<< Background >>The project idea is to help SMEs adjust and adapt to the new normal. A new normal is emerging for small businesses, even as the trajectory of COVID-19 remains unclear. Small businesses face a landscape forever altered as the first wave of economic disruption settles. Life is changing for business owners. Increasing numbers of employees are staying home, customers are spending less money on leisure, and businesses worldwide are laying people off. In this time of unforeseen challenges, business owners need to make significant changes to survive.For many SMEs, retooling themselves for remote work is the only solution – and that is easier said than done. Business owners worry about communication problems, employee isolation, data security issues, and diminished productivity. But these challenges can be solved with the right technology and a few best practices. Further, there are business benefits of remote work that extend beyond weathering the coronavirus storm.Additionally, digital tools can help avoid a complete economic halt for SMEs during the COVID-19 crisis. Having the ability to go digital became a matter of life and death as it was seen all over the world. Many SMEs who demonstrated their ability to change their business model survived, many others could not stay afloat. As with every business, SMEs differ in size, industry, and level of experience. No matter the differences, going digital is proven to be an essential advantage pre and post COVID-19 crisis. Digitalization and digital tools can help SMEs reduce costs, standardize, and automate business processes and reduce the reliance on manpower. Moreover, going digital will enhance SMEs' competitiveness and understand of consumer behaviors. The project aims to help SMEs (SMEs, managers, employees, new entrepreneurs and low skilled adults) adjust and adapt to the new normal by improving their digital skills and remote working skills.To achieve the objectives of the project, the partnership will develop SMEs needs specific learning solution integrating 3 IOs:IO1 The “new normal” curriculum ( The aim of the syllabus is to define the framework for developing of the training content in the online training platfrom under the IO3. )IO2 HANDBOOK FOR ADULT STAFFIO3: The “new normal” online training platformEach partner will be responsible involved in the creation of content Training digital materials, which will be divided into 5 thematic parts.The project will design a online training course and a handbook to help SMEs and SMEs’ employees to respond to a “new normal” that is changing day by day. Many companies are relying on “working from home” arrangements for the first time. Some are thriving while others are struggling to adapt. The projects’ output will provide timely assistance to the target group.Target groupThe project’s target group is primarily the SMEs, SMEs' employees, managers, employees, new entrepreneurs and low skilled adults<< Objectives >>Disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak created financial difficulties for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe. Although it is widely assumed that the impacts of the pandemic are greater for small businesses, there has been little detailed information available on the subject. Insights from an ITC COVID-19 Business Impact Survey help to fill that gap. The findings confirm that the crisis has affected small businesses more severely.The majority (55%) of businesses responding to the survey said they had been strongly affected by the pandemic and the measures taken to contain it. Smaller companie tended to be more strongly affected by COVID-19 than larger ones.Small businesses are finding ways to compete against all odds, as they always do through their abilities to adapt, innovate and leverage their smaller size to act nimbly. The new twist is technologies that help small businesses leverage that agility to legitimately compete with competitors of any size. Looking beyond the current crisis-imposed moment, adopting future-forward technologies may seem like a distant priority, but it’s precisely what the new normal requires. The new normal requires a more flexible workspaces and especially the remote working. The project aims to help SMEs (SMEs, managers, employees, new entrepreneurs and low skilled adults) adjust and adapt to the new normal by improving their digital skills and remote working skills.The main objective of the project is the development, test and delivery a set of integrated online digital tools:1)self- assessment tool to Evaluate the current stage of the digital transformation of SMEs to work remotely2) HANDBOOK for adult staff2) training course, completely delivered online, aiming at the development of skills of the target group, to support effective design and implementation the digital transformation of SMEs to work remotely.The project will design a online training course and a handbook to help SMEs and SMEs’ employees to respond to a “new normal” that is changing day by day. Many companies are relying on “working from home” arrangements for the first time. Some are thriving while others are struggling to adapt. The projects’ output will provide timely assistance.Considering the nature of the project, the importance of the territorial coverage and representation of European cultural diversity, skills required for the development of the solutions, and delivery of solutions suitable to the EU territory, the success of the project can only be achieved through transnational cooperation. Not only the different backgrounds, experiences and skills profiles of the partnership are perfectly combined to provide answers in the several dimensions of the project, but the different visions of the problem, knowledge of the SMEs needs, and the cultural diversity of the partnership will contribute to provide a real European dimension to the solutions to develop and promote a wide dissemination of these in the EU territory.With partners from 5 countries, the partnership provides a multiplicity of visions, cultures and understanding that converge to provide a solution for the common problem.