‘ELITE’ NEW GROWTH STRATEGY SPONSOR FOR THE EUROPEAN BUSINESS AWARDS

The European Business Awards has today announced that ELITE, the Pan European programme set up by London Stock Exchange Group to support high growth European SMEs, is the new sponsor of EBA’s Growth Strategy Award for 2015/6.

International growth has enormous benefits for local and global economies and ‘The ELITE Growth Strategy of the Year Award’, will go to the organization that best demonstrates an international organic growth strategy that has achieved outstanding levels of sales, profit and market share improvement.

ELITE focuses on SMEs with a high quality and ambitious business, with strong growth prospects. The programme offers an innovative approach, including a training programme, a working zone supported by a tutorship model and direct access to the financial community. Whilst advising and supporting on access to funding is a cornerstone of the Elite programme, Elite is “capital neutral” promotes and provides access to Private Equity, Venture Capital Funds, public finance and debt products.

Commenting on ELITE’s sponsorship, Adrian Tripp CEO of the European Business Awards said: “We are delighted to have ELITE on board as our growth strategy sponsor. Access to funding is one of the greatest challenges facing SMEs across Europe who want to grow and develop and therefore this service is invaluable.

“This exciting new partnership reflects our own objective of creating a more innovative, international and successful business community in Europe, and we look forward to the contribution ELITE will bring to the competition”.

The European Business Awards, sponsored by RSM, recognizes and rewards excellence, best practice and innovation across Europe and this year has engaged with over 24,000 companies from 33 countries.

Luca Peyrano, Head of Primary Markets Continental Europe at London Stock Exchange Group, said: “We are delighted to sponsor such a prestigious award. European SMEs are facing ongoing challenges in terms of access to long term financing opportunities and with our International ELITE programme we are supporting SMEs, boosting their opportunities and growth. Our aim is to develop an open access model, deeply rooted in each domestic market, through partnership with local institutions, combined with the opportunity to access international support and advice. It will be a community of excellence: companies, advisers, investors and stakeholders coming together with an interest in supporting SMEs ”.

For more information about ELITE please visit http://elite-growth.com/en

To find out more about the European Business Awards, Europe’s largest and most prestigious business competition please visit www.businessawardseurope.com

ENDS

For media enquiries relating to European Business Awards contact: EBA: Vanessa Wood at the European Business Awards on +44 (0) 796 6666 657 or email vanessa.wood@businessawardseurope.com

For media enquiries relating to Elite contact: Borsa Italiana, London Stock Exchange Group: Federica Marotti +39 (02) 72426212 federica.marotti@borsaitaliana.it

About the European Business Awards:

The European Business Awards recognizes and rewards excellence, best practice and innovation. The competition is free to enter and open to organizations of all sizes and from any industry sector. The European Business Awards programme serves three purposes for the European business community:

• It provides examples for the business community to aspire to

• It celebrates and endorses individual’s and organization’s success

• It provides an active platform for debate

About ELITE:

ELITE is an integrated service designed to help SMEs prepare and structure for the next stage of growth through access to long term financing opportunities. ELITE targets SMEs with a sound business model, clear growth strategy and a desire to obtain funding in the near future. ELITE offers an innovative approach, including a training programme, a working zone supported by a tutorship model and direct access to the financial community through dedicated digital community facilities. It is “capital neutral” to any financing opportunity, providing access to Private Equity and Venture Capital Funds, debt products, etc.

ELITE was successfully launched in Italy in 2012 and in the UK in 2014. It now accounts for more than 200 companies of different sizes and sectors, more than 150 partners and more than 70 long term investors. It is a European platform deeply rooted in each domestic market, through partnership with local institutions combined with the opportunity to access international support and advice. It will be a community of excellence: companies, advisors, investors and stakeholders with an interest in supporting SMEs. The larger the community, the wider the range of business and growth opportunities offered to ELITE members.

About RSM

RSM is the lead sponsor of the European Business Awards and has sponsored the Awards programme since its inception.

RSM International is a worldwide network of independent accounting and consulting firms. RSM and its member firms are separate and independent legal entities. RSM does not provide accounting or consultancy services, all such services are provided by member firms practicing on their own account. The network’s total fee income of US$3.7 billion places it amongst the top seven international accounting networks worldwide.

Member firms are driven by a common vision of providing high quality professional services, both in their domestic markets and in serving the international professional service needs of their client base. RSM is a member of the Forum of Firms. The objective of the Forum of Firms is to promote consistent and high quality standards of financial and auditing practices worldwide. www.rsmi.com