Practical Actions for Sustainability - A Knowledge Transfer Project
About this good practice
Sustainability is the future of businesses, not an option anymore. Large companies have already adopted sustainability requirements for themselves and their partners, and soon, regulations will become even more demanding. SMEs, however, often lack practical means to implement and communicate responsible practices. This project addresses the knowledge gap and offers concrete help to local SMEs. By integrating sustainability into business operations, SMEs can gain a competitive edge, build trust with customers, and ensure long-term success.
The project focuses on several areas to make sustainability accessible and actionable for local businesses.
- Encouraging responsible business actions: Providing knowledge and support to turn sustainability from words into actions.
- Breaking sustainability into manageable steps: Offering practical tools to integrate responsible practices into daily operations. This includes e.g. schooling on digital tools.
- Networking and knowledge sharing: Workshops and meetings where companies exchange best practices and learn from one another.
- Improving company-specific reporting: Guidance and support to enhance sustainability reporting capabilities.
The project offers a variety of tailored workshops on responsible business practices, company visits showcasing real-world applications of sustainability, and informational sessions based on the needs of participating businesses.
Resources needed
Suomen Yrittäjäopisto implements the project with local entrepreneur organizations, Invest Lapua and Invest Kauhava.
Budget is 80 000 €. It is co-funded by the EU and is carried out in collaboration with educational institutions, local development agencies and entrepreneur organisations.
Evidence of success
The project has already reached a wide group of local entrepreneurs and generated strong interest in the topic. Events have fostered peer learning and offered tangible tools for implementing sustainability.
It improves companies’ ability to communicate sustainability actions, strengthens their competitiveness, and creates regionally rooted responsibility models. Success is measured by practical guides, increased visibility of SMEs, and integration of sustainability into local business culture.
Potential for learning or transfer
The model is easily adaptable to other rural areas and SME-dominated regions. Key strengths include peer support, hands-on learning, and linking responsibility to concrete business benefits. Transfer is viable where trust-building and regionally embedded facilitators are in place.
Further information
Good practice owner
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