How can governments support learning in SMEs during and after disasters: an international comparative study

Purpose This paper aims to examine how governments supported learning in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on the UK, Sweden and Portugal, it explores the extent to which crisis-response policies enabled SMEs to develop learning capabilities and adapt to rapidly changing conditions to discover how government support for learning in SMEs can be increased and improved in future crises. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative approach combining a structured narrative review with a comparative policy analysis. Secondary sources including peer-reviewed academic studies, government reports and policy documents from the three countries are analysed to identify the forms of support provided to SMEs during and immediately after the pandemic and to assess whether these measures enable organisational learning and competence development. Findings Across the three countries studied, government responses prioritised short-term financial stabilisation and business survival. Measures explicitly supporting learning and competence development were limited. When learning occurred, it was largely informal and driven by firms’ own responses to crisis conditions rather than by targeted policy interventions. A common development across all contexts was the rapid expansion of digital and e-learning practices as SMEs adapted to new ways of working. Research limitations/implications The study relies on secondary sources and policy documents rather than firm-level data. Future research could therefore examine how SMEs strengthen their development by learning from crises and how owner-managers support learning in remote contexts rather than relying primarily on traditional face-to-face interactions. Further research could also investigate whether integrating competence development more explicitly into crisis-response policies may strengthen SMEs’ long-term resilience. Practical implications Crisis-response policies should more explicitly integrate learning and competence development to strengthen SMEs’ resilience and preparedness for future disruptions. Originality/value By offering a comparative analysis of government responses to COVID-19, the paper highlights the limited integration of organisational learning considerations in crisis policy and advances understanding of the relationship between public policy and SME learning.