A high power laser named FLAME with an intensity up to 1021 W/cm2, a repetition rate of 10 Hz and a contrast value (between main pulse and pre-pulse) of 1010 is being deployed at the LNF–INFN in Frascati and it is expected to be fully operative by the middle of 2012. In this frame an experiment of light ions ac-celeration through laser interaction with thin metal targets (LILIA) has been proposed and funded. The aim of LILIA experiment is to study, design and ver-ify a scheme which foresees the production, the char-acterization and the transport of a proton beam to-ward a stage of post acceleration (high frequency compact Linac). Now the maximum operating laser intensity is limited to 1019 W/cm2 due to the lack of a parabola with a focal length shorter that the current used. In this configuration, according to the interac-tion theory by short pulse laser and to performed nu-merical simulations, we expect a proton beam with maximum energy of a few MeV with a total dose up to 1010-1012 protons/shot. Although these values are modest compared to the present state of art, their sci-entific relevance is very important due to the fact that we will have a real laser driven source in the next year. In this paper we present the experimental set-up and the first tests of diagnostic devices based on radio-chromic films, Thomson parabola, solid-state diodes arrays and solenoid current detectors. A scheme for the focusing and the transport of an emitted proton beam based on a pulsed solenoid feed by a custom designed power supply will be also presented.