This Report, which is the fifth interim deliverable (Task 2.5 Analyses & Studies) of the EcoFashionEU project, contains:

• A concise evaluation of both the general framework of the project’s actions to provide support to fashion SMEs for adopting and implementing sustainable entrepreneurship practices and models and the 35-hour Training Program on sustainability, corporate social responsibility and responsible entrepreneurship for fashion SMEs, implemented in the framework of the fourth interim deliverable of the project (Task 2.4)
• Presentation and analysis of the results from the application of both the original ETHOS tool,which assesses the level of maturity of companies regarding the integration of sustainability,corporate social responsibility and responsible entrepreneurship principles and practices intheir strategy and operation, and the new Ethos Fashion tool, which was created by adaptingthe original ETHOS tool to the specificities and needs of fashion SMEs.
• Evaluation of the new Ethos Fashion tool on its capacity to respond to the needs andspecificities of fashion SMEs on the one hand for raising their awareness on both the sustainability issues in general and their more specific aspects and on the other hand as a tool for self-assessment of their level of maturity on these issues.

In parallel, in the Report and based on the project’simplementation, we register and present both the challenges faced and the lessons that can be drawn, as:

• The key challenge of creating the new Ethos Fashion tool adapted to the needs, specificities and expectations of fashion SMEs, both for raising awareness on sustainability issues and as a self-assessment tool of their level of maturity on these issues, was successfully addressed.
• Based on the results of the two questionnaires – before (Pre Training) and after (Post Training) the implementation of the Training Program on sustainability, corporate social responsibility and responsible entrepreneurship for fashion SMEs – on the one hand the level of awareness, information and knowledge of fashion SMEs on sustainability issues is extremely low and on the other hand the training program on sustainability issues and its content is very positively assessed.
• It is estimated that the very small percentage of fashion SMEs that responded to BEA’s invitation is largely due to the above-mentioned low level of awareness, information and knowledge of these enterprises but also on their belief that changing their mindset and adapting to a new business environment compatible with sustainability, corporate social responsibility and responsible entrepreneurship is difficult and requires special support programs that actually do not exist.
• Remaining challenges and interrelated with them lessons to be learnt are not only the need to develop and implement structured awareness and information programs on sustainability and responsible business for both fashion SMEs on the one hand, and for consumers on the other, but also on the relationship between fast fashion products and sustainable fashion products and the causes that lead to the competitive disadvantage in terms of consumer prices of sustainable fashion companies compared to fast fashion companies, so that consumers do not base their choices when buying fashion products only on the lower price.

You can download the report here