Considering the background of this proposal, the general objective of the project as to develop simple to use and effective tools aimed at upskilling staff members of BSOs and SMEs so that in turn they will actively engage in the sustainable transition. SO1: To develop professional skills of the staff of SMEs and of the organizations providing support to SMEs (BSOs), with a special focus on environmental sustainability; SO2: To support SMEs and BSOs in self-assessing their needs with regards to environmental sustainability and take action to reduce their impact; SO3: To increase capacity building of SMEs and BSOs and better address their staff needs and synergies with VET providers; SO4: To develop structured guidelines for involvement of SMEs and all stakeholders in their sustainability transition; SO5: To develop guidelines to support VET providers’ ecosystems and the way they engage with stakeholders and in particular the labour market actors; SO6: To create aware, sustainable and connected learning and working communities able to generate educational and business value and local growth through sustainable strategies. All the original objectives of the project have been met.
Project partners observed a lack of concrete, clear and tailored tools for supporting SMEs and BSOs when it comes to environmental sustainability. In line with the EU “SMEs strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe”, it is essential to support SMEs in this process and equip them with instruments to understand environmental risks and mitigate those covering specific sectors. Considering the profiles of project partners, the Business 2030 proposal was meant to help partner organizations acquire the necessary skills and knowledge for supporting SMEs and BSOs by innovating the continuing VET educational offer. The synergies with BSOs and SMEs helped the partner organizations understand the needs of the stakeholders and in turn adapt the way their support and training is delivered to them. We believe this approach was the most effective way to reduce the gap between training and the changes in the labour market. Business2030 aimed to provide organizations across Europe with tools useful to facilitate the understanding of the transformations to sustainability and assess the changes needed to meet environmental and social targets.