sharing methodologies on FINancial ENgineering for enterprises
FIN-EN project aims at enhancing co-operation between regional and national authorities across Europe on the methodologies and instruments used for implementing Financial Engineering operations in the framework of EU Structural Funds. Financial Engineering is an option offered to member states to reviewing the ERDF/ESF disbursement procedures by using financial instruments (as opposite to traditional grants) able to provide EU funding even after the 2013 deadline.The aim is to maximise the use of EU funds (by increasing the leverage effect and stimulate private co-investment and involvement), support a greater number of SMEs, speed the disbursement process, reinforcing the principle of subsidiarity and mutual accountability across EU through a direct involvement of beneficiaries in the operations.The project's main goal is to set up a wide and stable network where Managing Authorities from the Objectives areas "Convergence" and "Regional Competitiveness and Employment" would confront
themselves with respect to each phase of implementation of FE operations, as well as the underlying financial instruments, in order to find concrete solutions to similar problems.
FIN-EN proposes an integrated exchange of experiences where partners will present their most effective financial instruments and methodologies, will learn from other partners' experiences and formulate semplification proposals for future implementation, in view of the next SFs' programming period.   
The activities are divided into three Components strictly inter-related:
- Project management and co-ordination: setting up of an internal structure to co-ordinate the partners' activities, inter-face with EU Programmes bodies, support technical and finacial activities and reporting processes.
- Exchange of experience: analysis, discussion and share of experiences in the implementation of the most relevant financial engineering instruments in the contest of:
1) "Thematic Working Groups", that will discuss
main issues, obstacles and challenges in the process of implementation of the financial products, for each phase of the FE operations
2) " Study Visits" where staff of different institutions will further co-operate through on-the field visits to learn more about experiences considered of special interest by the partners. The exchange will firstly take place in the context of a large partnership of 13 partners representing 13 different EU regions from Northern (DK, DE, LT, LV), Eastern (HU, SI), Southern (GR, IT, PT, ES) and Western (BE, FR, UK) member States.

3. Dissemination and information: once the best instruments and methologies have been shared at the internal level, the network will disseminate the achieved results at the external regional, national  and EU level through: web-site, network promotion campaign and material (brochures, press releases, leaflets, flyers, e-newsletters, studies),seminars, conferences involving regional and EU authories in charge of regional policies