Project description

The ESG Essentials project is designed to support the European Council’s vision outlined in “Building a Sustainable Europe by 2030 – Progress thus far and next steps” (10/12/2019). This project aims to make sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles an integral part of not only our consortium members’ practices but also of SMEs and their stakeholders across Europe.

The project focuses on fostering ESG integration and sustainable practices among SMEs. By doing so, we seek to:

Encourage

active engagement of SMEs in sustainability initiatives.

Increase

the adoption of ESG principles in business strategies and operations.

Promote

a culture of responsibility and long-term resilience within SMEs and their ecosystems.

Work packages

Work Package 1: Project Management

50%

We ensure effective collaboration through seamless coordination among partners, promoting teamwork and inclusivity. This work package focuses on achieving project goals, ensuring smooth communication, and creating a positive societal impact through solidarity and cooperation.

Work Package 2: ESG Training Curriculum Development

50%

This work package focuses on creating a structured curriculum and training materials that equip SMEs and micro-enterprises with the knowledge and practical skills to integrate ESG principles into their operations. The curriculum will include five chapters covering Environment, Social, and Governance, plus financial sustainability and project sustainability, enriched with best practices, case studies, and real-world applications from six European countries.

Key outcomes include

  • A comprehensive ESG curriculum tailored for SMEs.
  • A hands-on training course featuring case studies and exercises.
  • Enhanced ESG awareness and capacity among SMEs and professionals.
  • Skills for aligning ESG with business strategy, improving sustainability, and boosting competitiveness.
  • All content will be available in English and translated into the official EU languages of participating countries, ensuring broad accessibility and impact.

Work Package 3: ESG Implementation Framework

50%

This work package aims to provide a structured, step-by-step framework that enables SMEs and micro-enterprises to integrate ESG principles effectively into their operations. The framework will serve as both a practical guide for businesses and a resource for SMEs interested in offering ESG services to larger organizations. It will include workflows, tools, and processes to design, implement, monitor, and adopt ESG strategies in a cost-effective and user-friendly way.

Key outcomes include:

  • A comprehensive and customizable ESG implementation framework for SMEs.
  • Guidance and tools tailored to the needs of smaller businesses.
  • Practical case studies demonstrating ESG adoption.
  • Policy recommendations to support ESG integration.
  • Internal and external validation processes to ensure quality and relevance.
  • Availability in English and official languages of participating countries for easy transferability across Europe.
  • This framework will reduce barriers and costs for SMEs, enhance their ESG performance, improve social responsibility, and strengthen their competitiveness while positively impacting society and the economy.

Work Package 4: ESG Essentials Digital Learning Platform

Web Designer 50%

The strategic goal of this work package is to make high-quality ESG and sustainability training materials and tools widely and freely accessible to individuals and organizations interested in understanding ESG benefits and applying them in their business environment.

The ESG Essentials Platform will centralize all project results, offering a comprehensive and interactive learning experience. It will not only provide access to training content but also allow learners to track their progress, learn at their own pace, and engage with ESG concepts in a practical way. This approach ensures flexibility for SMEs and microenterprises, whose staff often cannot dedicate long periods to formal training.

Key outcomes include:

 

By integrating all project results into an engaging online platform, this work package will increase ESG awareness, boost adoption among SMEs, and expand the pool of ESG-trained professionals across Europe.

  • A customizable and user-friendly digital learning platform that hosts all project resources.
  • Self-paced courses tailored to SMEs and professionals, with integrated evaluation and progress tracking.
  • Tools that enable learners to share achievements, receive basic feedback, and generate reports.
  • Skills for aligning ESG with business strategy, improving sustainability, and boosting competitiveness.
  • Reduced training costs for SMEs and ESG professionals through open access.
  • Availability in English and the official languages of participating countries, ensuring broad accessibility and European-level applicability.