Description
Description (EN): Background:
The main idea, the rationale and also the value of the project lies within the concept that attempts to contribute to the development of "cooperation friendly" cross-border environment by raising the levels of awareness and contact potential of entrepreneurs and idea owners in the social and creative business sectors in Estonia and Latvia. The partneship was developed by bearing in mind that a blend of knowledge and expertise in the fields was a prerequisite.
Therefore, the project concept, which was initially developed by the Social Innovation Centre of Latvia (SIC) , necessitated that the project team included relevant stakeholders (partners) that possessed their own unique expertise and skills. In order to achieve it, the SIC merged with the Riga Planning Region and invited to participate the relevant Estonian and Latvian stakeholders - the Latvian New Entrepreneurs centre (LV), the University of Tartu and Tartu Centre for Creative Industries.
Cross-border nature:
The cross-border cooperation of project partners aims to bring together enterprises that are operating within social and creative industries of Estonia and Latvia and are potentially ready for new cross-border partnerships. The whole project concept is built upon the facilitation of collaboration among partners in neighbouring Baltic countries, bringing together various kinds of educational and exchange activities in order to increase the intensity of cross-border contacts and strengthening of ties between Estonian and Latvian counterparts. The added value of transnational cooperation, which is the cornerstone of the project, is the opportunity not only to learn from each other but also to develop, enhance and embrace a new approach that allows taking the qualities of established partnerships to a higher level. More specifically, it will encourage the so-called project idea owners to test their ideas, the existing entrepreneurs to meet potential partners and thus create favourable conditions for future growth and also establish an informal network that would include entrepreneurs and municipalities on both sides of the border.
The objective:
The objective of the project is to establish and promote cross-border cooperation among social and creative entrepreneurs, thus propelling these business areas in Latvia and Estonia. The project will strengthen entrepreneurial abilities to develop joint social and creative collaboration and have international mind-set by joint trainings and mentoring in respective countries, and spurring the sense of initiative, leadership and engagement within societal, creative and economical processes in cross-border sense in Latvia and Estonia.
Main activities:
The project is built around four work packages, including the management package, that each consist of several activities, groups of activities or sub-activities and complement each other in a way that ensures mutual continuity, logical interaction and create preconditions for the transfer of knowledge and experience gained during the implementation of the project among social an creative entrepreneurs of Estonia and Latvia.
WP M - Management:
The management package includes administrative management of the project, coordination among Project partners, communication with the Joint Secretariat, elaboration of project reports, project accountancy and financial management, public procurement procedures, as well as timing, monitoring and control.
WP T1 - Matchmaking seminars and contact making trips.
This work package is one of the most substantial sets of activities within the structure of the project. The purpose of matchmaking seminars is to bring together the existing Estonian and Latvian social and creative entrepreneurs (stand-ups) with the aim to present common features of social and creative business models, mind-set and vision, via brainstorming develop possible cooperation patterns and debate how to decrease the negative effects that affect social and creative entrepreneurs in rural and peripheral localities. During the seminars, participants will be able to share their best practices, establish new communication channels and potential cross-border partnerships. The purpose of exchange trips is to get to know each other, familiarise with achievements, share experience and establish potential partnerships among Latvian and Estonian social and creative entrepreneurs.
WP T2 - Joint training events "To be the cross-border starter".
Joint training events “To be the cross-border starter” are intended for the development of key competencies that allow successful cross-border entrepreneurship in social and creative industries for start-ups and idea owners. The training will presume non-formal learning approach focused on personal potential, capacity building, and especially on self-expression. Trainings will be based on partners experiences. Training events will be conducted in 1 cycle of 4 events. 46 participants from both Latvia and Estonia will be selected for higher performance of cross-border cooperation.
Training will concentrate on social and creative industries in the field of manufacturing and public and private services supply. Different and common cultural aspects, business environments will be considered and insight of cross-border entrepreneurship will be emphasized as part of the training module.
WP T3 - Publicity.
This package includes 3 groups of activities: a) development of Joint promotional material “Social and creative”; b) a project closure event – trade fair; c) general publicity and promotion. All activities are considered as dissemination and promotion activities and have been combined in a single package in order to ensure more effective and cohesive development and publicity policy.
Read more Achievements (EN): The objective of the project was to establish and promote cross-border cooperation among social and creative entrepreneurs, thus propelling these business areas in Latvia and Estonia. The project strengthened the entrepreneurial abilities of social and creative entrepreneurs in an international setting and developed social and creative collaboration by organizing their joint training and mentoring. It contributed to the sense of initiative, leadership, and engagement in public, creative and economic processes in a cross-border sense in Latvia and Estonia, as well as entrepreneurial cooperation and the creation of new businesses in the region.
