When responsibility becomes strategy: The Spanish approach
A small bakery in Navarra decides to reduce its food waste. A local clothing studio wants to improve working conditions and pay equity. A logistics company tries to lower its energy use and attract younger employees.
These businesses may be fictional, but their ambitions are real. Across Europe, SMEs are under growing pressure to act responsibly – socially, environmentally and economically. Consumers expect it, employees seek it, and public policy increasingly demands it. But for small companies, turning values into action is often easier said than done. Time, expertise, and resources are limited.
In the Spanish region of Navarra, the public sector has stepped in with an answer: InnovaRSE, a comprehensive and accessible Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) support system tailored specifically for SMEs.
In simple terms, CSR refers to the idea that businesses are accountable for their impact on the society around them. Businesses no longer have the luxury of simply focusing on profits. They have a social responsibility to do what’s best, not just for their companies, but for people, the planet, and society at large.
Since the 1950s, when the concept of CSR was first introduced, the discussion has been heavily focused on larger companies. In recent years, though, strides have been made to promote CSR as a competitiveness factor in SMEs.
However, while awareness has been raised, practical examples are thus far lacking – CSR seems vague and out of reach for small enterprises. This is particularly important in countries like Spain, where 93% of registered companies are microenterprises or self-employed professionals.. In order to use up CSR and its motivational and inclusive properties, support systems must be designed for the majority, not for the few, just as is the case here.
InnovaRSE: enabling CSR in everyday business
To promote (and achieve) sustainability as a competitiveness factor, the Government of Navarra developed InnovaRSE, a comprehensive and accessible CSR management system designed for SMEs’ daily use. The system offers practical guidance, technical and financial support, helping SMEs integrate social responsibility into their strategy and everyday operations.
Such public programmes play a crucial role in creating an open framework by which to integrate CSR into the socio-economical value system. Such programmes lower the threshold for participation, offer structure and clarity, and provide tools that SMEs can realistically use.
The InnovaRSE process itself is also simple and clear. Based on a primary self-assessment, participating businesses receive a tailor-made CSR action plan, ongoing support from accredited consultants (more than 80 trained specialists across the region), access to financial aid (around 120000€ allocated annually), and gain recognition within the wider regional community of other CSR-oriented businesses.
The thorough support system allows for companies to reflect, define and implement an action plan into their business management on a permanent and sustainable basis. As such, the programme not only benefits the participating enterprise, but the ecosystem as a whole: ties between entrepreneurs and the community will be strengthened and stakeholder expectations taken into account, all whilst covering the three core dimensions – the social, environmental and economic.
Since its launch, InnovaRSE has supported 473 companies, the vast majority of them being SMEs. The programme has produced 135 sustainability reports and helped dozens of companies adopt clear CSR strategies. The reports show more than just procedural improvements.
Many have developed gender equality strategies, introduced circular economy practices, improved worker engagement, and gained access to sustainability-focused funding and procurement opportunities. Furthermore, InnovaRSE has recently been included in the draft of the new industry law of Navarra. This will further help SMEs to obtain recognition in grants and public contracts.
InnovaRSE demonstrates what happens when CSR is not just encouraged, but enabled. With public-sector backing (financial and social), technical expertise, and a practical step-by-step approach, sustainability becomes a real and strategic part of business development, not just any symbolic effort – it becomes part of a company’s growth, resilience, and differentiation strategy.
The InnovaRSE model also reflects broader EU priorities, including alignment with Agenda 2030, the European Green Deal, and emerging non-financial reporting standards. It is fully transferable to other regions and sectors looking to operationalise sustainability for SMEs – not in theory, but in practice. Ultimately, InnovaRSE helps transform CSR from a burden into an advantage. It helps SMEs not only “do the right thing,” but do it well. For businesses like that small bakery or studio.
InnovaRSE has been put forward as good practice by the Interreg Europe DEBUTING project.
Find out more about the InnovaRSE through their website. This includes insightful interviews with beneficiaries such as the Enhol Group.