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Glossary
Letter S
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Terms A-Z

This glossary contains definitions of the terms from the topic areas Education, Science, Research and Innovation, and is regularly updated. The glossary terms are alphabetically ordered.

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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

According to the European Commission's definition of SMEs, this category comprises enterprises that employ fewer than 250 persons and have an annual turnover of no more than 50 million euros or an annual balance sheet total of no more than 43 million euros. Enterprises exceeding these thresholds are classified as large enterprises (LEs). When calculating the number of employees and the financial thresholds, relationships with other enterprises must be taken into account. In national contexts, other definitions of SMEs are sometimes used.