The SMALLEST project will establish an innovative service across all Northern Periphery Programme (NPP) partner regions to raise the scale and quality of training, mentoring and support for rural communities needed to help them convert from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation. The SMALLEST service will assist rural communities by increasing their awareness of the potential benefits of renewable energy generation for their community; assisting with the planning and helping to reveal the commercial feasibility of renewable energy generation; and improving the skills provision required to support renewable energy generation. SMALLEST will add value by integrating with existing advisory services, filling any gaps in community training and mentoring for conversion to renewable energy generation, and providing supporting business modelling solutions relating to renewable energy generation for communities. SMALLEST will deliver a transnational benefit by standardising a support process for converting communities from traditional energy generation to renewable energy generation which can draw upon pooled skills and shared knowledge across the region, and potentially can be offered to rural communities across the wider EU. Achievements: The SMALLEST partnership is about to undertake its third partners' meeting in the space of six months (in N Ireland, from 13th-15th January). It has started quickly and is already achieving some of the outcomes required. Community introductions have started in all regions. Case studies are being prepared. Materials are being developed. Advisory services are in discussion with SMALLEST in all regions. Reporting protocols have been established (using a new quarterly interim report system for the partnership). It has also started to work with other NPP projects, most importantly MicrE (which is sharing the N Ireland partners' meeting); Clim-ATIC; and RASLRES. All enquiries concerning the progress of SMALLEST are welcome. The service to be introduced is a new training service for enabling changes in energy generation in remote rural communities, and helping to introduce renewable energy solutions to replace traditional energy generation, reducing costs, pollution, environmental damage, and encouraging self-reliance for their future energy generation. It will speak to a number of communities during the lifetime of the project. It will talk to 180 communities in order to generate 54 solutions, 27 new enterprises, and 81 jobs. 180 communities means 30 per region excluding Ireland, Norway and Greenland that will be contacted, which means 10 per year per region. 54 solutions means 9 per region, or 3 per year per region.27 new enterprises means 1.5 per region per year. This process has now started.Products and services:Title: Shetland Renewable Energy ForumDescription : A platform to share technical expertise, resources and ideas around how to use renewable energy to solve the problems associated with fossil fuel reliance in Shetland and which aims at producing the Shetland Renewable Energy Strategy.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/Title: SEAM Centre training facilityDescription : A training, information and research facility for sustainable energy and micro-renewables based at Inverness College UHI. The centre provides short course training for experienced plumbers, electricians and heating engineers to give them the skills required to install small-scale renewable energy systems (such as biomass, heat pumps, solar PV, solar hot water and wind turbines) as well as sustainable energy technology (such as underfloor heating and rainwater harvesting).More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/Title: RECIP – Renewable Energy Community Investment PartnershipDescription : A free of charge consultancy service for community organisations, not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises interested in reducing their energy consumption and potentially earning a sustainable income from renewables and reducing their CO2 emissions.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/Title: Decision-Makers Academy, DMADescription : A service to increase the awareness and capacities of decision-makers in the area of renewable energy solutions. The DMA can provide tailor-made services such as seminars, field visits and hands-on workshops that will help regional and municipal decision-makers to understand the concepts, types and benefits of renewable energy, as well as how to plan and implement sustainable energy in their own regions.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/Title: Renewable energy awareness raising course for pupilsDescription : A course that provides pupils with a practical and industrial point of view on energy saving and renewable energy use through practical exercises and learning by doing.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/Title: Renewable Energy MayoDescription : An advisory service on possible renewable energy solutions for communities allowing them to make an informed decision based on independent advice.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/Title: Community Business Model GuideDescription : A guide that provides communities with guidance on how to set up and run renewable energy projects regarding management, contingency, business, financial, technical and community education planning, legalities, procurement and the project timeline in order to minimse risks and avoid problems.More information see: http://nppoutcomes.eu/, http://www.smallestnpp.eu/