In its first 12 months, IntegratESG has focused on building the practical building blocks needed to help vocational education and training (VET) providers and business managers embed ESG (environmental, social and governance) practices into organisational strategy and everyday operations.
1) Strong project foundations: delivery, quality and coordination
A major milestone of the first year has been the completion of the core management and implementation framework that will keep the project on track and ensure high-quality outputs. This includes a structured Project Work Plan (covering objectives, timeline, resources, tasks, risk management, monitoring, communication and documentation), alongside an Initial Risk Assessment with mitigation measures.
To support effective governance and accountability, the project has also established a Project Steering Committee for strategic oversight, and a Quality Assurance Plan setting out procedures to plan, monitor and evaluate the quality of activities and deliverables.
Operational collaboration has been reinforced through an Internal Communication Guide and Plan, ensuring transparent information flow, knowledge sharing and traceable communication processes across partners.
Just as importantly, sustainability and inclusion have been embedded into implementation through a Green Action Plan (to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainable practices) and an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Plan to ensure accessible participation – both in physical and digital activities – particularly for underrepresented groups.
To keep results meaningful beyond the project lifetime, IntegratESG also delivered an Impact Plan (defining expected impacts and evaluation methods) and a Dissemination and Exploitation Plan (setting objectives, channels and actions for uptake and sustainability).
Communication and coordination outcomes were also tangible in year one: production of a leaflet and brochure in all partner languages plus English, and three newsletters (again multilingual plus English), alongside a structured meeting cycle including a pre-kick-off meeting (December 2024), six online meetings, and a face-to-face meeting in Cyprus (October 2025).
2) Evidence-led groundwork for ESG in VET: WP2 results
On the content side, the project has already produced key outputs that map what VET providers and managers need in order to work effectively with ESG.
A core deliverable under WP2 is the ESG integration analysis and competence mapping report, synthesising findings from the analysis of ESG standards and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and mapping relevant competences against critical elements for ESG integration. The work also references major frameworks and standards, including SDGs, and uses competence frameworks such as GreenComp and EntreComp to guide the mapping exercise.
In parallel, IntegratESG has developed the Roadmap for Embedding ESG Considerations in VET business and management related curricula, designed as strategic guidance for VET providers on tools and approaches to integrate ESG considerations throughout curriculum development—reflecting the fact that ESG permeates business strategy and operations.
To strengthen relevance and real-world usability, the project has also activated a Stakeholder Advisory Panel, engaging VET educators, business managers and environmental experts through continuous feedback mechanisms during design and development, with open events and webinars planned to broaden engagement around responsible practices.
3) Turning analysis into learning: curriculum, modules and platform development (WP3)
Year one also delivered substantial progress on learning design and digital infrastructure under WP3.
First, partners produced guidelines and specifications for curriculum development, defining the structure of learning modules and expectations for pilot delivery.
Second, the project developed six comprehensive learning modules covering all three ESG dimensions -environmental, social and governance – spanning topics from ESG foundations and organisational alignment to regulatory frameworks, implementation and data, and monitoring/reporting and future trends.
Third, to support measurable learning progress, a self-assessment quiz was created for each module, designed to be completed before and after participation to generate quantitative evidence of learning outcomes and progress against WP objectives.
Finally, the project advanced the technical development of the eLearning platform, intended as a “one-stop shop” hosting IntegratESG outputs in a single digital space.
Where these first-year results take us next
With governance, quality processes, communication tools, core WP2 evidence and WP3 learning assets in place, IntegratESG is well positioned for the next phase: piloting the curriculum and modules with VET providers in each partner country and iterating based on feedback, followed by translation/localisation and full integration of materials into the e-platform.