SME Standardization Toolkit (SMEST II)

Project background

The representation of SMEs in European standardization activities is still too often inadequate when the European standardization process is committed to adequate stakeholder participation.

Therefore, to address this and in order to strenghten the cooperation with SMEs on standardization at European level, CEN and CENELEC devised the SME Standardization Toolkit (SMEST) project: SMEST 1 occurred in 2008/2009, and SMEST 2 - 2011/2013.

Given the continuing and growing importance of SMEs in European Standardization, CEN and CENELEC, ASI (Austria), DIN (Germany), NEN (the Netherlands) and NORMAPME worked together in SMEST 2 to strengthen and promote the links between SMEs and standardization in terms of awareness, information and participation.

Based on the recommendations and experiences from SMEST 1, this project complemented the specific actions being undertaken by CEN and CENELEC members to implement the findings of the SME access study at European level, by providing guidance and practical support.

The objectives of the SMEST 2 project can therefore be described as follows:

• Support CEN-CENELEC members by providing them a dynamic knowledge-based system with improved tools to promote involvement of national SME associations and SMEs in terms of awareness, information and participation
• Support CEN-CENELEC members and national organisations to strengthen their cooperation
• Support national SME associations and SMEs by promoting the benefits of standards and standardization.