Social Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment in Finland and Latvia

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A Finland-Estonia-Latvia-Sweden (Central Baltic)

Date of latest update: 2025-01-21

Description

Description (EN):

In the context of COVID-19 recovery, a global climate crisis, rising inflation and renewed geopolitical instability, it is vital that we continue to reinforce individual and societal resilience in the Baltic Sea region. A key element of this is ensuring that all members of society have equitable access to sustainable, dignified livelihoods, as well as the tools, training and support needed to get there. The EU has recently promoted social entrepreneurship as a vital tool in strengthening the resilience of European societies, and has particularly highlighted the sector’s suitability for younger generations who are less likely to see a contradiction between making profit and creating social impact. However the visibility of the sector remains low, especially outside the region’s major cities. This project therefore aims to unleash the power of social entrepreneurship as a tool to support the self-development and self-sufficiency of disadvantaged youth in Finland and Latvia. By the end of their engagement with the programme, participants should have developed strong entrepreneurial mindsets, transferable soft skills, and most importantly a clear understanding of how to start-up their own socially-minded business. Their continued development as social entrepreneurs will then be supported long-term through a new online peer network. With its focus on social entrepreneurship as a tool for youth empowerment, we believe our project will be one of the first of its kind in the region. Our project approach will therefore be grounded in cross-border sharing of expertise, in-depth evaluation, adaptability and reflection on potential replicability. The project will conclude with a series of dissemination activities directed towards relevant stakeholders. The total budget of the project is 748 594,26 EUR, an investment of approximately 6 000 EUR per participant.

Actual Achievements (EN):

