SUM

About SUM

“SUM - CSR for Start-Ups” is an initiative of seven European advisory and educational organisations that address the need for appropriate guidance for start-ups on the path to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This Erasmus+ project began in 2020 with a duration of two years.

In their early years, start-up entrepreneurs are primarily concerned with customer acquisition, fundraising and growth, product development and the like. Yet many have more resources at their disposal and are better able to pursue social responsibility strategies than they may initially realise. Moreover, it also pays off for the company’s success to take CSR into account from the very beginning. Once a company grows and cultures and processes become more rigid, it becomes more difficult to adopt initiatives that are initially perceived not to contribute directly to the profit. During their early stages, start-ups have a unique opportunity to ‘bag’ social responsibility and reap the long-term dividends that social responsibility practices can bring to a brand. To bring their priorities in the context of corporate responsibility into focus, start-ups could begin with an exploratory process to find out how their business directly affects the people, communities and environment around them, and how their structures, assets and actions can be made more socially and environmentally sustainable. In this respect, the SUM project sets the framework for European start-ups to live up to their social responsibility and in this way, not least, strengthens the sense of social justice and cohesion among EU citizens.

Recognising the social and ecological impacts of entrepreneurial activity, thinking and acting responsibly, examining entrepreneurial decisions for their sustainability, benchmarking of the own performance in relation to CSR, these are all important competences for today’s corporate world. SUM wants to prepare budding and young entrepreneurs better to properly engage with CSR issues, provide them with guidance and support them to build the necessary capacities in an innovative way.

For more info, visit the project’s website (
) or Facebook page ( ).