KVoucher aims at implementing a transregional Knowledge Voucher System that will facilitate contact making and initiating first projects between SMEs from one region and so called Knowledge Institutes (KIs) from other regions in different countries. A Knowledge Voucher is a coupon that entitles SMEs to receive a certain amount of consultancy or research from knowledge-intensive organisations, so-called Knowledge Institutions (KIs). A company in one region will through a KVoucher get the possibility to “buy competence” and carry out a joint activity with a provider – a KI,– in the other region. The project will reach its overall goal through the achievement of the following specific objectives: • Prepare a standardized methodology and toolkit for the description, analysis and benchmarking of existing voucher systems and apply it to the partner regions • Develop common specifications for a shared transregional voucher system as well as a mechanism to adapt it to any specific EU environments. KVoucher will become integrated with existing systems in partner regions, and will be the foundation for a new system in partner regions that do not have one. • Provide SMEs, Knowledge Institutions and stakeholders with proper tools in order to access, use and maintain a voucher system • Analyse the conditions under which a joint Kvoucher pilot could be carried and prepare an action plan for its implementation • Implement a real-life joint pilot in order to validate the transregional voucher system with some SMEs in each partner region getting a voucher to receive support from KIs located in the remaining partner regions • Design and apply a set of indicators in order to evaluate the performance of the transregional voucher system • Execute the proper dissemination actions in order to create awareness in the partner regions and expand the voucher system beyond the consortium boundaries through the creation of a network of Observers