A regulatory term referring to a micro, small or a medium-sized undertaking, irrespective of its legal form, that is not part of a large group.
SME is part of the formal vocabulary used in supply-chain due diligence, adverse-impact governance, and corporate responsibility. For this glossary, the key point is understanding how the source defines the term and where that definition sits within broader compliance or data requirements.
Directive (EU) 2024/1760 on corporate sustainability due diligence
a micro, small or a medium-sized undertaking, irrespective of its legal form, that is not part of a large group, as those terms are defined according to Article 3(1), (2), (3) and (7) of Directive 2013/34/EU;
Reference: Article 3, point i
In practice, this term matters when mapping who is responsible for obligations, declarations, market placement, recordkeeping, or due-diligence steps within supply-chain due diligence, adverse-impact governance, and corporate responsibility.
For Minespider, SME is best treated as a responsibility and workflow term. The important question is which actor, document, or compliance step the source is actually assigning through this definition.