The aim of the project is to improve the skills and competencies of rural entrepreneurs and local development managers and to set up a three-week summer school to provide training for people from all over Europe. The idea behind the project is to close the gap that exists between the demand and supply of skills to plan and manage sustainable local development in rural areas. It will deal mainly with the skills needed to create and sustain SMEs. A curriculum will be developed with sets of themes relevant to planning and managing rural development in Europe. It will be used in the summer school and will also be suitable for distance learning. Teaching will involve lectures, workshops and visits, to include practical work sessions. The expected results are the establishment of an annual three-week summer school, taking place in a different location every year. A permanent training resource on the Web will be set up, providing information about activities, offering tutoring and answering queries. Open-distance learning materials will also be available through the web site. Dissemination will include a conference and discussions with NGOs.