These programmes are focused on training activities to build knowledge on territorial social and economic development. The programmes work in partnership with plans or programmes already supporting or promoting TESED (Territorial Social Economic Development). In this way the capacity-building activity will have consistent impact, because the trained people will have an immediate field of application, and at the same time, the ongoing processes will have the adequate skills for sustaining them available.

    The country programmes are supporting ongoing processes and/or policies of TESED or new strategies country stakeholders are willing to undertake, with the main aim of reducing poverty, supporting policies in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises, favouring transition of economy, peace processes, enhancing human development, and decent work.

    Country training programmes include:

• A basic training course for forming local development facilitators or agents
  
• Dissemination of knowledge on TESED at national level
  
• Support to national universities for educational programmes on TESED
  
• Development of initiatives that promote local economic development through sport
  

    The development and delivery of the training programmes involves both local universities and an international network of universities with specific research and teaching expertise in territorial economic development. University groups in Canada, France, Italy and Spain, amongst other countries, are part of this network.