, foundation strategies, impact measurement and management, new funds and have closed a project for Ukrainian entrepreneurs.
Going forward, we will share more of our projects. Today, we will share what has recently happened in the the Next SME project.
Check out the website or the LinkedIn page as well.
Workshops for Entrepreneurs and Policymakers & NextSMEs International Webinar
The consortium of the ‘Next Generation SMEs’ project consists of partners from Malta, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Belgium. Within the framework of Work Package 4, the partners implemented 3 workshops during the period between November 2025 - January 2026; a workshop for entrepreneurs, a second for policymakers and an international webinar.
The workshops for entrepreneurs targeted present and future owners of family businesses and focused on dialogue and exchange between generations of entrepreneurs, addressing current challenges such as digitalization, succession planning and internal conflicts.
The overall goal was to ensure smoother transitions and sustainable continuity within family-run SMEs. In total, 6 workshops were implemented by the project partners, with a minimum 10 participants in each of the workshops.
The workshops focused on dialogue and exchange among policymakers and institutional actors such as banks and/or chambers of commerce, aiming to understand the current challenges faced by SME entrepreneurs, including bureaucratic obstacles and related issues.
As in the previous workshops, a total of 6 workshops were implemented by the project partners, with at least 10 participants in each of the workshops.
Additionally, on Tuesday 27th January, an international webinar took place to disseminate project insights and results. The webinar facilitated cross-border learning and collaboration among stakeholders from different countries, enabling them to leverage best practices and innovative solutions.
With a total of 95 participants joining the webinar at different moments, the event clearly highlighted the strong interest in - and continued relevance of - family business topics among the NextSMEs community and stakeholders.
The webinar shared key insights from the cross-country report, and presented our e-learning platform featuring a six-module curriculum designed for family business owners, managers, and potential successors.
Participants also gained insights into local workshops with family entrepreneurs in Belgium and Italy, as well as valuable real-world perspectives from Michael Warrington, CEO of AX Group (Malta).
These deliverables are summarized as follows:
- Research resulting in a Cross-Country Report from the NextSMEs Project: A Cross-Country Report from the NextSMEs Project”. Regarding the statistics of the research conducted and the implementation of focus groups, we had 213 responses to online questionnaire, and 121 people taking part in the project's six focus groups.
- Design and creation of the learning curriculum: Six training modules created
- Professional Mindset in Family Business
- Planning the future: Succession strategies and intergenerational dialogue
- Financial Management for Long Term Sustainability in Family-led SMEs
- Driving Innovation while respecting Tradition
- Governance Models for Resilient Family Businesses
- Building a long-term vision: Strategic Planning and Growth in Family Firms
- Workshops with SMEs, Entrepreneurs and Policymakers and a webinar.
- Development of an electronic platform, on which the training program, that has been created, has been uploaded.
Future project activities
The local workshops and the international webinar will guide the development of a Strategic Plan for family SMEs engagement in succession planning and conflict resolution.
This plan will serve as a roadmap for guiding future support efforts and ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of family businesses across borders. The plan will include insights, strategies, and recommendations gathered from the local interactive workshops with politicians and entrepreneurs, as well as the international webinar.
Our consortium is composed of a diverse and experienced group of organizations dedicated to the project's success.
As a team, we are committed to delivering innovative outcomes that will empower SMEs across Europe. The consortium is led by the Malta Stock Exchange Institute and also includes the Coopération Bancaire pour l'Europe, ServIn, LT Synergy, Gestión Estratégica e Innovación.
Agreement #: 2024-1-MT01-KA220-VET-000255565