"BACKGROUND There are a number of frameworks, standards and protocols to assist companies adopt and implement the sustainability practices. However, those frameworks, standards and protocols can be complex, especially for SMEs, and are designed as “one size fits all” with large enterprises in mind (Tutterow, 2014). SMEs today, lack important knowledge regarding sustainability problems (many SMEs admit to confusion over what sustainability is and which programme to follow to introduce sustainability into their businesses). At the same time accountants need to know more about the principles of sustainability if they are to take an independent proactive approach to their work. Report-ASAP concerns the lack of specific experts and expertise in relation to sustainable accounting and reporting practices and techniques. OBJECTIVES - A useful first step to implement sustainability for SMEs. - Encourage the spread of a CSR culture among SMEs operating in the six EU countries of the partnership. - Make sustainability easy to implement while delivering business benefits in terms of cost savings, marketing and employee engagement. - Practical sustainability advice: cover key topics such as energy efficiency, waste and recycling, travel, food, water, health and well-being. - Develop policies/practices to make it easier for SMEs to adopt sustainable practices in their day to day business. PARTICIPANTS [7 partners from 6 countries] The partnership comprises a university actively supporting the up-skilling of SMEs from the region, a software house with significant experience in bespoke web applications, a HEI Foundation which promotes the development of collaboration channels within its socioeconomic environment, a business school and business incubator, a consultancy offering accounting and training services to SMEs, a chamber serving SME members and an educational technology specialist with experience in personalised learning. ACTIVITIES - An analysis of the current awareness of target groups in relation to sustainable accounting and the benefits of corporate sustainability practices in terms of cost savings, marketing and employee engagement. - The design and development of an online training course and supporting tools addressing the missing knowledge and expertise for the adoption of sustainable accounting practices by SMEs. - The establishment of a framework for the recognition of skills and achievements by learners. - The validation of the training course through training sessions. - The dissemination of the training course through multiplier events and its sustainability through the growth of a network of adopters facilitated by a virtual space providing infrastructure, resources and assistance. METHODOLOGY - Identify and depict the existing approaches to ""Sustainable Accounting"" and determine the missing knowledge and skills - Compare national approaches from a critical viewpoint leading to ""Sustainability Reporting Literacy Levels"" across participating countries - Derive a set of recommendations to help even out the ""Sustainability Literacy"" levels - Design & Develop a Training Course addressing the identified shortage in knowledge and skills. - Model the course inside a Learning Motivation Environment (LME) - Design a dynamic demonstrator to visually explain key concepts of the course. - Create a virtual space as the single entry point to all outputs and provide the necessary infrastructure to support and grow a network of adopters. RESULTS - Set of recommendations for addressing the shortage in knowledge and skills related to sustainable accounting - Training Course and Trainer's Guide - Online Delivery Environment and Dynamic Demonstrator - Open Badges Framework for skills and achievements recognition - A virtual space providing the necessary infrastructure to support an international network of adopters. IMPACT - Increased awareness about Sustainable Accounting practices and reporting systems - Acquisition of Sustainable Accounting skills. - Mobility through ECVET provisions and the Skills and Achievements Recognition Framework. - Improvement of current training opportunities and tools in support of sustainable accounting and reporting practices and techniques. - Increased trust among investors and consumers. - Promotion of Sustainable Accounting practices as part of a Corporate Social Responsibility policy. - Accessible training opportunities of high quality and value. - Improvement of company image and positive impact on balance sheet. LONG TERM BENEFITS The diffusion of the CSR culture among SMEs operating in the six European countries of the partnership. Benefits of sustainability reporting for SMEs include increased appeal to environmentally conscious customers, strengthening relationships with suppliers, positioning their brand as a good corporate citizen, generating greater loyalty and commitment from employees, and reducing operating costs resulting in improved profitability."

