The European community can face the global ICT market competition if it fully utilizes resources available in all member states. The analysis of statistical data and results achieved by member states in the European framework programmes demonstrates that the new member states have achieved only a partial integration in the European research area in ICT.In this context, SPRERS proposes a set of actions aiming to strengthen the capacities of research and development teams from new member states in the particular field of software services, as well as to support a better alignment of their activities to the European framework programmes for ICT. The public deliverables of the project will describe the competences of such teams working in the field of software services and the proposed actions to improve their participation at FP7-ICT. Several scientific workshops and training events complemented by an awarding programme will be organized for early stage researchers to stimulate their activities in software services. The face-to-face meetings aim also to facilitate the collaboration between consortium representatives of the on-going European projects and researchers from new member states. The scientific actions will be sustained with the help of an expert group set up during the project from specialists in software services from new member states. A particular attention will be given to strengthen the visibility of Romanian teams working in the field of software services. The proposed actions are related to the initiation in Romania of two national platforms in software services and service-oriented infrastructures, as well as to a secondment programme for early stage researchers.These actions are expected to lead to an increase of the competences and visibility of the competitive teams from new member states and an increase of the collaboration between these teams and the ones currently involved in research and development of software services at European level.