All your questions get answered! Underneath you can find frequently asked questions and answers to them.
You can not find your question underneath? No problem – do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected]. We are happy to answer your questions!
GENERAL
What does the abbreviation ETSM2030 stand for?
The project name ETSM2030 does stand for
European Tourism Sustainability Monitoring. The year 2030 refers to the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations which are part of
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. See https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
for more information on the SDGs.
What is the project duration?
The duration of ETSM2030 is until December 2025. For clarification: The Titel ETSM2030 has nothing to do with the project duration.
How can I get in touch to have more information?
For all interested SMTEs please feel free to contact us using our general e-mail adress [email protected] or the local contact point in your country: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]
How is the ETSM2030 project connected to the EU?
The
ETSM2030 project is a project funded by the EU, namely the Singe Market
Programme (SMP). The SMP was adopted on 28 April 2021 and supports project
within the period 2021 – 2027 with EUR 4,208 million. It aims to strengthen the
governance and functioning of the Single Market. You can find more information
about the SMP via https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/about/single-market-programme-smp_en.
Which countries are part of the ETSM2030 project?
Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Romania and Poland are taking
part in the ETSM2030 project.
What are the aims of ETSM2030?
ETSM2030 aims to help SMEs (small and
medium sized enterprises) in the tourism sector (also called SMTEs – small and
medium sized touristic enterprises) to …
(1) … evaluate their status quo in sustainability.
(2) … gain knowledge in sustainability matters.
(3) … exchange with other SMTEs and get ideas in sustainability measures.
(4) … work together with other SMTEs cross border and implement SIPs (Sustainability Innovation Projects), coached by our ETSM2030 team.
(5) … learn how to measure sustainability data to avoid greenwashing and as basis for sustainability certification.
(6) … learn more about the advantages of sustainability certifications and about the different sustainability certifications.
(7) … apply for a suitable sustainability certification.
(8) … stay in contact with other sustainable working SMTEs and exchange ways to be more sustainable.
What are SMTEs?
SMTE is the English abbreviation for Small and Medium Touristic Enterprise, which means small and medium sized companies (according to the EU recommendation eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32003H0361) which are operating in tourism. All of our ETSM2030 participants are SMTEs, since being a SMTE is a prerequisite for taking part in the ETSM2030 project.
APPLY
Who can apply?
Any legal entity that fulfills the following conditions is allowed to submit its application for funding under the call:
1. Be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) as defined by the EU recommendation 2003/3612; In this sense, start-ups, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, same as any other type of SME falling under this definition are eligible to apply to the call.
Company category | Staff headcount | Turnover | or | Balance sheet total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medium-sized | < 250 | ≤ € 50 m |
| ≤ € 43 m |
| Small | < 50 | ≤ € 10 m |
| ≤ € 10 m |
| Micro | < 10 | ≤ € 10 m |
| ≤ € 2 m |
2. Be registered in one of the participating EU-member countries of ETSM2030 partnership:
- Austria,
- Germany,
- Italy,
- Poland,
- Romania,
- Slovenia.
3. Be established for at least three financial years to be proved through the Company Registration Report;
4. Work in tourism, i. e. belong to one of these categories of the tourism industry (NACE classes and categories):
- H4910 — Passenger rail transport, interurban
- H4932 — Taxi operation
- H4939 — Other passenger land transport n.e.c.
- H5010 — Sea and coastal passenger water transport
- H5030 — Inland passenger water transport
- H5110 — Passenger air transport
- I5510 — Hotels and similar accommodation
- I5520 — Holiday and other short-stay accommodation
- I5530 — Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks
- I5610 — Restaurants and mobile food service activities
- I5630 — Beverage serving activities
- N7710 — Renting and leasing of motor vehicles
- N7721 — Renting and leasing of recreational and sports goods
- N79 — Travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities
- N8230 – Organisation of conventions and trade shows
- R90 — Creative, arts and entertainment activities
- R91 — Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities
- R92 — Gambling and betting activities
- R93 — Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities
5. Has not been declared bankrupt or has initiated bankruptcy procedures
6. Be not under liquidation; an enterprise under difficulty accordingly to the Commission Regulation No 651/2014 art. 2.18.
7. Conducts activities that respect climate and environmental priorities of the EU and cause no significant harm to them [reference to EU horizontal principle]
How can I apply to this call?
In the first place, you’re required to carefully read the Guidelines of the open call as well as the five annexes that can be found www.etsm2023.eu/apply. You will see that all the details are specified here, however if you have any questions do not hesitate do contact us via [email protected]
You can only apply via the webpage www.etsm2023.eu/apply.
Please be aware of the following important dates:
Submission opening date: 3rd of May 2023
Submission deadline: 5th of July 2023, 17:00 CET
All submitted proposals received after the submission deadline will not be considered.
How do I know if my company is a SME?
You can find the SMT definition according to the EU recommendation 2003/361 here, including the user guide and the self-assessment tool.
Can micro companies of less than 10 employees apply?
Yes, micro enterprises are eligible as they fall under the definition of SMEs (less than 10 employees and less than 2m€ turnover or total balance sheet).