The current report outlines the initial phase of the SocEntYouth project, therefore, there was a significant effort put on collaboration strengthening, coordination of the project tasks, including strategic planning and development of the detailed implementation plan, monitoring of the project timelines, confirming effective resource allocation, and addressing any potential roadblocks promptly. It also included setting up the structure for the project management, for instance, monthly partner meetings were held to discuss the progress and arising questions and concerns, next steps. Two kick-off events were organised at the beginning of the project: - Implementation team kick off. The event was held in Riga and focused on reinforcing a shared understanding of the project's goals, objectives, and scope, outline the project's timeline, identify task allocation, roles and responsibilities, reporting framework and setting clear expectations for all participants. - Steering group kick off was focused on building confidence and understanding within the SG team to ensure strategic guidance, input, insights, and decision-making support throughout the project's lifecycle. Adaptation of the core bootcamp program. A collaborative effort resulted in the development of a core bootcamp program tailored to the needs of disadvantaged youth in Latvia and Finland on the base of the previously tested Reach for Change programs. The insights collected during the steering committee meeting were also taken into account. The bootcamp core program had not been finalised during the reporting Period 1 and work continues. Innovation Lab Material Translation. Translation tasks for Innovation Lab materials into Latvian and Finnish were executed through a procured service provider. The complex logistics of the materials translation was set up coordinating the efforts of the procured translators and partners to ensure accuracy and alignment of the final versions of the translated materials. Selection Criteria Development and Confirmation. Consortia developed and Interreg confirmed the selection criteria for project participants. A thorough review process aligned the criteria with Interreg's vision, ensuring effective identification of beneficiaries. Application Platform Development. A user-friendly application platform, based on Paperform application, was developed as a central hub for participant applications. The platform facilitates the application process ensuring transparency, resource sharing and data collection, enhancing the overall participant experience. The platform was translated into the local languages. A training seminar was run to make sure the partners have full functional understanding of the platform performance. Communication Activities. - A comprehensive communication strategy outlining the project's messaging, timeline, target audiences, and channels have been drafted and finalised. One of the goals of the comms strategy is to make sure that partners’ comms efforts are aligned with the Interreg communication and visibility requirements. - A procurement was run to obtain design and visual assets for social media campaign (social media frameworks) as well as public presentations (roll-up un poster designs). - A mechanism for the workflow coordination has been introduced that involves the communication content translation into local languages. The effectiveness of social media efforts has been measured using analytics to make data-driven improvements. - In addition to online activities, an outreach effort has been started to engage with potential participants as well as other stakeholders during participation in relevant events to amplify our message. The cooperation within the SocEntYouth project has proven to be strategically valuable, particularly in the context of organizing similar efforts in distinct geographies – Latvia and Finland. This collaborative approach has significantly enhanced the project's outcomes and overall efficacy: - Tailored Methodology and Materials. The collaborative effort has allowed us to tailor, adapt and align the training program methodology with the unique characteristics of each locality. Recognizing and addressing local peculiarities has been instrumental in ensuring the relevance and effectiveness of our initiatives. - Strategic Recruitment Planning. Planning the recruitment campaign has been a nuanced process, and the collaboration has provided a platform for understanding and integrating the specific requirements of each geography. - Expertise Pooling. A pivotal aspect of our collaboration has been the pooling of diverse qualifications. Specific competencies in project management, communication, targeted outreach to the project's demographic, and a comprehensive understanding of methodology development and evaluation processes have been consolidated. Specific Objectives and Achievements During the first cycle, held in February and March 2024, significant progress was made in empowering disadvantaged youth in Latvia and Finland through tailored social entrepreneurship training. A total of 33 young participants—14 from Latvia and 19 from Finland—successfully completed the core components: the Bootcamp and the Leadership Camp. An online cross-border network on Discord was established to foster ongoing communication and support among participants. The network provided a platform for sharing organizational information, engaging discussions, and posting relevant content The training was supplemented by the Innovation Lab, an optional phase for continued idea development. Eight participants (four from each country) enrolled in this stage, which extended until July 31, 2024. Communication Objectives A comprehensive communication strategy was employed to recruit and engage disadvantaged youth, focusing on multiple outreach channels: 1. Social Media Campaign: A targeted campaign leveraged the project partners' social media channels to reach potential participants. The campaign used a mix of organic content and paid advertisements highlighting the program's benefits and encouraging applications. After the recruitment phase, the focus shifted to maintaining project visibility by sharing participant testimonials, key learnings, and progress updates.  2. Outreach to Youth Organizations: Email communication was used to inform relevant youth organizations about the program. These organizations were provided with detailed information and encouraged to promote the program within their networks, effectively broadening the reach.  3. Video Production: Professional video content was created during the Leadership Camp in Latvia, featuring workshop footage and participant interviews. These videos were designed to showcase the program's impact and will be crucial in future recruitment efforts.  4. Spark Network: The Spark Network, hosted on Discord, served as an interactive space for participants from both countries to connect, discuss training topics, and access practical updates.   Project Progress The project has progressed as planned, with each partner contributing to its success: * Reach for Change: Oversaw project management, communication efforts, and the adaptation of training materials. This included organizing the Leadership Camp in Rīga and recruiting experts for both the Leadership Camp and Innovation Lab.  * Creative Ideas: Led participant recruitment in Latvia, organized the Bootcamp, and facilitated participants' involvement in subsequent program stages, coordinated participation in the Leadership Camp and Innovation Lab.  * DILA: Managed participant recruitment in Finland, organized the Finnish Bootcamp, and coordinated participation in the Leadership Camp and Innovation Lab.  * Juvenia: Contributed to training material adaptation, developed evaluation tools, and drafted an internal report on Cycle 1 outcomes.  Key deliverables achieved during this period include: * Development of Training Tools: Training tools for Cycle 1 were fully developed and translated into Latvian and Finnish. The materials were uploaded to the platform, ensuring accessibility for all participants. A Training of Trainers session was also conducted to ensure high-quality instruction.  * Communication Campaign: The campaign successfully attracted 73 applications (40 from Finland and 33 from Latvia). A full set of campaign materials was developed, translated, and adapted as needed.  * Bootcamp: Completed by 55 participants—24 in Finland and 31 in Latvia—with training focused on social entrepreneurship fundamentals.  * Leadership Camp: Held in Latvia in March 2024, this camp brought together 33 participants (19 from Finland and 14 from Latvia). The program included leadership training, design thinking sessions, as well as teambuilding activities fostering a strong sense of community.  * Spark Network: The network facilitated participant interaction and resource sharing.   * Innovation Lab: Materials were translated and uploaded to the platform, with activities commencing in April 2024 and continuing through July.  * Mid-term Evaluation: Data collection for the mid-term evaluation was completed, with analysis and reporting set to follow in the next period.  Added Value of Cooperation This cross-border collaboration between Latvian and Finnish partners has proven invaluable, combining diverse expertise to create a robust, adaptable training program. The cooperative effort has not only facilitated the sharing of best practices but also enriched the learning experience for participants by exposing them to different cultural perspectives. This collaborative approach has enhanced the quality of training materials and broadened the reach and impact of the program, ultimately contributing to the development of a vibrant social entrepreneurship ecosystem across both countries.

