The objective of DARRA project is to decrease the digital divide in remote and rural areas among the partner regions, through boosting the usage of ICT by SMEs and the public sector, and improve the overall regional competitiveness. DARRA capitalises on the findings of BIRRA project. The digital divide is a handicap inter-and intra-regionally and one indicator of a region’s peripherality. DARRA project, through the strengthened regional ICT–applications leading to (i) reinforced exchanges with more central & developed regions, (ii) more complete regional ICT-related applications, and (iii) jointly developed approaches, will reduce effectively and sustainably the peripheral character of the partner regions. DARRA project will create a vision of year 2013 regarding life styles in peripheral areas and / or sparsely populated regions. This vision will be a guide to developing ICT strategies in peripheral regions. The e-Ladder model which was developed in BIRRA will be used for this purpose by the partner regions, takeing one step forward in selected domains of the e-Ladder. This means very concrete steps in regional ICT development. The actions in this project will lead to raised awareness and ICT uptake among SMEs and the public sector. Participating regions are Lapland and Kainuu in Finland, Västernorrland in Sweden, Sogn og Fjordane in Norway, Derry in Northern Ireland (UK), and Border Midland West (Donegal & Galway) and Mid West Region in Ireland. The end users of the project are the micro businesses together with SMEs and public authorities which can improve their operations by taking new IT-services into use. Achievements: DARRA project have worked together with over 60 SMEs in the northern periphery. Level of ICT maturity have been indicated with e-ladder (measurement tool developed in DARRA-project) tool to bring up the real development needs of each company. Development activities are ongoing and after that the SMEs ICT maturity level will be measured again to see the development steps that companies have taken. The case studies will be published on base of this work. DARRA is working also with public organisations and is developing public services together with regional public organisations. Services like electronic public procurement or electronic invoicing are services that will bring cost savings both to public and private organisations. This way both, public and private organisations, are getting benefit form DARRA project. ICT-vision 2013 is developing and debut on regional ICT development is going on in all DARRA regions. The ICT-vision will guide and is guiding already the development work in all project regions by bringing up the development needs and questions to public discussion.Products and services:Title: DARRA ladder assessment, planning and evaluation tool An assessment tool for assessing a small- or medium-sized business' ICT uptake linked to different types of business activities by identifying weaknesses in the use of ICT and development objectives which will be integrated into a development plan. It can be used in conjunction with ICT audits in organisations.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/Title: ICT-vision 2020 for NPP-areas A strategy in the form of a brochure visualising how ICT infrastructure and the use of ICT in SMEs or public authories in rural areas could look like for Regional development agencies, local and regional decision makers, policymakers and SMEs.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/Title: Cost-benefit analysis model for SMEs introducing electronic invoices An easy-to-use calculation tool for assessing cost savings linked to the introduction of electronic invoices for SMEs.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/Title: DARRA Help Desk A phone and email consultancy service giving individual, impartial, non brand-specific guidance to SMEs and micro-companies on ICT uptake.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/Title: DARRA web site and web shop implementation standard procedure A support service for setting up larger-scale web sites and web shops for SMEs an micro-companies helping them to diversify their business, improve public awareness, and boost their advertising by utilizing ICT.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/