The applicant of the project One step ahead is the Regional Development Agency Medjimurje REDEA Ltd. One of REDEA's strategic goals to be achieved by 2016 is strengthening competencies of our target groups (local government units and other public institutions, civil society, small and medium enterprises) for efficient design and implementation of EU funds through training and mentoring system. Needs arising from our strategic objectives are related to the need for specialization of individual employees and improving specfic knowledge and competences. Therefore, the objective of the project One step ahead is: to strengthen competencies of REDEA's employees by gathering specific knowledge and innovative teaching methods with aim of strengthening our target groups for more efficient design and implementation of EU projects. REDEA currently employs 12 employees who work in five departments. Majority of our staff provides counseling and education activities. Through this 12-month project we will include 11 employees who will participate in training activities abroad. Given that training is one of our core activities REDEA monitors skills and training needs of its trainers. Training needs of our employees range from trainings more focused on specific fields of knowledge to trainings focused on methods and techniques for successful adult training. Four main activities will be implemented: A) Project management and dissemination; B) Preparatory activities for mobility, C) Participation at training courses abroad – altogether we planned four multi-day training sessions where two or three REDEA's employees will participate. Participants will be selected through internal competition. Training topics include the following: • Designing and financing projects; project cycle management; • Innovative methods of adult teaching; • Encouraging entrepreneurial mind set; • Managing tourism and cultural destination; D) Follow-up activities of training sessions. Implementation of the project will be taken over by REDEA's Strategic Planning Department in cooperation with the Head of the Human Resources Development Department, who is responsible for coordinating educational activities in REDEA. The Strategic Planning Department will be the contact point for mobility participants from other departments and will have a preparatory meeting with participants prior mobility acivity. The Department will also take over communication with receiving organizations with which preliminary e-mail contacts had been established. Results of the project will be built up teaching knowledge and skills of REDEA's staff. These results will be reflected through: adopted innovative methods of adult teaching, adopted innovative principles for fostering entrepreneurial mind set, improved knowledge on managing tourism and cultural destinations, improved presentation and methodology skills and adopted principles of project cycle management. These results will have positive effects on REDEA's target groups which participate at our training programmes and they will therefore strengthen their capacities and become more successful in design and implementation of EU projects. In the long run, it can be argued that the proposed project will have positive impact on the competitiveness of the Međimurje county.