Since access to education is necessary for expanding economic prosperity and for improving quality of life, the EU needs to address the problem of the growing demand for education and lifelong learning. Only an open climate that nurtures learning will enable all educational institutions to adapt to the ever increasing dynamics of competitive global markets. New media and ICT will help to democratise and accelerate this process. By carrying out research to understand how governments can stimulate the uptake of OER by policy means (and not just funding), POERUP aims to contribute to the implementation of LLL. Simultaneously POERUP aims to foster the potential of new media for enhancing innovation by researching policies designed to foster a "lifelong learner" mindset in learners: leading to curiosity, creativity and a willingness to "consume" OER. To do so we investigate the "end-user – producer communities" behind OER initiatives and what (or who) it is that actually provides the energy that make OER work or not. As a result POER-UP will: • provide a global inventory and systematic review of the most relevant national and other large-scale OER initiatives at the "above institution" level to create opportunities to contrast approaches • produce country reports focusing on national policies important to simulate the uptake of OER • produce 3 EU-wide policy papers: for schools; universities; and colleges and other organised education providers • identify measures of success that influence the dynamics of OER communities based on 7 in-depth-case-studies which can be used as replicable solutions for the set-up of future OER initiatives • stimulate dialogue amongst different educational sectors, through the set-up of an International Advisory Committee • contrast its European findings to non-European initiatives • compile an online manual of guidelines and recommendations • cascade down the reports to the national level with 8 options brief packs for EU nations/regions