Solutions can be innovative products, processes, services, or also plans and arrangements. These solutions can include but are not limited to the following examples: new business models (e.g. regenerative), collaborative governance and organisational approaches, development of tailored transformation plans, the identification, development and communication of meaningful set of metrics and indicators, environmental management and reporting tools or others. Proposals can also include the use of digital solutions e.g. digital product passports (DPP), Artificial Intelligence (AI) or digital assistants enabled by Generative Artificial Intelligence. Proposals should analyse the required skills and include skill development activities for current and future employees of the SMEs.

Proposals should demonstrate the feasibility (e.g. economic, technical), environmental performance and utility and transferability of the developed and demonstrated solutions, notably to address climate change mitigation, biodiversity or environmental remediation aspects related to the sustainable and circular transformation of SMEs. The demonstrations of the innovative solutions should be done in a large-scale operational environment with strong involvement of SMEs. The first deployment of the solutions and the validation of their utility can be demonstrated at territorial, sectoral or value chain context. Nevertheless, the solution should be transferable, and the proposal should include the effectively replication in other contexts.

Successful proposals should address the requirements of EU policies relevant to the green transformation of SMEs, if suitable also national or regional strategies, and consider demands from business partners, as customers, to advance their related commitments. Proposed solutions should be concrete and user-friendly to lower the administrative burden for SMEs. This includes adopted, and planned legislation such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), Green Claims Directive, the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), EU taxonomy, best available techniques standards and technology developments like digital product passports (DPP). Proposals should also include the development of policy recommendations that support the widespread adoption of the validated solution and use of new knowledge in the development and revision of regulatory frameworks.

Successful proposal should build on the publicly available achievements and findings of related previous national or EU-funded projects as well as collaborate with existing public organisations, e.g. the Enterprise Europe Network, Innovation Centre for Industrial Transformation and Emissions (INCITE) or the EU pact for skills initiative.