Project outputs: First cycle participants(EN)
Second cycle participants(EN)
Third cyclle particpants(EN)

Thematic information

Education and training SME and entrepreneurship

Priority: (VI-A_CB_P3) Improved employment opportunities

Priority specific objective: RSO4.1. Enhancing the effectiveness and inclusiveness of labour markets and access to quality employment through developing social infrastructure and promoting social economy

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO4 A more social and inclusive Europe implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights

Type of intervention: 136 Specific support for youth employment and socio-economic integration of young people

Partners (5)

Lead Partner: Biedrība Reach for Change Latvia

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 40008314815

Address: Brīvības iela, LV-1012 Riga, Latvia

Department address: Latvia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Total budget: EUR 254 867.06

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 203 893.64

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 50 973.42

Contractors:

Name: SIA "Yes Agency"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 40203486651
Name: SIA "Design elevator"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 40103641784
Name: SIA "City Hotels"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 40203303907
Name: SIA "POLYGLOT tulkojumi"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 40103497979
Name: SIA "Zimini"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 40103967644

Lead Partner: Reach for Change Latvia

Address: Stockholm, Sweden

Legal status: n/a

Kaakkois-Suomen ammattikorkeakoulu

Name: Kaakkois-Suomen ammattikorkeakoulu

Department: Juvenia youth research and development centre

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FI24729082

Address: Patteristonkatu, 50101 Mikkeli, Finland

Department address: Finland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.xamk.fi/en/rdi/juvenia/

Total budget: EUR 123 151.64

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 98 521.31

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 24 630.33

Lahden Diakoniasäätiö sr

Name: Lahden Diakoniasäätiö sr

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 0205519-5

Address: Vuorikatu, 15110 Lahti, Finland

Department address: Finland

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://dila.fi

Total budget: EUR 211 464.38

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 169 171.50

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 42 292.88

Biedrība Radošās Idejas

Name: Biedrība Radošās Idejas

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 50008184511

Address: Vesetas iela, LV-1013 Riga, Latvia

Department address: Latvia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.creativeideas.lv

Total budget: EUR 152 250.77

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 121 800.61

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 30 450.16

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences

Social Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment in Finland and Latvia

Partners and Projects info

Lahti Diaconia Foundation

Social Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment in Finland and Latvia

Partners and Projects info

Association Creative Ideas

Social Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment in Finland and Latvia

Partners and Projects info

Reach for Change Latvia

Social Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment in Finland and Latvia

Partners and Projects info

Reach for Change Latvia

Social Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment in Finland and Latvia

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Social Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment in Finland and Latvia

Project acronym: SocEntYouth

Project ID: CB0100057

Project start date: 2023-04-01

Project end date: 2025-09-30

Project status: closed

Relevant linked projects:

