Quality Management Systems are often bureaucratic and too heavy for SMEs. The QMS project results include:

- Analysis of the training needs of SME entrepreneurs on quality management.
- A training book on ISO 9001, the specificities of its implementation for SMEs, quality manual, audits, certification, case studies, exercises etc.
- Evaluation tools, such as check lists, multiple choice questions, right/wrong questions.
- A CD ROM with theory, exercises and examples of templates used in quality management systems for several sectors (food/beverage, clothing, pharmaceutics, paramedical equipment, printing, education, tourism etc. for the use of SMEs.

The project has as general objective the facilitation of the development of innovative practices in the field of vocational education and training on sector level and their transfer from Greece to Bulgaria and other participating countries - Belgium, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Italy.

In the last few decades and due especially to the continuous transformation of the economy, small businesses have found themselves having to take great efforts, often without results, to achieve an improvement in competitiveness. This situation is even more difficult for the small companies that exist in small towns, and which have to compete with the larger retailers in neighbouring cities, absorbing almost the total demand of the consumers. On the other hand, most of the training programmes and materials are focused on the large companies, especially the more complex ones, related to quality management systems, knowledge management systems and business networks.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need a tailor-made ISO 9001:2000 guide - most training materials are developed for large enterprises and have little use for SMEs.

The products of this project are designed to fulfil the needs of SMEs in all the partner countries. The consortium will work together on the work packages.