The 4th edition of Meeting Standards, the European campaign dedicated to empowering SMEs through standardisation, takes place from 22 to 30 June 2026. Here’s everything you need to know and how to get involved.
What Is Meeting Standards?
Standards are everywhere. From the safety of the electric bike you ride to work, to the cybersecurity protocols protecting your business data, to the quality management systems that help you compete in international markets, standards quietly shape the world small businesses operate in, every single day.
Yet for too long, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been absent from the tables where those standards are written. They are affected by the outcomes but rarely involved in the process. Meeting Standards was created to change that.
Meeting Standards is a flagship European campaign developed by Small Business Standards (SBS), the European non-profit association co-financed by the European Union and EFTA Member States, whose mission is to represent the interests of Europe’s 25 million SMEs in the standardisation process. Launched to address a clear gap, SMEs lacking the awareness, confidence and connections to engage with standardisation, the campaign has grown, edition after edition, into a vibrant pan-European movement.
Each year, for one dedicated week, standards bodies and SME organisations from across Europe come together to organise a diverse and dynamic programme of activities: workshops, webinars, roundtables, training sessions, podcasts, social media campaigns and more. Each activity is designed with one goal in mind: to bring SMEs closer to standardisation, and standardisation closer to SMEs.
Why Does Standardisation Matter for SMEs?
If your business has ever wondered whether standards are really relevant to you, the answer is almost certainly: yes, more than you think.
Standards provide businesses with a powerful set of advantages. They enable consistent quality that earns customer trust. They allow goods and services to move freely throughout the European Economic Area. They reduce costs by minimising errors and cutting time to market. They ensure compatibility and interoperability of products and processes. They support compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements. And they open doors to new markets, at national, European and international levels.
The challenge? SMEs often face real barriers when it comes to engaging with standardisation: lack of awareness of what standards exist and how they are developed; limited resources and staff time to participate; technical complexity that can feel overwhelming; and a sense that standardisation is a world built for large corporations, not small businesses.
That is precisely why SBS created Meeting Standards, and why this campaign matters more than ever in 2026.
The 4th Edition: 22–30 June 2026
We are thrilled to announce that the 4th edition of Meeting Standards will take place from 22 to 30 June 2026. Over the course of one week, organisations from across Europe will join forces to put SMEs and standardisation in the spotlight.
This edition continues the momentum built over three successful campaigns. Each year, the campaign has expanded its reach, diversified its activities and strengthened its community. And this year, we want to make it the most impactful edition yet.
Whether you are an SME wondering where to start, a standards body looking to connect with small businesses, or an SME organisation wanting to support your members, Meeting Standards is your platform.
Organise an Activity: Your Voice, Your Event
One of the most powerful things about Meeting Standards is that it is truly a campaign by the community, for the community. Any standards body, SME organisation, national association or European network can organise an activity during the campaign week and register it on the Meeting Standards platform.
The format is entirely up to you. Think workshops, webinars, informational sessions, open Technical Committee meetings, roundtables, training days, social media takeovers, or creative formats you invent yourself. The only requirement is that it connects SMEs with standardisation in a meaningful way.
By organising an activity, you:
- Give your members real, practical value, helping them understand standards that are relevant to their sector
- Raise your organisation’s visibility across Europe as a champion of SME engagement in standardisation
- Contribute to a growing movement that is shaping how standardisation works for small businesses at European and international levels
- Benefit from the SBS campaign infrastructure, including communications support, the campaign kit, and promotion across SBS’s European network
Last year’s Meeting Standards campaign proved its value as a powerhouse for visibility, reaching 700,000 individuals EU-wide.
Don’t wait until June, the time to start planning your activity is now. Submit your event on the Meeting Standards website and let SBS amplify your reach. If you need help developing your proposal or shaping your activity, the SBS team is here to support you every step of the way.
👉 Register your activity at meetingstandards.eu/get-involved
Spread the Word: Promote Meeting Standards on Social Media
You don’t have to organise a full event to make a difference. One of the most impactful things you can do right now is help us spread the word about Meeting Standards across your networks and social media channels.
Whether you reach SMEs in your country, your sector, or your industry, your voice matters. Share the campaign, talk about why standardisation is relevant to small businesses, and invite your audience to get involved. Use the hashtag #MeetingStandards to join the conversation and connect with organisations and SMEs across Europe doing the same.
To make it easy, SBS has put together a free campaign toolkit, packed with ready-to-use social media content, visuals, key messages, logos and more, everything you need to promote the campaign professionally and consistently, without any extra work on your side.
👉 Download the Meeting Standards campaign kit here
Use it, share it, and help us make 22–30 June 2026 a week that every SME in Europe hears about.
The Four Pillars of Meeting Standards
Everything Meeting Standards does is guided by four core pillars that reflect what small businesses need to truly engage with standardisation:
🔔 Increase Awareness Help SMEs understand what standardisation is, why it matters, and how it directly affects their competitiveness, market access, and long-term growth. Too many SMEs are still unaware of the standards shaping their sector, this campaign changes that.
🤝 Foster Engagement Move SMEs from bystanders to active participants. Encourage small businesses and their representative organisations to engage in the development of standards at national, European and international levels, and ensure their needs are reflected in the final outcome.
📚 Share Knowledge Create spaces and opportunities for SMEs, standards experts and organisations to exchange experience, best practices and practical insights. Standardisation becomes less daunting, and more useful, when knowledge flows freely.
🌍 Build Community Connect SMEs, SME organisations and standards bodies across Europe into a strong, cross-border network. Because when small businesses act together, their voice in standardisation grows exponentially.
About Small Business Standards (SBS)
Small Business Standards (SBS) is a European non-profit association co-financed by the European Union and EFTA Member States. Established in 2013, SBS is the voice of 25 million European SMEs in the standardisation process, representing their interests through 22 member SME associations and over 78 qualified experts active in more than 220 Technical Committees, Subcommittees and Working Groups at CEN, CENELEC, ETSI, ISO and IEC.
SBS works across a wide range of sectors, from cosmetics and personal protective equipment to electric bikes, digital technologies, advanced manufacturing and the circular economy, ensuring that SME needs are heard wherever standards are being written.
Meeting Standards is one of SBS’s flagship initiatives, sitting at the heart of its mission to make standardisation more inclusive, accessible and beneficial for small businesses across Europe.
Ready to Join the Movement?
The 4th edition of Meeting Standards from 22 to 30 June 2026 is your opportunity to be part of something that matters. Whether you organise an activity, promote the campaign in your network, or simply learn more about how standards can help your business thrive, there is a place for you in this campaign.
Visit meetingstandards.eu to find out more, register your activity, and download the free campaign kit.