The INNOVA SME SUPPORT project aims to develop a range of innovative products and services to upgrade the knowledge and competencies of business support providers, focusing upon the development of an entrepreneurial culture and upon increasing SME development for three specific groups, women, young people and the rural population.Activities will include the production of: national case studies and a common synthesis report (CD-Rom); common standards of key skills and knowledge for business support providers; a modular training programme (5 modules for open and distance learning and 2 modules using traditional learning); an interactive database on SME support measures & services and an outline proposal for the introduction of new/revised business support measures for the selected target groups.A further network of business support providers will be established across the partner countries and a network development tool-kit developed and tested to aid individual countries in the development of local networks (to be presented on CD-Rom and via the project website in EN, SI & DE). A series of project newsletters and brochures will be produced (also in EN, SI & DE) to raise awareness of project activity with use being made of the common and individual partner websites and specific project workshops to support dissemination of the end results.