The project consists of the provision of comprehensive research, analytical, and advisory services to support the European Commission (DG GROW) in assessing the current state of play and future prospects of impact-driven businesses in the European Union. The assignment is designed as an in-depth, EU-wide study that combines conceptual development, empirical analysis, stakeholder engagement, and policy assessment to generate robust evidence and practical insights relevant to EU policymaking.
At its core, the project aims to develop a clear and operational understanding of impact-driven businesses and impact business models, taking into account their diversity in legal forms, governance arrangements, sectors, and levels of maturity across Member States. Through a structured analytical framework, the study examines how these businesses embed social and environmental objectives into their core value proposition, value creation and delivery, and value capture mechanisms, and how they contribute to wider EU objectives such as sustainable growth, social inclusion, innovation, and the functioning of the Single Market.
The services provided encompass a combination of desk research, legal and policy analysis, quantitative and qualitative data collection, and comparative assessment across all 27 EU Member States. This includes mapping the landscape of impact-driven businesses, identifying key trends, barriers, and enabling factors, and analysing the interaction between impact-driven business models and existing EU and national regulatory frameworks. Particular attention is given to issues of recognition, scalability, cross-border activity, access to finance, and the risks of impact-washing in the absence of common definitions or standards.
In parallel, the project delivers advisory support through the development and assessment of potential EU-level policy scenarios. These scenarios are designed to explore feasible options for future EU action, taking into account legal competences, proportionality, administrative burden, and coherence with existing EU initiatives in the fields of corporate sustainability, responsible business conduct, and SME policy. Stakeholder consultations and a validation workshop are integral to this process, ensuring that the analysis and recommendations are grounded in practical experience and reflect the perspectives of businesses, public authorities, intermediaries, and experts.
Overall, the services aim to deliver a coherent, actionable, and policy-oriented study that provides DG GROW with a solid evidence base, a shared analytical language, and clearly articulated policy-relevant conclusions. The project supports DG GROW in deepening its understanding of the role of impact-driven businesses in the EU economy and in exploring potential pathways for future EU-level action that could strengthen the enabling environment for these businesses within the Single Market.