Background Ex-situ conservation methods offer protected conditions to help build up stocks of endangered species prior to their release into the wild to restore and bolster habitats or populations at risk. An ex-situ action plan for the conservation of threatened native plants taxa in Finland was developed by the LIFE 'VACCIA' (LIFE07 ENV/FIN/000141) project. This includes 11 targets to help ensure that 40 % of the country’s threatened species are protected via ex-situ conservation methods by the year 2016. A national seed bank is required to help achieve the target. Objectives The ESCAPE project aims to create a national (Finnish) gene bank for threatened native plants. The gene bank will include vascular plants and bryophytes. Specimens in the gene bank will help preserve biodiversity and be used to improve the ex-situ conservation status of Finnish native plant species. This will be done by increasing the number of threatened plant species in ex-situ collections and developing new ex-situ conservation methodologies. In order to attain genetically representative samples, it is desirable to collect seeds from many populations and from 50-200 genetic individuals if possible. Core goals for this project include: Implementing the national action plan (40% target) for ex-situ conservation by the year 2016 and by the end of the project increase the number of endangered vascular plant taxa in ex-situ conservation to 118 (60%).This work will be continued after the project by the beneficiaries and the level of 75% (GSPC target) will be achieved by the end of 2020; Developing methods and new combinations of conservation techniques in order to increase the population size and ensure the genetic diversity of threatened plant species in Finland. Activities here will address weaknesses in the current ex-situ conservation of bryophytes. Innovative methods of ex-situ conservation will be applied that make use of micro-propagation and subsequent cryopreservation of plants; Testing the possibilities for transferring ex-situ conserved plant material to new sites and to reintroduce plant species to sites from where they have disappeared. The transfer will be tested with three carefully selected species; and Compiling instructions for ex-situ plant protection methodology for conservation officers responsible for local species protection activities in Finland. Furthermore, exhibitions and seminars will be arranged in order to increase knowledge among decision-makers, the general public, schoolchildren and their teachers. Expected results: Implementation of the ex-situ conservation strategy and action plan for Finnish threatened native plants developed by the LIFE 'VACCIA' project; Achievement of part of the GSPC ex-situ conservation targets in Finland; Production of a priority list of native plant taxa (min. of 100 taxa) to identify the species that will be incorporated in different forms of ex-situ conservation; Establishment of a national gene bank for threatened native plants, including a seed bank with 80 species and cryogenic storage functional with 30 species by the end of the project; 25 new plant species added to ex-situ outdoor collections in botanic gardens by the end of the project; Nine new populations of three threatened native plant taxa created at native sites by assisted migration; Nine new populations of three threatened native plant taxa reintroduced to sites where from they have been disappeared; Ex-situ conservation schemes developed for one or two threatened bryophyte species, which will subsequently form the basis for instructions for further development of bryophyte ex-situ methods; Publication of an instruction booklet based on the results achieved in implementation of different ex-situ plant conservation methods; and Dissemination of results and material about ex-situ conservation aimed at professional and lay audiences (including schoolchildren).