Until which date do I have to submit my application?
The application time is between the 3rd of May 2023 till the 5th of July 2023 (17:00 clock CET).
How will my application form be assesed?
This section includes information about the evaluation and selection process ESTM2030 will be carried out. An independent Selection and Evaluation Committee will manage and supervise the process, ensuring fairness and transparency. The evaluators will generate a ranked list using the overall scores for each application.
- Formal eligibility check of proposals
- Technical evaluation with appointed experts
- Selection procedure
Can I submit my application in local language?
It is recommended to fill in an application in the English language. Due to the fact that applicants would be non-native English speakers, the applications will not be evaluated based on the use of language but on the provided content. Please be clear and precise in the explanations provided in the project proposal. If any questions arise please do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected].
I have alreadey submitted my application but I would like to change some details. Can I access it again?
Through your registration you have the possibility to save your application. After the final submission of your application, the submission can no longer be changed.
For urgent cases of changes we will contact you via e-mail.
How does the financial compensation for participating SMTEs work?
The financial compensation gets paid in form of four lump sums, which means that the participating SMTEs will get a certain amount of money for the completion of a task or activity. In the following you will find for which activitiy, when and which amount will be paid. In total the participating SMTEs can get up to 7.840,00 Euro for the participation in ETSM2030.
The first lump sum amounting to 1.590,00 Euro will be paid for the assessment of the status quo of the SMTEs sustainability via a questionnaire. This eligible acitivity will take place from August 2023 until September 2023 and the lump sum will be paid in the end of October 2023.
The second lump sum amounting to 1.550,00 Euro will be paid for the participation in trainings and coachings regarding sustainability. These trainings and coachings will take place from January 2024 until June 2024 and the lump sum will be paid in the end of July 2024.
The third lump sum amounting to 2.100,00 Euro will be paid for the implementation of a sustainable innovation project together with at least one other beneficiary SMTE (e. g. organizing a workshop regarding a sustainability topic or implementing measures for energy saving). This elgibile activity will take place from April 2024 until September 2025 and the lump sum will be paid in the end of October 2025.
The fourth and last lump sum amounting to 2.600,00 Euro will be paid for giving a final interview to monitor the SMTEs improvements as well as the preparation and application for sustainabilty certifications. This eligible activity will take place from July 2024 until November 2025 and the lump sum will be paid in the end of December 2025.
You can find further details on the payments and the eligible activities in the Call (Section Apply) starting from page 7.
How much time does the participation in ETSM2030 take for the SMTEs?
Participating SMTEs will have the following estimated effort for the participation in the ETSM2030 project:
- for the participation in trainings and coachings at least about 3 to 4 workdays
- for the implementation of sustainability innovation projects with at least one other participating SMTE about 4 workdays
- for the application for certification about 2 to 4 workdays
In total therefore it will be an effort of about 2 work weeks for participating SMTEs as a minimum. The financial support can help here to finance someone who is responsible for the project.
What is the timeline of activities participating SMTEs take part in?
Step 1: From 3 May 2023 until 5 July 2023 (17:00 CET) the application process for 84 SMTEs from 6 different countries starts. This is the chance for interested SMTEs to apply for ETSM2030 and foster sustainability!
Step 2: From 6 July 2023 until 31 July 2023 the selection process of SMTEs takes place, which means that our expert team will select the participating SMTEs. SMTEs which applied will be informed if they will be part of ETSM2030!
Step 3: From 1 August 2023 until 29 September 2023 the status quo of the participating SMTEs' sustainability will be assessed. For the participating SMTEs this means that they will undergo a questionnaire about sustainability in their company!
Step 4: From 1 January 2024 until 28 June 2024 the SMTEs will participate in coachings and trainings dedicated to sustainability with the goal to improve their knowledge in this area!
Step 5: From 1 July 2024 until 31 December 2025 the SMTEs will develop a sustainability monitoring tool which ist suitable for SMTEs and can easily be integrated in their daily routines. This process will be accompanied by our expert team!
Step 6: From 1 April 2024 until 30 September 2025 participating SMTEs will develop togehter with other participating SMTEs sustainability innovation projects (e. g. organizing a sustainability workshop or implementing energy saving measures). Through this activity exchange between SMTEs will be fostered!
Step 7: From 1 July 2024 until 28 November 2025 SMTEs will prepare and apply for a sustainabily certification. This process will be accompanied by our expert team!
Step 8: From 1 July 2024 until 31 December 20254 a network for fostering exchange between sustainable working SMTEs is developed and strategic competitive advantages can be ensured!
SIPs
What are SIPs?
SIP is the abbreviation for Sustainability Innovation Projects.
These represent a project step in the ETSM2030 project. Several participants in
the ETSM2030 project work together to plan and implement an innovative
sustainability project (see below for the criteria for a SIP project). Our
participants are supported in this process by the ETSM2030 team of experts. We
look forward to exciting ideas!
What are the criteria for SIPs?
- a minimum of 2 and a
maximum of 4 participating SMTE can take part in a SIP
- the SIP partners must come from at least 2 different countries
- a SIP project must be sustainable (contribute to environmental, economic or social aspects)
- a SIP project should be based on innovation (can be completely new or new fro the company)
- a SIP must be concrete (e. g. development of a product etc.)
