The aim of the project "Bioenergy Promotion 2- from strategies to activities" was to promote and increase the sustainable production and use of bioenergy in the Baltic Sea Region.Bioenergy Promotion 2 was a follow-up to the Main stage project Bioenergy Promotion. The Main stage project started in 2009 and concluded in 2011. The initial project consortium consisted of 33 partners, who were involved in project activities.The Extension stage was implemented from 2011 to 2013. 13 partners participated the project. Its aim was to increase the impact of the regional strategies for deployment of sustainable bioenergy. The sustainability principles and criteria and strategic pland and concepts prepared for the demo regions during the Main stage, provided the main foundations for the Extension Stage project.The partners implemented activities at various levels and • provided input to the programming of the new Rural Development Policy and Regional, Structural and Cohesion Funds, • created a dialogue with public and private utility companies with the aim of encouraging them to integrate sustainability principles in their corporate strategies, • provided recommendations and thematic input to relevant transnational organizations and networks in the Baltic Sea Region, such as the Expert Group for Sustainable Development Baltic 21 under the Council of Baltic Sea States, the Nordic Council of Ministers or the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Co-operation or • provided direct support to so-called demo regions implementing bioenergy strategies and concepts developed during the Main stage. The project also sought to encourage other regions to aim for full exploitation of their bioenergy resources and potentials. The concepts developed and applied in the demo regions have been promoted at workshops and information events in order to recruit “follower regions” interested in adopting and adapting the concepts to their specific needs. Achievements: The overall objective of the Extension stage of Bioenergy Promotion (2012-2014) was to strengthen key outcomes and results of the Main stage. The sustainability principles and criteria, as well as the strategic plans and concepts prepared for the demo regions, provided the main foundations for the Extension stage project.In the Extension stage seven of the initial 17 demo regions started to implement the regional strategic plans and concepts drawn up during the Main stage. The implementing activities included awareness-raising, mobilization and training of local stakeholders and decision-makers, and the adoption of complementary strategies. The results, outputs and findings of the demo region activities were published in regional reports.The Extension stage project also comprised bilateral “twinning” activities between demo regions, e.g. between the regions of Zealand (Denmark) and Skaraborg (Sweden), and the region of Zealand and Gdynia (Poland).Some of the partners entered into a dialogue with non-partner regions outside the project and discussed opportunities to transfer experiences, good practices and strategic concepts (joint Danish-German transfer initiative in the region of Latgale/Latvia). Also the Grodno Region Forestry Board from Belarus took as an associated partner actively part in project meetings and conferences and is highly committed to transfer the gained knowledge and expertise to its forestry units.One of the project objectives was to enter into a dialogue with public and private energy utilities and other market actors, and to promote validation and “testing” of the principles and criteria for sustainable bioenergy production which have been developed during the Main stage. The partners prepared a report assessing existing corporate sustainability initiatives and strategies. The results of the assessment were discussed at a workshop organised in Brussels during the EU Sustainable Energy Week in June 2013.The project fed project results into key EU funding programmes of strategic importance for the demo regions, but also for the partner countries and for Baltic Sea Region as well. The partners prepared three input papers providing recommendations for the formulation of the new Operational Programmes for the next funding period 2014-2020.In the co-operation with Council of Baltic Sea States Expert Group on Sustainable Development / “Baltic 21” three main activities were carried out. In Stockholm the project organized two roundtables to discuss the project’s progress and results with the Baltic 21. As a result the project formulated a set of policy recommendations on bioenergy promotion in the Baltic Sea Region.Several partner organisations decided to translate the lessons form the project activities into practivcal policy receoomndations and they prepared monitoring reports and organised policy lesson workshops with policy makers, support scheme managers and policy advisory bodies.