Promoting and supporting entrepreneurship and SMEs is a politicalpriority in all European member states and also of the EuropeanCommission DG Enterprise & Industry. However, the training and supportEuropean entrepreneurs usually get is mainly focused on initial aid duringtheir first steps into entrepreneurship. Many of new business do notsurvive their third year. This is due to the fact that no structured andholistic support is provided to still young but already established SMEs(i.e. entrepreneurs already operating since more than 2 years), whosebusinesses develop successfully and would have the potential of growth,but whose owners are not sufficiently capable of managing this suddengrowth and the problems and challenges it brings about. This isespecially the case for enterprises in the crafts and the services sector.The stakeholder network which will be created will take up this problemby fostering the dialogue between European young businesses/ SMEsoperating in the crafts and services sector, and European guidance andtraining providers.Activities and results: 1. Research on current training and supportstructures for young businesses in the participating countries in order todetermine good practice in training and support as well as current trendsand needs of SMEs/ young businesses operating (crafts, servicessector). Result: “Final study report on national training and supportstructures of all countries involved in the project” (summarising the resultsof all national research activities, available in the respective nationallanguage and in English language, media used: paper and digitalversions) 2. Two workshops (based on the research) per participatingcountry, with the purpose to discuss identified good practice exampleswith national experts and to develop strategies how these could bespread around the country. Furthermore, identified current and emergingneeds will be discussed in especially established working groups andsolutions will be developed to cope with these. Results: “Summary ofgood practices in training and support for growing SMEs (in nationallanguages and English language)” and a “Concept defining methods,approaches and structures to cope with the identified sector-specific/country-specific needs” (summarising the results obtained by the nationalworkshops and working groups in national languages and translated intoEnglish, paper and digital version). 3. Two international conferences. Theconferences will represent a platform to raise awareness at the politicallevel and to discuss and exchange the results of the national workshopsand working groups at European level. Result: “Conference handbooks/compendia” summarising the results of the conferences (in paper anddigital version).Impact :• Transparency and comparability of the available training and supportstructures for SMEs/ young businesses and Transfer of good practice atnational, European level.• Encouragement of VET and guidance providers to adapt their offeraccording to the real sector-specific needs of SMEs. ´• Suitable training and support tailored to their needs.• Raising awareness at national and European political level for thespecific needs of SMEs.• Identification of and adaptation to new training and supportrequirements of SMEs by improved cooperation between stakeholders ofSMEs and VET, guidance providers.• Support the sustainable growth and development of SMEs/ youngbusinesses and strengthen their economic position.