Previous Interreg programmes supporting youth entrepreneurship (EN) | Our proposal will build upon several years’ worth of investment in youth entrepreneurship skills in the Baltic region, including through Interreg Central Baltic. This includes BE the Future (2020-2022) and GirlPower (2020-2022) which both aim to foster increased entrepreneurial activity among teenage girls. In the same vein, RIBS (2015-2018) aimed to foster entrepreneurship among rural youth, and SENsationalSTEM (2020-2022) aims to do the same for students with special educational needs. While our proposal stands out from these in terms of its focus on social (rather than more traditional, solely profit-making) entrepreneurship, the consortium is keen to create synergies with these previous initiatives where relevant and contribute to evidence bases in the region on youth empowerment. (EN), iSEE (EN) | Our consortium will also aim to create synergies with this current Interreg Central Baltic programme which aims to improve the quality of social entrepreneurship-related education available in the region. Partners include LAB University of Applied Sciences and Riga Technical University, both of which are located in the same regions as partners within our proposed consortium. Although our proposed project differentiates in our focus of target group (disadvantaged youth, not university students), we would be keen to establish cooperation and ensure two-way flow of learning between these initiatives. This learning could for instance focus on how to increase diversity and inclusion in social entrepreneurship education programmes and ensuring they better address specific support needs for disadvantaged youth who may or may not have straightforward access to such traditional learning opportunities.
(EN), National Associations of Social Entrepreneurship in Latvia and Finland (EN) | Our programme will seek to leverage synergies and collaboration with the national associations for social entrepreneurship in both countries (SEAL - Latvia, ARVO - Finland). Both associations aim to, among other objectives, raise the profile of social entrepreneurship at local, regional and national level and encourage a strong national pipeline of social innovation. Our consortium has existing strong links with these two organisations (DILA and RfC are members of ARVO and SEAL respectively) and we would, for instance, invite their participation in the Steering Group for this Interreg project.
(EN), CHEER (EN) | Consortium partner Creative Ideas was part of this transnational project which ran from 2018-2020, engaging partners in Latvia, Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Austria. The aim was to preserve cultural heritage by fostering entrepreneurship among a total of 60 people (including youth) who were experiencing long-term unemployment. The project developed a training programme, a guide for dissemination, and an online learning platform for participants. Although the overall objective (i.e. preserving cultural heritage) differs from this consortium, Creative Ideas will be sure to leverage relevant aspects of the training programme and lessons learnt from supporting a similar target group through entrepreneurship. (EN), PROTI un DARI! (EN) | PROTI un DARI is a national European Social Fund programme in Latvia which aims to develop the skills of NEETs aged 15-29 years old and promote their integration into education or employment. The programme is delivered in cooperation with a range of actors including state/municipal authorities, associations, youth centres, social partners and social entrepreneurs. One of the implementing partners is an alumnus of RfC’s incubator programme, meaning that contact will be easily facilitated to ensure relevant exchange of learning and avoid duplication. (EN), För-orten (EN) | För-orten brought together a range of cross-sector actors in Sweden with the aim of ‘democratising’ social entrepreneurship - in other words, fostering socially-minded business ideas from within socio-economically deprived suburban areas. The programme was delivered in the form of a nationwide competition with several rounds of shortlisting, during which participants also had access to online training workshops on key aspects of social entrepreneurship. Reach for Change in Sweden was a lead implementer of ‘För-orten’ so our office in Latvia will be able to leverage internal learnings from this programme - especially in relation to inclusive outreach methodologies and the provision of tailored entrepreneurship support to participants from disadvantaged communities. (EN), Baltic Sea Impact Network (EN) | In September 2022, RfC received seed funding from the Swedish Institute to pilot a new peer learning network for social entrepreneurs in the Baltic Sea Region. The ambition after the 13-month pilot phase is to expand the network’s reach and membership across the Nordic/Baltic region. Learnings from this pilot will feed into the set up of this project’s Spark Network and there is also the possibility of merging the two networks in future (see C.8.1). (EN), Partners' other existing projects (EN) | This project brings together a consortium with roles and responsibilities in line with their respective expertises in the field. In this context, there is naturally a risk of duplication with other ongoing projects and thus also funding sources. However, the unique nature of this pilot, testing a new cross-border approach to supporting disadvantaged youth in both countries, means that this risk is minimal. For example, Creative Ideas is currently working with youth and third country nationals living in Latvia, but is not implementing any business training programmes for this target group. For RfC, it offers a chance to adapt existing methodologies for a new target group. For DILA, this would be their first cross-border cooperation on a youth empowerment project and for Juvenia, the first time evaluating a project on youth social entrepreneurship. For more information on partners’ existing projects, see section B. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 741 733.85