- a short final report must be submitted at the end of the SIP.
A SIP can have various topics, e. g. improving energy efficiency, introduction of a system for the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste in tourism, sustainable transportation solutions, environmentally friendly tourism offers, projects to promote and preserve local culture etc.
Let me give you an example for a SIP: an Austrian, German and Polish participant are working on a SIP, where they are planning and implementing workshops for their guests to create awareness for waste reduction or plan and implement one vegan day per week.
I could not attend the workshop on 1st of July 2024 - what are my to-dos?
- Please watch
the recording which will be uploaded in the
course of this week in OLAT to get all necessary information on SIPs.
- Create a presentation of your company on the Padlet following this link: https://padlet.com/dolezalclaudia/sustainability-innovation-project-always-add-your-name-pleas-91ebtf1tcupv0qw9 to find a suitable partner for your SIP (please be aware that the partner has to be from another participating country, which are: Italy, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Romania, Poland); for the creation of your company, please have a look at the other presentations 😊
- Look at the other presentations in the Padlet and comment on them if you find them interesting
- Contact the company you are interested in working together via e-mail --> you can find the contact details on OLAT and in the attached document SMTEs contact & clustering
- Send us (to [email protected]) the attached SIP application form filled in with your SIP-partners and your project idea until September 30, 2024 (only one SIP-partner has to send it to us, representing the whole SIP-group)
- Attend the next workshop which will take place on 02nd of October from 14:30 until 16:00 – SAVE THE DATE!
How can we find partners for SIPs?
In this padlet: https://padlet.com/dolezalclaudia/sustainability-innovation-project-always-add-your-name-pleas-91ebtf1tcupv0qw9 you can find the presentations of the participants (if you have not created a presentation yet, please do so - take a look at the other presentations and add yours!) 😊 You can comment on the posts of the other participants. You can get their contact details in the Excel file attached or in OLAT --> there you can find an Excel-sheet with contact person and e-mail address per participant. Please find a partner and a topic for the SIPs as soon as possible! In addition, you can use the SIP-forum on OLAT to share ideas and connect with other SIPs.
What are Clusters and what do we need them for?
Based on the status quo in
sustainability interview and questionnaire as well as their interests, the
ETSM2030 team clustered the participants in 8 different Clusters, namely:
·
Cluster 1: Innovating Performers
10 participants in the
sector “Accommodation and hospitality” want to improve economic performance and
are interested in: A new or significantly improved product or service”
·
Cluster 2: Hospitality Performance Innovators
11 participants in the
sector “Accommodation and hospitality” want to improve economic performance and
are interested in: A new technology (hardware or software) or infrastructure
(building etc.)
·
Cluster 3: Service Performance Innovators
9 participants in the
sector “Tourism service” want to improve economic performance and are
interested in: A new or significantly improved product or service or a new
technology (hardware or software) or infrastructure (building etc.)
·
Cluster 4: Performing Pioneers
12 participants in both
sectors “Accommodation and hospitality” and “Tourism service” want to improve
economic performance and are interested in: A new way of selling goods or
services or a new organization of management or business model
·
Cluster 5: Environmental Innovators
12 participants in the
sector “Accommodation and hospitality” want to contribute to environmental
sustainability and are interested in: A new technology (hardware or software)
or infrastructure (building etc.)
·
Cluster 6: Environmental Pioneers
8 participants in the
sector “Accommodation and hospitality” want to contribute to environmental
sustainability and are interested in a new or significantly improved product or
service, A new way of selling goods or services or A new organization of
management or business model
·
Cluster 7: Social sustainability ambassadors
13 participants in the
sector “Accommodation and hospitality” want to contribute to social
sustainability.
·
Cluster 8: Social & environmental
ambassadors
9 participants in the
sector “Tourism service” want to contribute to social and environmental
sustainability.
The Clustering helps to find like-minded participants to find partners for the Sustainability Innovation Projects (SIPs) and further collaboration.
How can we register our SIP project?
Until September 30, 2024 the attached SIP application form needs to be filled in and sent to us via [email protected]. Attached you will also find a completion guide to help you fill in the form. The form includes the partners working on the SIP as well as a short description of your topic.
What is the timeline of the SIP project step?
In the first phase from
July 2024 until end of September 2024 ideas are gathered and partnerships for
SIPs are formed. After that the development and testing Process, where the SIPs
are developed, planned and implemented is scheduled from October 2024 until
September 2025. This project step of development and implementation is
accompanied by the ETSM2030 team. In the last phase from October 2025 until
December 2025 selected SIPs are presented and the most promising SIPs are
presented at congresses and conferences by our ETSM2030 team - this is a great
chance to establish your company in the sustainability market.
What is the financial support for this step & what are the requirements for receiving the financial support?
You get 2.100,00 € financial support and can still be part of the ETSM2030 project if you meet the following requirements:
- submission of the application form of the SIP application form until September 30, 2024 to [email protected]
- Documentation of the implementation (approx. 2 DIN-A4 pages)