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Sustaining Competitive & Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) is a global development cooperation Programme designed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) that promotes productivity, competitiveness, and decent work in emerging economies with a particular focus on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in diverse manufacturing and hospitality sectors.

Its main intervention is the SCORE Training, a practical training and in-factory consulting programme which improves workplace organisation, cooperation, safety and working conditions in SMEs. SCORE also promotes Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) principles which optimize resource use, reduce environmental pollution and contribute to sustainable industrial development. Coaching/Enterprise visits are a unique element of the training methodology and ensure that classroom learning is put into action at the workplace.

SCORE demonstrates best international practice in the manufacturing and service sectors and helps SMEs to participate in global supply chains. SMEs that participated in the SCORE programme in previous years, experienced productivity and turnover increases, saved money through better resource efficiency, and they were able to create more decent jobs and improved the working conditions of
their employees. Evidence of some performance indicators of SMEs that participated in the 2023/24 SCORE Programme:

1. Productivity: up to 76% of firms reported cost savings

2. Quality of products and services: up to 61% of firms reported reduction in defects
3. Environmental impact: up to 47% enterprises reported reduced energy consumption and water use
4. Working conditions: 51% reported reduction in worker complaints, 43% reported reduction in absenteeism and 45% reported increase in wages
5. Occupational safety and health: the number of accidents was reduced by 40%

The SCORE programme is implemented by the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI), with support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and within the framework of the Special Initiative “Decent Work for a Just Transition” (brand name: Invest for Jobs).