Optical Design and Simulation have a tremendous potential to facilitate disruptive research and product innovation. Since optical systems are key components in a broad range of modern devices, optical design plays an essential role in the technology of the XXI-st century. To support European small and medium enterprises in gaining and keeping a leading position in optics and photonics, we propose the support action called ?SME?s Training and Hands-on Practice in Optical Design and Simulation? (SMETHODS). The European consortium offering SMETHODS consists of 7 partners that are the most prominent academic institutions in optics in their countries. Through fully integrated collaborative training sessions, the consortium will provide professional assistance as well as hands-on training in a variety of design tasks on imaging optics, non-imaging optics, wave optics and diffraction optics. For each of these four training domains, 5-day training sessions will be given by several instructors from the consortium partners and by external speakers from industry. Nowadays there exists a strong demand for this kind of support action. Large companies have the resources to organize the necessary training courses internally, but SME?s lack such abilities. In the absence of systematic trainings such as SMETHODS, SME engineers often have to improve their professional abilities with less efficient autodidactic means. This training, which is unique in Europe, will fill the gap between academic courses given at universities and training activities provided by software producers that are focused on specific design software. In the first phase, SMETHODS will provide support activities to SMEs, researchers and companies during 30 months of EC financial support. During this period SMETHODS will, based on experience gained,consider how SMETHODS can continue to serve and support its users after EC funding has stopped.