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 593 387.06

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 80.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 593 387.06. Co-financing rate, 80.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Finalised training methodologies
Translated training materials (e.g. online self-learning toolkits for Innovation Lab)
Social media campaign materials
Selection criteria
Final registration list of first cycle participants
Completion of Bootcamp
Completion of Leadership camp
Fieldwork raw data
Active online platform
Outline network communications plan
Completion of Innovation Lab
Mid-term evaluation report (internal)
Adapted training content (if relevant)
Social media campaign materials
Final registration list of second cycle participants
Completion of Bootcamp
Completion of Leadership camp
Fieldwork raw data
Active online platform
Completion of Innovation Lab
Mid-term evaluation report, Cycle 2, (internal)
Adapted training content (if relevant)
Two roundtables have been held
Online dissemination content
Social media campaign materials
Final registration list of third cycle participants
Completion of Bootcamp
Completion of Leadership camp
Fieldwork raw data
Active online platform
Completion of Innovation Lab
Final evaluation report (external)
Final evaluation report (external)
Two roundtables have been held
Online dissemination content

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyBalticSeaRegion This project aligns with Policy Area Education, which through supporting quality education/training and a well-functioning labour market aims to contribute to increased prosperity in the Baltic Sea region. Our project has the same goals as those expressed under Actions 1 and 4 of the Policy Area: namely to provide targeted, individualised support to help young people’s access to employment, and to also improve the socioeconomic integration of migrants and refugees (including through tailor-made vocational education/training). In addition to the above, this project also contributes to Policy Area Innovation which overall aims to promote innovation for sustainable economic growth in the Baltic Sea region. Most notably under Action 1, we share an objective in ‘fostering disruptive, breakthrough and market-shaping innovations to respond to the 21st century social, environmental and economic grand challenges’.
Other EU Social Economy Action Plan:
In December 2021, the European Commission launched a new set of concrete measures to help mobilise the full potential of social entrepreneurship in the EU. Key aims of the plan include improved legal/policy framework conditions for the sector, better access to funding and capacity development opportunities, and increased visibility and awareness of the sector among new audiences - including young people. The Plan especially notes the attractiveness of social entrepreneurship as a career among younger generations - who are seen to be more mindful of sustainable development issues - as well as among women and people with refugee/migrant backgrounds. In 2022, the EU plans to launch a new Youth Entrepreneurship Policy Academy which aims to foster the rise of more youth and female social entrepreneurs in collaboration with national policymakers and networks. This project’s dissemination activities will create linkages with these anticipated national-level developments where relevant and ensure fruitful exchange of knowledge and ideas.
Other European Pillar of Social Rights:
Finally, this project aligns with broader efforts towards a strong social Europe that is ‘fair, inclusive and full of opportunity’. In particular, our project aligns with ambitions to ensure equal opportunities and access to the labour market. By 2030, the EU aims to have increased employment rates among 20-64 year olds to 78%, and to have decreased the rate of NEETs aged 15-29 from 12.6% to 9%. The Pillar’s Action Plan makes it clear that under-represented groups should be provided greater opportunities to upskill themselves in order to contribute to truly inclusive employment growth.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 081 - Participations in joint actions across borders, Measurement unit:

Delivered output indicator(s):

(RCO81) Participations in joint actions across borders (the individuals) - to be used with result indicator 1 (PSR 6) and result indicator 3 (PSR 8): 33.0

Programme Result Indicator:

PSR8 Number of people with increased entrepreneurship, Measurement unit: number of people

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSBSR

EUSBSR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSBSR Degree of compliance:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A Finland-Estonia-Latvia-Sweden (Central Baltic)

Latest month of project-partner-call data publication

2025-01

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

63 / 105 (60%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

251 / 418 (60.05%)

Notes on the data

Languages

Contact Form

Social Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment in Finland and Latvia

Description

Thematic information

Partners (5)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Disclaimer