Does your company, whether large or small, engage in innovative, multi-stakeholder CSR partnerships and thereby make a positive impact in Europe? If so, the first-ever European CSR Award Scheme may be exactly the right opportunity for your partnership to be celebrated across Europe. “This new award scheme will highlight the cutting-edge excellence of European enterprises in corporate social responsibility. It will give greater exposure to some of the hidden champions, especially smaller enterprises, who engage in innovative partnerships to maximise their positive impacts on society. Corporate social responsibility is part of the formula for a competitive, innovative and socially inclusive Europe.” Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission

The European CSR Award Scheme will be led by CSR Europe and Business in the Community and will be run in 28 European countries to deliver an impactful and far reaching European CSR Award Scheme for Partnerships, Innovation and Impact. The European CSR Award Scheme has a focus on successful partnerships between an enterprise and at least one non-business stakeholder. This is an innovative concept in the European CSR Award marketplace, which typically focuses on CSR Awards for individual enterprises on their own.

Participating countries include: Austria (respACT) Belgium (Business and Society Belgium), Bulgaria (UNGC Bulgaria), Croatia (HR BCSD), Czech Republic (Business for Society) Denmark (VirkomshedsNetwärket), Estonia (RBF Estonia), Finland (FiBS), France (IMS -Entreprendre pour la Cité ), Greece (The Hellenic Network for CSR), Hungary (Követ), Ireland (BITC Ireland), Italy (Sodalitas), Kosovo (CSR Kosovo), Luxembourg (IMS-Luxembourg), Macedonia (Zenith Macedonia), Montenegro (Association for Democratic Prosperity-Zid), Norway (CSR Norway), Poland (RBF Poland), Romania (CSR Romania), Serbia (SMart Kolektiv), Slovakia (Pontis Foundation), Slovenia (Ekvilib Institute), Spain (Forética), Switzerland (Philias), Turkey (CSR Turkey), UK (BITC and Scottish Business in the Community), Ukraine (Centre for CSR Development).

Each participating National Award Partner will therefore celebrate winners from two categories, one for partnerships involving small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and one for partnerships involving larger companies.

The European Award Scheme will run from the 3rd of December 2012 until the 31st of July 2013, with the period of entry varying in each participating country. So, whether you are an SME or a large company, working with either a single organisation or multiple stakeholders, please visit www.europeancsrawards.eu to find out more specific information and conditions of entry.