The purpose of Scope your Business model (SBM) is to strengthen the strategic approach to internationalization and export in SMEs, and thereby create a long-term and sustainable development of export, growth, and employment – in the individual company and in Denmark.

SBM is a sector-focused program, which aims to match relevant SMEs with the right export opportunities based on The Trade Council’s strategic sector initiatives. The program helps validate and assess the company’s business model in the context of the targeted market. Opportunities and challenges are identified and potential changes are suggested to the business model. This ensures a strategic foundation for potential market entry and lays the foundation for long-term cooperation between the company and The Trade Council.

Scope your Business Model has provided us with an essential insight into the conditions of the German market. This has created an amazing foundation for our journey towards the German market, as we now have a solid strategic basis for our decision-making in our go-2-market plan for Germany.

Finn Beck Andersen

CEO, PreCure

A Trade Council mission nominates a company to the SBM programme. The company has to fit into a specific sector focus in the selected market. If the company is qualified and approved for a SBM, the programme offers 30 hours, which are covered by a 75% subsidy.

To qualify for the Trade Council’s SME subsidies, a company must meet the following criteria:

• Danish Registration: The company must be registered in the Danish Central Business Register (CVR).
• De minimis: Companies receiving subsidies are required to comply with the European Commission's regulations regarding state subsidies, commonly referred to as the "de minimis rule". Under this rule, companies, when considered on a group level, cannot receive state subsidies exceeding EUR 300,000 over a three-year period. Please notice that exceptions and specific regulations may apply to particular sectors, types of services, etc. For additional details, please visit the official website of the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs.
• EU SME Definition: The SME category consists of enterprises which employ fewer than 250 persons and have either an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million.
  For linked enterprises, the combined headcount and financial figures of all entities within the linked group must be considered. This means that 100% of the linked enterprise's data (employees, turnover, and balance) must be added to those of the company in question to determine if it meets the staff headcount and financial thresholds. For more information on linked enterprises, please refer to the European Commission's "User guide to the SME Definition".
• In order to qualify for SBM, the indicative minimum size is 5 employees.

If you wish to learn more about the SBM programme, you can contact [email protected]. You can also download this one-pager for 'Scope Your Business Model'."

EU has trade agreements with 78 partners around the world. For further information read more here or contact us by mail – [email protected]. The Trade Council offers additional 3 hours of free advice per year on how to make the best possible use of the trade agreements, including how you obtain lower customs rates. More information about the advice read here.