The project has as general objective the promotion of entrepreneurial culture and the development of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills for a number of 400 people (somers, inactive people, people who have a job and set up a business in order to create new jobs) from South West Oltenia Region, which will encourage entrepreneurship and self-employment by supporting the establishment of 60 non-agricultural enterprises. Through the general objective the project will contribute to the valorisation of human capital (as a resource for sustainable development in the future), the initiation and financing of new, innovative businesses, in order to stimulate the economic growth, competitiveness and sustainable development of the South West Oltenia Region, which will lead to the achievement of the objectives assumed by Romania in the context of the National Strategy for Competitiveness 2014-2020 and the Europe 2020 Strategy. By developing human capital and increasing competitiveness, by linking education and learning throughout life (target group is between 18 and 64 years old) with the labour market and providing non-reimbursable financing for business opportunities in South West Oltenia Region, the project aims to increase the chances of employment and entrepreneurial development for the 400 direct beneficiaries of information and training activities. Through the proposed objectives, activities and results, the project will contribute to the establishment of 60 businesses and their sustainable development, to the creation of 120 jobs, to the promotion of new technologies and products, to the stimulation of the discovery of new resources. In this way, the project will contribute in the long term to the development of a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy with high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion, in line with the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy. According to the European Commission (2003), the number of company owners in OECD countries increased from 29 million to 45 million between 1972 and 1998. Moreover, knowledge-based services and activities have become Europe’s competitive advantage, thus leading to the emergence of a new wave of innovative SMEs, which survived the crisis and thrived while corporations were starting to lay off employees and restrict their activities. Small and innovative companies account for 99 % of all active companies in Europe and offer 66 % of available jobs. In the context of a worrying unemployment rate that persists in many countries of the world, entrepreneurship has become a viable solution to economic problems (source: Study Entrepreneurship in Romania, Akcees). In the short term, the project will ensure the promotion and implementation of measures to encourage entrepreneurship and self-employment, by providing financial support in starting the 60 businesses by assisting