Best Agers

Using the knowledge and experience of professionals in their primes to foster business

and skills development in the Baltic Sea Region.

BILD 2

Best Agers

Den demografiska utvecklingen och den ekonomiska krisen.

Stor andel 55+ som friska, kompetenta och motiverade. Mildra effekterna av den demografiska utvecklingen. Nya idéer, kunskaps- och erfarenhetsutbyte 19 partners från 8 länder Interreg Östersjö programmet Budget

Total 4 423 071 €Norrbotten 296 921 €

BILD 3

Mål

Fler ska arbeta längre (arbetsmarknad och anställning) Mentorinsatser för SME, unga entreprenörer, studenter

och elever (affärscoacher och experter) Utveckling av affärsidéer genom motivation, färdighet

och entreprenörskap.

BILD 4

Work Plan

Preparation activities (WP 0) Project Management and Administration (WP 1) Communication and information (WP 2) Labour Market & Employment (WP 3) Coaches & Experts for Businesses (WP 4) Tutors for Start-ups, Students & Pupils (WP 5) Motivation, Skills & Entrepreneurship (WP 6)

BILD 5

Project Management and Administration (WP 1) Project Steering Group (PSG) General project meetings with all partners will be held (at least once in each partner location if

possible) to allow information and know-how exchange, inform about results of PSG meetings, state of the work in WPs.

Work package relevant decisions will be made in WP internal meetings (one per milestone), which will be chaired by the respective work package coordinator, with external support, if necessary.

The meetings on the different project levels (PSG, general project and WPs) will be combined as much as possible to save time and funds and to ensure direct communication between the different levels.

Day-to-day project and financial management will be the responsibility of the Lead Partner. For carrying out these tasks, the LP will, following public procurement, contract experienced external experts.

The tasks to be carried out include: Check of and support by LP's signing of the grant contract with the Managing Authority Preparing and signing a partnership agreement with all partners, monitoring and ensuring their compliance Tendering and contracting external expertise for project and financial management Chairing project and PSG meetings and disseminating minutes for the information of all partners Managing the information flow between the partners (internal management system) Managing the financial flows, the project budget and bank account Contact with the Joint Technical Secretariat, participating in JTS seminars and conferences and informing partners about

the results of these events Compiling six (financial and activity) progress reports (input will be provided by each partner)

plus interim reports (if necessary) Together with the PSG, preparing and carrying out a mid-term and final self-evaluation of the project (using the output

indicators defined after approval and a questionnaire to be filled out by the partners) External control One additional partner meeting one year after the project's closure - financed by the partners from their own funds - is

foreseen to monitor usage of project results and discuss possible follow-up activities. A first preparatory PSG meeting will be held in November 2009. The kick-off meeting will take place 10-12 February 2010 in Riga.

BILD 6

Communication and information (WP 2)

The communcation and dissemination activities will concentrate on the following objectives:

Reaching and motivating Best Agers, changing their self-image and encouraging them to become active as volunteers or entrepreneurs. This will be prepared in activity 6.1, performed by the different pilot initiatives in WP 3-6 and supplemented by communication efforts in WP 2;

Changing the public perception, which is also existent among employers, that older people lack inspiration, creativity, endurance and technical skills to be excellent employees or entrepreneurs;

Making the political and institutional stakeholders in the BSR aware of Best Agers potentials, setting the topic on political and public agendas and encouraging decision-makers to give economic activation of the elderly the same priority as senior health, care, social inclusion etc.

WP activities The BeA website. Six regular and two additional project newsletter. A documentary film about 4 Best Agers from 4 partner countries. Setup/maintenance of a web portal. “Best Agers Project Fair”. Two public conferences. Project flyer and roll up. Attending third-party conferences. Press relations and PR at the local level.

BILD 7

Labour Market & Employment (WP 3)

Acquiring background information. Study of the employment situation of Best Agers. Analysis of support structures for Best Ager

employment. Keeping Best Agers’ expertise in the company in a

generation shift. Pilot iniatives. Pan-Baltic company network for innovative age

management. Compiling recommendations.

BILD 8

Coaches & Experts for Businesses (WP 4)

Survey of on-going Best Ager initiatives in partner countries.

Identifying target groups and preparing pilot initiatives. Pilot Initiatives 1: Mentors. Pilot Initiatives 2: Establishing Best Ager coaching/expert

services Pilot Initiatives 3: Using Best Agers to assist in cases if

business succession. Joint evaluation of pilot initiatives and compiling

recommendations for enhancing support structures, implementing future initiatives and transferring good practices to other regions.

Study on “Creative Age Management Strategies for SME in the BSR”

BILD 9

Tutors for Start-ups, Students & Pupils (WP 5)

Best Agers’ involvement into the innovation activities of students and pupils.

Facilitating exchange. Pilot Initiatives 1: Best Agers Education for Excellence. Pilot Initiatives 2: Best Agers Virtual Incubator. Pilot Initiatives 3: Creation of “Business Angels” network

to support start-ups. Pilot Initiatives 4: Occupational Orientation: Exploring

and evaluating the potential use of Best Agers. Pilot Initiatives 5: Developing a programme in which

Best Agers support pupils in vocational training. Baltic Forum for Youth Entrepreneurship (Q-Camp 2010)

BILD 10

Motivation, Skills & Entrepreneurship (WP 6)

Developing a ”Best Agers Activation Toolbox”. Developing curricula for training Best Agers. Further development of e-platform. Pilot initiative 1: Best Agers Generating Ideas. Pilot initiative 2: Best Inventors network. Pilot initiative 3: Enhancing Entrepreneurial Spirit in

Distressed Regions. Evaluating the pilots undertaken in WP 6.