Telecentre–Europe began as an informal network of telecentre managers and individuals who decided to work together for improved knowledge‐sharing across Europe.
In April 2008, a number of organisations from across Europe met in Riga and made a firm commitment to collectively support those who are being left behind: those who are not benefitting from all the opportunities of the information society.
Telecentre-Europe grew steadily and in December 2008, Telecentre‐Europe was publically launched at the EC eInclusion Conference in Vienna. At that moment, Telecentre‐Europe was made up of organisations from sixteen EU member states and a further seven European nations.
In October 2009 around 70 delegates met in Istanbul and agreed that Telecentre‐Europe needed to become a legal entity, with an ‘institutional memory’, and core staff that will extend its activities. Members wanted the organisation to become autonomous and sustainable. Twenty organisations signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) to support the establishment of Telecentre‐Europe as an AISBL.
On March 4, 2010 Telecentre-Europe launches Get Online Day, a pan-European initiative focused on bringing people online and implemented with the assistance of national partners through telecentres. This first occasion of the European campaign reaches almost 70.000 people.
In October 2010, at the summit in Budapest, Telecentre‐Europe was formally launched as a Non-Profit International Association with its inaugural General Assembly, and a Managing Board was elected.
From 28 February to 5 March 2011 Telecentre-Europes launches Get Online Week and reaches 112.074 people in 30 European countries.
In October 2011, Telecentre-Europe celebrates its first anniversary as a legal entity and holds its yearly summit in Brussels under the title “Telecentres: get to work”.
From 26 to 30 March 2012 Telecentre-Europe’s Get Online Week reaches over 200.000 people through more than 10.000 telecentres in 50 countries.
In October 2012, Telecentre-Europe holds its yearly summit in Warsaw under the title “Jobs for youth and ageing online”.