206 unique participants (entrepreneurs and new businesses) benefited from 9 joint events like matchmaking seminars, contact-making trips, the joint training, mentoring, and consulting program "To be the cross-border starter", as well as the trade fair.
During the seminars, participants were able to share their best practices and test ideas. They established new communication channels and potential cross-border partnerships and created favorable conditions for future growth. The training program presumed a non-formal learning approach, focused on personal potential, capacity building, and especially on self-expression. It concentrated on social and creative industries in the field of manufacturing and public and private services supply. The wider public was reached during the public trade fair at the popular market place. In total 626 participants, which include also trade fair visitors, were reached during events, and 5000 persons were reached through Social and Creative Facebook page.
6 new business ideas formed during the project lifetime - 1) service that helps social entrepreneurs prevent problems with the law, 2) mapping and enhancing co-operation between the cultural and musical undertakings & pop music clusters of Livonia, 3) workshops for NEET youngsters (aged 15-24 years), who need a new start, production of handbags from newspapers and magazines, 4) support to starving artists and artists from unprotected groups, 5) establishing a zero waste shop, and 6) creation of happy playbooks.
During the project lifetime, project partners and participants of events created an informal network that includes entrepreneurs and municipalities on both sides of the border.
Read more
Website: https://old.estlat.eu/
Expected Results (EN): The share of entrepreneurs and new businesses in the region, which are ready for cross-border cooperation
Expected Outputs (EN): Project activities have been planned so that they contribute to entrepreneurial cooperation and creation of new businesses in the region.
The project will contribute to the accomplishment of the target values of the Est-Lat programme. And help to achieve the set output indicator of the specific programme objective - the share of entrepreneurs and new businesses in the region, which are ready for cross-border cooperation and increased entrepreneurial cross-border cooperation in the programme area. The project will provide the following results or output indicators:
1. Participants at project events (except management meetings) – total 240, but taking into account that number of participants might attended several project activities, the rate of unique visitors is calculated with 30 % decrease. Hence 240 direct participants, where 170 are unique participants and 350 indicative visitors of general society (WP3), not calculated and indicator to be reached:
1.1. in the joint matchmaking seminars: 60 participants + 5 staff= 65 participants (WP T1);
1.2. in the joint training, mentoring and consulting programme: 46 participants + 10 staff, trainers, mentors (WP2) = 56;
1.3. in the contact making trips: 44 participants + 5 staff= 49 participants total (WP1);
1.4. in the project closure event - the Trade fair (WP3): 50 exhibitors + 20 support staff, speakers, representatives of partner organizations + 350 attendees, not monitored indicator to be reached.
In total project aims to reach 590 participants, including (WP3) fair trade attendees and direct reach of at least 240 participants, where 170 are unique participants.
2. Jointly organized events (except management meetings) – 9, including:
2.1. Matchmaking seminars – 2;
2.2. Four joint training events that be organized;
2.3. Two contact making trips;
2.4. One trade
fair / exhibition.
3. Number of enterprises receiving non-financial support – 60.
Read more
Thematic information
Specific Objective:
Increased entrepreneurial cross-border cooperation in the programme area
Thematic Objective:
(03) enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs by:
Investment Priority:
(03a) promoting entrepreneurship, in particular by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms, including through business incubators
Partners (4)
Lead Partner:
Riga Planning Region
Department:
The EU Information and Business Support Centre
Address:
Zigfrīda Annas Meierovica bulvāris 18, LV-1050 Riga, Latvia
Legal status:
public
Website:
http://www.rpr.gov.lv
Total budget:
EUR 85 471.44
ERDF budget:
EUR 72 650.72
-
Latvijas Jauno uzņēmēju centrs “Jobs&Society”
-
Name:
Latvijas Jauno uzņēmēju centrs “Jobs&Society”
Department:
-
Address:
Kr.Valdemāra 23, LV-1010 Riga, Latvia
Legal status:
private
Website:
http://www.juc.lv
Total budget:
EUR 16 349.99
ERDF budget:
EUR 13 897.49
-
Tartu Ülikool
-
Name:
Tartu Ülikool
Department:
-
Address:
Ülikooli 18, 50090 Tartu, Estonia
Legal status:
public
Website:
http://www.ut.ee
Total budget:
EUR 34 734.05
ERDF budget:
EUR 29 523.94
-
Tartu Loomemajanduskeskus
-
Name:
Tartu Loomemajanduskeskus
Department:
-
Address:
Kalevi 13, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
Legal status:
public
Website:
http://www.lmk.ee
Total budget:
EUR 15 468.62
ERDF budget:
EUR 13 148.33