The problemStart-up companies are an essential part of European Commission priorities for the attainment of a sustainable and durable European economic growth. Specifically, they will have a leading role in the European Digital single market as underlined in the “Start-ups and the Digital Single Market final report”. However, most entrepreneurs lack of the knowledge and skills required to effectively develop and manage their company. The solutionThe B-Capp project develops an open, all-inclusive training program for financial planning/management of start-ups comprising the smart use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to reduce the operating costs and cross border business activity leading to increase competitiveness and result to less business failures. After the completion of training, all participants in B-CAPP will be able to retain and improve their knowledge and skills, acquire new high-quality skills and continue their personal and professional development by implementing the recommended strategies.The target groupThe project foresees the following target groups:- Female/Male entrepreneurs, mainly aged 18-35 - Professionals dealing with management aspects of start-ups - VET training organizations, universities, trainers already providing entrepreneurship, financial management, eBusiness/eCommerce, ICT related training or looking to introduce such a training offering, business mentors, coaches- SME chambers, Business Innovation Centers, business incubation clusters, entrepreneurship associations, public officials responsible for entrepreneurship/growth/VET.Main objectiveThe specific purpose of the proposed project is to help entrepreneurs improve their skills and knowledge in financial management (e.g. Entrepreneurial Finance, Cash flow management & Basic accounting concepts, etc.) and smart use of ICT/eBusiness for reducing operating costs and generating revenues (eg. Cash flow automation tools, eTendering, eCommerce, etc.).The objective is to address financial management concepts in direct relation to the adoption of proven ICT practices and tools as smarter use of ICT drives revenues and reduces operating costs. Sustainable financial management cannot be isolated from uses of ICT.The partners The partnership comprises 8 partners from 7 countries. A software development company, an educational technology and knowledge dissemination company, two higher education institutes active in entrepreneurial training and support, 2 VET training consultancies with ECVET expertise and a foundation all active in entrepreneurial VET and a regional development agency specialized in the field of internationalization and training of companies. MethodologyThe project started with a comparative analysis of the current state of play between financial and e-Business practices implemented by start-ups in partner countries and winning practices in countries outside the partnership (Germany, Sweden, Poland). The aim of the analysis was to identify the actual needs of the target group in order to form a training program tailored to them.The next step was the validation of the needs by representatives of the direct target group in order to address and describe the learning outcomes for the Financial Sustainability Manager profile. The training methodology and strategies recommended for the start-ups are based on the validated needs.Upon the results, the partnership developed an action-based course materializing the strategies and supporting their implementation in real working environments. To that end, nine modules were created comprising specific actions linked to ECVET points in relation with the learning outcomes defined in the validation phase.Together with the Financial Strategy Genie, a personalized tool delivering the action-based course in all partner languages, the Skills Retention Service, was deployed with re-modeled actions complementing the training program.ResultsThe outcomes of B-CAPP comprise the: - Financial Check Course (FCT): instructor led and e-Learning - Financial Strategy Genie: personalisation of training paths - Learning Motivation Environment: skills retention functionality - ECVET tools for the Financial Sustainability Manager for Start-ups Long-term benefits With the support of B-CAPP Academy, a virtual space developed for sustainability of the training program, entrepreneurs will be in position to implement financial management strategies at their business which will ensure sound financial management, reduction of operating costs, increase of revenues through eBusiness resulting to less business failures.

Internationalization is becoming critical for an increasing number of European academic spin-offs and start-ups. Managers of these organizations are in a key position to effectively and strategically deal with the new challenges of the globalization of markets. The GLOBAL-SPIN project aims to develop an innovative and inclusive training tool for managers of academic spin-offs and start-ups on transnational entrepreneurship, based in a new approach to corporate learning and using web and tablet technologies, to provide the knowledge, skills and resources needed for these professionals to implement effective strategies of internationalization in their ventures. The new tool will be tested and validated in a sample of European academic spin-offs and start-ups working in different sectors of activity (more than 100). Moreover, in order to maximize the impact and sustainability of the final outcomes, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) (as well as other Open Education Resources, OER) based on the corporate learning programme on transnational entrepreneurship will be designed to be shared in main European digital repositories directed to all European entrepreneurs. Finally, the consortium foresees to create a Transnational Entrepreneurs Forum (TEF) at European level which will act as a independent group composed by leading transnational entrepreneurs aimed to inspire others entrepreneurs by sharing views on what needs to be done for transnational entrepreneurs and to support the implementation of the Commission's transnational entrepreneur initiatives.As a main result, the consortium expects to give a contribution to an increase on the European academic spin offs´ competitiveness by supporting these organizations to deal effectively with the challenges of markets´ globalization, supporting them in the decisions taking affecting two internationalization strategies: a) the commercialization of new products and services abroad and b) the competition, attraction and recruitment of global talent.