PROTEIN will consider the issue of the recognition of competencies of SME personnel in order to both develop levels of individual employability and the potential for workforce mobility and to improve the competitiveness of individual enterprises.The project will initially undergo the exchange of analyses and existing experience across the range of partner organisations with regard to the eventual production of new key criteria, to act as indicators for measuring competencies within the SME workforce.Beyond their initial definition, key criteria will be distributed across the partnership for testing and validation (with a select group of SMEs) with eventual outcomes being further circulated across the partner countries. An electronic vademecum will be produced (in EN, FR & DE) within the project website to both promote the recognition & validation of acquired competencies and support appropriate training & development.The partnership, comprising an established network of multi-player organisations will further endeavour to convince decision-makers at various levels, including Social Partners, to address the issue of a more effective vocational training & skills recognition system for SMEs and their workers.Dissemination is planned through regional, national and European presentation of the results to SME training bodies and through electronic marketing and linking of individual partner websites.