1. AWARENESS – Potential Activities Business Assist Programme

2. BUSINESS ASSIST – WHAT IS IT? AIM UK INTRODUCED A BUSINESS ASSIST PROGRAMME FOR SMEs in 2004

3. THEY HAD TO SATISFY A SMALL PANEL OF RECOGNISED EXPERTS OF THEIR OWN UNDERSTANDING OF RFID AIM SECONDED A GROUP OF BUSINESS ASSIST EXPERTS FROM ITS MEMBERSHIP.

4. WE WERE SUCCESSFUL AND WERE ABLE TO OFFER UP TO 40% CONTRIBUTION TO IMPLEMENTATION COSTS UP TO €40,000 AIM WENT OUT TO OBTAIN NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT FUNDING.

5. AIM EMBARKED ON A MAJOR PR CAMPAIGN NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL NEWSLPAPERS, INDUSTRY SECTOR MAGAZINES

6. THE OFFER: AIM DEVELOPED A STANDARD TWO HOUR BREAKFAST BRIEFING PRESENTATION SMEs WERE INVITED TO ATTEND

7. IF THE SME WAS INTERESTED IN HAVING AN EXPERT VISIT HE WAS ASKED TO COMPLETE THE 5 MINUTE DIAGNOSTIC AND EXPLAIN A LITTLE ABOUT HIS COMPANY

8. AIM SELECTED THE APPROPRIATE EXPERT TO MAKE THE VISIT THE EXPERT PHONED THE SME FOR AN INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION. WAS HE SERIOUS. DID HE HAVE MONEY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

9. DEPENDANT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE CONFERENCE CALL HE MADE THE VISIT AND PRODUCED A REPORT

10. BECAUSE AIM WASGOVERNMENT FUNDED IT HAD TO GO THROUGH A PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE THE REPORT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO THE EXPERT GROUP TO SEE WHO WISHED TO TENDER FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION. AIM WAS KEPT INVOLVED AT ALL TIMES AND ULTIMATELY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DISTRIBUTING THE FUNDING TO THE SME PLUS A NOMINAL AMOUNT TO THE EXPERT INVOLVED

11. WE HAVE PROPOSED ESTABLISHING A SIMILAR PROJECT FOR MEMBERS OF RACE ACROSS MEMBER STATES ONLY MEMBERS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE

12. THE PROGRAMME COULD BE PROMOTED Via UEAPME to its 84 partners and 12 million SME members Via the members of RACE to their potential audience Via national or European industry associations to their members Via a major PR campaign.

13. WHAT WOULD WE OFFER? FREE ON-LINE SEMINAR (IDEALLY IN MAJOR EUROPEAN LANGUAGES) TO DEMONSTRATE THE BENEFITS OF RFID TO SMEs FREE CONSULTANCY AND FEASIBILTIY REPORT

14. POSSIBLE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION THIS WILL DEPEND ON FUNDING POSSIBILITIES BY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER STATES