The Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development is an initiative of the OECD Secretary-General. Launched officially on 1 July 2004, this Centre aims at disseminating best practices on the design, implementation, evaluation and promotion of entrepreneurship and SME policies and local development initiatives. It seeks to foster the development of an entrepreneurial society, capable of innovating, creating jobs and seizing the opportunities provided by globalisation, while helping to promote sustainable growth, integrated development and social cohesion.

Entrepreneurship is central to the functioning of market economies. Entrepreneurs ensure the efficient use of resources, create employment opportunities, and help expand boundaries of economic activity. Entrepreneurship and SME policies, together with local strategies which integrate economic, social and labour market aspects within a good governance framework are instrumental to sustainable development reconciling economic growth and social cohesion.

The Centre for Entrepreneurship brings together the experience acquired over 20 years of the Local Economic and Employment Development Programme (LEED) with the experience of the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) and Entrepreneurship Division which serves the OECD’s Working Party on SMEs and Entrepreneurship created in 1993, and builds on synergies between the two bodies. It works closely with experts in different OECD departments and will benefit from the guidance of an internal Secretariat Steering Group formed by Directors of several relevant services.

The promotion of entrepreneurship, SME competitiveness and local development is a horizontal OECD activity, drawing on expertise in several OECD Directorates.  It calls for policy action at different levels of government and for international co-operation. Through the OECD Bologna Process and the LEED Trento Centre for Local Development, the Centre implements outreach activities to disseminate best practices and  know how throughout OECD and non-OECD economies.