Based on our experience gathered during the establishment of a regional provenance test for sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) in southwest Germany, conceptional considerations are presented for designing a provenance trial which should cover the whole distribution range of this tree species. This preliminary proposal includes the specification of the objectives of the test and the selection of the provenances. Definite decisions on these will depend on the responses to questionnaires sent to COST G4 members and some other European research institutions working on sweet chestnut in order to evaluate ways of making sampling material from suitable occurrences of sweet chestnut available and/or establishing experimental plots.