EU level and also national statistics reveal the importance of ownership and management transition in companies, mostly in small and medium sized enterprises. In the up-coming 10 years one-third of Europe’s private firms will have to undergo such kind of transfer; this was the conclusion of a report in 2006. This implies that up to 690 000 firms will leave the control of a generation every year. The situation in the Central and Eastern European countries is even aggravated by the fact that the very first generation of entrepreneurs is approaching to retirement age so no previous experiment can be analysed on the transition period. Cross- country and national research provide some comparative and national analysis of the succession phenomenon pointing out difficulties and risks and suggesting possible state interventions. Though there is no homogeneous European strategy to cope with the very complex succession problems, important experience accumulated in the more advanced countries. This can be a good basis for homogenisation among the advanced countries on one side and adaptation and introduction of good practices in the post-socialist countries. The aim of the proposal is, after having carried out exploratory and comparative research in the participating countries, to develop training materials for different target groups such as active owners and managers thinking about transfer of leadership and control in their companies, potential successors in leadership, and finally, mentors for companies where succession may need to be accompanied by scaling up or reorientation of activities. The resulting modules will cover legal, financial, social and cultural aspects of the succession process in the SMEs making differentiation between manufacturing and servicing companies. An Institute from the south of France and Italian experts bring the Mediterranean experience, a British university and Finnish experts will introduce the Western and Nordic practice and a Polish university together with the Hungarian applicant will organise the research and the development of the different curricula. Under Polish lead all the partners and other associations of SMEs will guarantee the national and international dissemination of the results. A final study is expected to address local, regional and national governmental bodies with recommendations how this bodies could intervene by policy measures to help the succession processes. In longer terms the results are expected to be generalised with a larger geographical coverage on the research side (Horizon2020) as well as in training development (Knowledge Alliance).