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Definition of Startups

INITIATIVEA tracked regulatory file grouping related EU documents — e.g. the Advanced Materials Act. Each initiative has a status, timeline, and parent strategy. See full glossary → Single Market Deepening & HarmonisationOne of eight thematic areas of EU digital policy, drawn from the editorial Gliederung. Each priority groups related strategies and initiatives. See full glossary →

This page tracks a single EU policy initiativeA tracked regulatory file grouping related EU documents — e.g. the Advanced Materials Act. Each initiative has a status, timeline, and parent strategy. See full glossary → — a regulatory file in the Commission's pipeline. Below you'll find its current status, linked source documents, parent strategies, and sibling files in the same policy priorityOne of eight thematic areas of EU digital policy, drawn from the editorial Gliederung. Each priority groups related strategies and initiatives. See full glossary → .

The Commission will propose a harmonised EU definition of startups, scaleups and innovative companies, building on existing SME and new small-mid cap (SMC) categories to ensure coherence across policies and datasets. This closes today’s patchwork of national and programme-specific definitions that hinders measurement and targeted support. The common taxonomy will underpin a European Startup & Scaleup Scoreboard and KPIs, enable tailored financing and simplification measures, and align eligibility across EU instruments and Member State schemes. It complements the Single Market Strategy’s formal SMC definition so high-growth companies can benefit from rules as they scale across borders.

Status

Planned for Q1 2026.

External references

Source document ↗

Associated strategies (2)

Siblings under Single Market StrategyStartup and Scaleup Strategy(41)

Siblings in Single Market Deepening & Harmonisation(6)