Reason of the project. Big and multinational companies have clearly understood the new trend: they present themselves as companies having adopted Corporate Social Responsibility as a mission, towards their employees as well as towards consumers and the society as a whole. This is well founded, since acceptable relations with employees as well as consumers and other stakeholders is an increasing factor in competing for socially conscious consumers, but also for the best talent to hire. SME’s and micro enterprises are dealing with the same group of socially sensitive consumers as well as potential employees, therefore more and more of them have to deal with this new concept, if they want to preserve their market and their relation with local communities. There is a strong connection between CSR and Life Long Learning. Research and experience of training providers shows that often complaints from stakeholders, but also initiatives to attract and retain valuable talent – classical CSR issues – initiate learning activities within companies. Therefore discussing CSR related incidents and strategies is often a valid starting point for systematic life long learning policies within SME. Training providers, consultants and other facilitators of learning therefore have to develop competence in identifying and consulting CSR related problems and to relate them to the learning initiatives that have to take place to solve them. SME’s and micro enterprises are short on resources. Therefore they need tailored support to implement a socially responsible learning strategy. In many cases SME’s already have social responsible activities with regard to their workforce but a lack in discovering and promoting them in a systematic way.The main aim and objectives. The project aims to transfer and further develop an innovative methodology to develop a CSR strategy within SME, using a balanced scorecard monitoring methodology and helping to develop systematic learning activities.Objectives of the project:• to identify SME leaning needs in CSR in every country in order to adequate project product to each national situation;• prepare a package of methodology to develop learning initialized by CSR concerns for SME in English and adapt of this package in other languages due to the needs of the respective transfer partners (Lithuanian, Bulgarian, Polish, Spanish, Romanian, Greek, Latvian, Portuguese)• test the adapted CSR learning concept in SME in Poland, Bulgaria, Spain, Lithuania, Romania, Latvia, Cyprus and Portugal SMEs • produce a package for CSR related learning development in SMEs addressed to SME’s consultants; • disseminate and valorize project product in each country during the project and after.The characteristics of the partnership. The European dimension to this project is based around the size of partnership, a combination of Western and Eastern partners: from Latvia to Cyprus, from Spain to Poland. The innovation transferring partner is a research institute (ISOB, Germany) which has a big experience in innovation transferring and evaluation processes. The innovation will be transferred to Bulgarian, Romanian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Cyprus, Spain, Poland and Portugal SME. Partners, representing these countries have strong relationships with small and middle enterprises and experience in consulting of businesses in various fields, thereby following the call of the European Commission to “mainstream CSR and develop open coalitions of cooperation.” COM(2006) 136 final, p.12Outcomes. The main outcomes are a redeveloped package for consultants (CD) that will enable them to develop learning strategies within a strategic business approach based on CSR for SME and web site of the project oriented to end-users of the project. Also every partner will produce the brochure in their language for dissemination.Impact. This project is proposing a corporate social responsibility “Step by Step” process cent ...