<< Implementation >>1. Day to day management (Lead by FH JOANNEUM) of the project which will include setting up the project space in on-line management system, daily communication with partners, monitoring of budget spending, preparation of reports and other needed tasks. It will also include preparing meeting agendas, organising meetings and writing minutes from the meetings – responsibility for preparation of the agenda will be shared between the coordinator and the host partner (minutes will be prepared by the hosting partner and will be agreed first by the coordinator and by consortium members). It will also include virtual management meetings – at least four common virtual meetings will be organised, using Skype. At the crucial project stages it is foreseen that bilateral virtual meetings might be needed and will occur as appropriate.2. Day to day dissemination and exploitation (Lead by ALLI) which will include overlooking realisation of dissemination strategy, constant updates of the dissemination plan according to the changes taking place in the project environment, building of networks of stakeholders, contacts with them, evaluation of dissemination activities and feedback, creation of project visual identity elements (logo, templates for newsletter and documents, etc.), building, maintaining and updating website, creating social media accounts and maintaining them, preparing dissemination reports. The Sustainability plan - the draft will be prepared at the beginning of the project, then updated and ready at the last month. It will contain country specific opportunities for sustainability.3. Systematic quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation (Lead by GRANTXPERT) of work which will include realization of strategy included in the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, preparation of tools (questionnaires) and their distribution, gathering feedback and preparing reports and recommendations with the support of all partners and and additional with the assistance from the VMU4. Creation and maintenance of website - the structure and hosting of the website will be provided by TIHC. Website will be the main point of information about the project and place from which all the outputs will be accessible. 5. Creation of social media profiles, templates for newsletters, documents and presentations– those will be created in the beginning of the project by ALLI. The plan is to use at least two social media channels (Facebook and YouTube).6. Leaflets (at least 200 per partner) – will be designed by ALLI in the 3rd project month. Its aim will be to provide general information about the project. It will include the address of the website in order to direct recipients to the project website for more information. It will be translated to all partners languages and distributed at different events and in cooperation networks.7. Newsletters – one in every 6 months. The design and editing will be responsibility of dissemination leader- ALLI. Each partner will distribute the newsletters to own cooperation networks relevant to the project subject.8. Output 1 will be led by FH JOANNEUM in terms of coordination of works related to the creation of Curriculum scope 9. Output 2 will be led by UFV in terms of coordination of works related to the creation of the handbook and the learning-teaching activity will coordinate by GRANTXPERT10. Each partner will be responsible involved in the creation of content Training digital materials, which will be divided into 5 thematic parts: Each part will be coordinated by another.1.Digital transformation of SMEs led by FH JOANNEUM2.Digital business model and strategy Led by UFV3.Tools for digitalization Led by GRANTXPERT4.Remote working led by TIHC5.Tools for remote working led by ALLIReferring to the way of management of the project, Partners will use cloud like as google drive to save all the task, activities and the outputs.<< Results >>Within the project 2 types of results are expected during the project implementation and on its completion:1) direct outputs of the project implementation will be:To achieve the objectives of the project, the partnership will develop 3 IOs:1.1 - IO1 The New Normal curriculum (The aim of the syllabus is to define the framework for developing of the training content in the application under the IO3. )1.2 - IO2: The Handbook for adult staff1.3 - IO3: The New Normal online training course Each partner will be responsible involved in the creation of content Training digital materials, which will be divided into 5 thematic parts: Each part will be coordinated by another partner:1.Digital transformation of SMEs led by FH JOANNEUM2.Digital business model and strategy Led by UFV3.Tools for digitalization Led by GRANTXPERT4.Remote working led by TIHC5.Tools for remote working led by ALLI1.3. Multiplier events – each partner will carry out an information seminar where project, its aim and activities implemented in its region will be presented, at least 60 will bepresent (300 altogether)2) outcomes achieved through the implementation of the project:•Prepared basis for establishing the new curriculum.•Developed innovative educational materials with very relevant and actual topics in digitalization and remote working •New knowledge gained from neighboring regions •All results (intellectual outputs, multiplier events and training activities) are described in bellow parts of the proposal.