15, June:

9:00-9:30 Arrival, registration 

9:30– 10:00 Welcome by the Lead Partner 

Check-in circle: short introduction of project partners: introduction of the organisation and the person representing

10:00 – 10:30 Aims of the meeting: expected results and achievements of the kick-off meeting   Presentation, Q&A 

Warming-up presentation of the RuralGrowth project by the Lead Partner 

Presentation, Q&A

10:30 – 11:00 Introduction of Project Partners 

Interactive session: each partner introduces its own organisation in the form of a short presentation (max. 5 minutes), based on a joint template provided by the Lead Partner

11:00- 11:15 Coffee break 

11:15 – 11:45 Project bodies and current issues (Component 1) 

 Presentation, open discussion and voting, chaired by the Lead Partner

 Actual project status: official project start, Subsidy Contract 

 Project bodies and basic documents

 Approval of rules of procedures of the Steering Group and the Project Working Group (members, objectives, meetings)

 Discussion and approval of draft Partnership Agreement (to be officially signed by the legal representatives of partners in a written procedure after the kick-off meeting)


11.45 – 12.45 Daily project and financial management 

Interactive session / small group discussion about the Project Management and Financial Handbook

12:45 – 13:45 Lunch 

13:45 – 14:45 Continuation of daily project and financial management issues: highlights, case studies, most relevant parts of the Financial and Management Handbook 

Presentation with Q&A part and quiz 

14:45 – 15:00 Coffee break 

15:00 – 16:30 Overview of the project content, implementation plan (Component 3) presented and moderated by the external consultant of the Lead Partner and the Advisory Partner, Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University (CRE) 

Presentation  

Interactive session: working in small groups

Plenary discussion

16, June: 

8:30 – 9:00 Arrival, registration 

9:00 – 10:00 3-stage methodology of action planning (Component 3) presented by CRE 

Presentation, Q&A

10:00 – 11:00 Tasks for the ambition setting stage (methodology for drafting regional Status Quo Analyses), presented and steered by CRE  

Presentation, open discussion

 Q&A

11:00– 11:15 Coffee break  

11:15 – 12:15 Communication and dissemination tasks (Component 2) presented by Savonlinna Business Services Ltd., Component Leader 

Presentation, Q&A and interactive session to collect partners’ ideas about the internal project working culture

 Expectations of the Programme  

 Planned content of the Communication Plan

 Milestones and core outputs to be delivered

12:15– 12:30 Coffee break  

12:30 – 13:30 Training for LSG Moderators 

Interactive workshop - facilitation of LSG moderators: how to set up and operate Local Stakeholder Groups 

13:30 – 14:00 Conclusions of the 2 days including: 

 planned activities for the upcoming 6 months with deadlines