The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization of Türkiye (KOSGEB) undertakes the national coordination of the SME/COSME Component (2021–2027) of the European Union Single Market Programme, in which Türkiye participates, pursuant to the agreement signed with the European Commission on 31 March 2023 and the decision published in the Official Gazette on 12 May 2023. Within this scope, activities are being carried out to ensure that Türkiye benefits from the programme at the highest possible level.
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization of Türkiye (KOSGEB) also serves as the national coordinator of European SME Week, an initiative carried out by the European Commission under COSME. European SME Week aims to support and promote the activities undertaken by the European Union, national authorities and other relevant organizations for the development of SMEs, as well as to promote entrepreneurship and encourage young people to engage in entrepreneurial activities. In this context, Türkiye has ranked first in terms of the number of annual events organized since 2011.
As part of the European SME Week 2026 activities, the “Youth Start-Up Challenge 2026” competition is being organized for young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 25. Young visionaries from Türkiye with innovative start-up ideas will be able to participate in the competition by applying to the European Commission. Within the scope of the competition, it is particularly aimed to support bold and innovative young entrepreneurs who develop solutions to challenges in areas such as green and digital transformation, social inclusion, economic resilience and similar fields.
Detailed information regarding the competition is available through the link below:
https://futurium.ec.europa.eu/en/promoting-enterprise/youth-start-challenge
Young people with entrepreneurial ideas in various fields, ranging from sustainability to digital innovation, may apply to the event by submitting a two-minute video and a brief business plan. Applications must be submitted directly by the candidates through the European Commission link below by 20 September 2026:
https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/759cca84-93e5-25f5-aa07-e69cb7377f6e
