The Restart project aims to further European Priority 2 by developing the quality and attractiveness of VET systems and practices throughout Europe by ensuring that they are responsive to the very specific needs of a group known to be at high risk of social exclusion: lone parents. It will address UK National Priorities 1, 2 & 3 by targeting support at lone parents that face particular difficulties in the labour market actively involving them in the project to transfer qualifications across Europe. To address those barriers, an EQUAL cross-sectoral partnership in NI conducted research which revealed that while most lone parents want to work they often face a complex combination of personal and structural barriers: low self-esteem, lack of affordable childcare, fear of moving off benefits and the need to update skills and gain work experience. It also developed the innovative Restart (formerly ‘Possibilities’), an OCN accredited programme combining group work, individual life coaching with a work placement to develop participants self-esteem and employability. Practical help with applying for jobs, advice on personal finances, arranging childcare and transport help strengthen participants confidence about taking the major step of returning to work. Piloted as 'Possibilities' through the Department for Employment and Learning's ‘Pathways to Work for Lone Parents’ (http://www.gingerbreadni.org/Pdf/Possibilities%20Project/possibilities%20report%20indd.pdf), the programme, now renamed ‘Restart’, can be accessed through DEL’s current mainstream provision, Steps to Work. The consortium partners have proven experience in vocational education and training, research, project management and transnational partnership working. The project's main aim is to transfer this innovative programme to Cyprus, Italy, Poland and Norway. Objectives include: research carried out into the situation of lone parents in each country; the establishment cross-sectoral Stakeholder Forums, ensuring the involvement of policy and practice professionals who can support this transfer; adaptation, accreditation and translation to suit each country's language, welfare, employment and VET systems; and piloted and evaluated with 10 lone parents in each country. Dissemination will include a case study film, best practice report, project report and a final event in Brussels involving DG's and other key practice and policy players. Valorisation options include commercialisation, e-learning adaptation, conversion for use with other disadvantaged groups and ECVET accreditation . The project will be internally and externally evaluated. The envisaged impact is that each partner country will for the first time be able to offer through their VET system an accredited return to work training and support package for lone parents seeking a return to work and a group traditionally disadvantaged in the labour market to achieve greater equality of access to sustainable employment across the EU.