Sustainable Suppliers 2026: How to Access the ICEX-Global Compact Program

Key data

If your company supplies large corporations or wants to, sustainability is no longer optional: it is a requirement for access. ICEX Spain Export and Investment and the Spanish Network of the United Nations Global Compact have formalized an agreement to develop the Fourth Edition of the Training Program: Sustainable Suppliers, published in the BOE on April 24, 2026.

The program responds to a reality that many SMEs are already noticing: large buyers—both national and international—increasingly demand that their suppliers demonstrate standards in sustainability, corporate social responsibility and ESG criteria (environmental, social and governance). Without that accreditation, the risk of losing contracts is real.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution publishes the agreement signed between ICEX Spain Export and Investment, E.P.E. and the Spanish Network of the United Nations Global Compact to jointly develop the fourth edition of this training program.

The purpose of the agreement is to improve the capabilities of supplier companies in three key areas:

• Corporate sustainability: integration of sustainable practices in company operations.
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR): commitments to the social, labor and environmental environment.
• ESG criteria: environmental (Environmental), social (Social) and governance (Governance) standards that international markets and large buyers use to evaluate their suppliers.

The initiative is part of Spanish business internationalization policy, integrating sustainability criteria as a lever for competitiveness for companies that want to operate or grow in global markets.

This is the fourth edition of the program, which indicates a consolidated trajectory and growing demand from companies participating in previous editions.

Economic and operational impact

The impact of this program is not measured in direct costs imposed by regulation, but in business opportunities and risks of commercial exclusion. These are the concrete effects for companies:

• Access to contracts with large companies: certification or training in sustainability is increasingly required as a contracting requirement by large corporations. Not having it can mean direct exclusion from supplier homologation processes.
• International competitiveness: European and global markets apply ESG criteria in their purchasing decisions. An SME trained in these standards has better chances of accessing international tenders and contracts.
• Opportunity cost: not participating in programs like this, when they are publicly accessible and backed by official organizations like ICEX, means missing a competitive advantage over competitors who do participate.
• Anticipatory adaptation to regulation: European regulation on supply chain sustainability (such as the Corporate Due Diligence Directive) is moving toward mandatory requirements. Training now reduces the cost of future adaptation.

Who does it affect?

This program is especially relevant for:

• SME suppliers of national or multinational large companies that already demand ESG criteria in their supply chains.
• Self-employed individuals who provide services or supply products to large corporations and need to demonstrate sustainability standards.
• Companies that want to internationalize and need to comply with sustainability standards required by European and global markets.
• Companies in the supplier homologation process of large business groups that already include ESG criteria in their evaluations.
• Executives, CFOs and procurement managers who manage supplier relationships and need to understand what to demand and how to evaluate sustainable compliance.

Practical example

A company manufacturing industrial components with 15 employees supplies a multinational in the automotive sector. In the latest contract renewal, the multinational has included a new requirement: suppliers must demonstrate training or certification in ESG criteria before the next fiscal year.

Without that accreditation, the company is excluded from the contract renewal process, regardless of product quality or compliance history.

By participating in the Training Program: Sustainable Suppliers promoted by ICEX and the UN Global Compact, the company obtains official training in sustainability, social responsibility and ESG criteria, backed by two reference organizations. This allows it to demonstrate to its client that it meets the required standards, maintain the contract and also improve its positioning to access new international clients that apply the same criteria.

What should companies do now?

1. Evaluate whether your company is a supplier to large companies that already apply or will apply ESG criteria in their supply chains. If so, this program is directly relevant to you.
2. Contact ICEX and the Spanish Network of the Global Compact to learn about registration deadlines, program format and participation requirements for the fourth edition.
3. Review current contracts with your clients to identify whether they already include sustainability clauses or if it is foreseeable that they will incorporate them in upcoming renewals.
4. Inform your management or CFO of the risk of commercial exclusion that comes from not demonstrating ESG criteria to large buyers, especially in international markets.
5. Consider training as an investment, not a cost: participating in an official program backed by ICEX and the Global Compact provides credibility with clients and opens doors to new contracts.