By applying standards to businesses, these become more efficient and may offer better service and high-quality products that offer consumers more value for their money.

SMEST, which stands for SME Standardisation Toolkit, is an EU-funded project aimed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to make the best of the standards-making process.

Across Europe, events are being organised at a national level to inform and educate SMEs on how they can improve their business through the use of standards. These national events started in May last year when an interactive workshop was held in the Netherlands.

SMEST workshops are organised by the national standards bodies with the collaboration of the SMEST project team. SMEST looks to reinforce and promote affiliations between SMEs and standardisation in terms of awareness, information and participation.

During SMEST interactive workshops, participants have the possibility to learn about the benefits SMEs can acquire through standardisation. National, European and international standards can be used by different businesses.

In the course of these work-shops, participants will be shown how they can become involved in the standard-making processes with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of their organisation. The workshops present best-practice examples that highlight the advantages of standardisation and will provide an opportunity to initiate new relationships as well as strengthen existing ones between national standardisation institutes and SME associations.

It will also be an opportunity to learn about the SMEST toolkit, which provides SME with a step-by-step approach on how to generate greater value from their business.

A SMEST workshop will be taking place in Malta on April 8. This will be organised by the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, Malta’s national standards body, in partnership with the SMEST project team.

SMEs wishing to participate should call the MCCAA on 2395 2414 or e-mail standards@mccaa.org.mt by not later than Wednesday.

For more information, visit www.mccaa.org.mt.

odette.vella@mccaa.org.mt

Odette Vella is senior information officer, Office for Consumer Affairs, Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.

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