Business Models Empowering Rural Social Entrepreneurship – voicing the rural norm

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Northern Periphery and Arctic

Date of latest update: 2025-09-24

Description

Description (EN):

The impact of globalization on structural changes varies across regions, making sustainable regional and local development essential. The MERSE project aims to facilitate the establishment and growth of social enterprises in rural NPA areas. It focuses on developing business models, support systems, and conditions for rural social enterprises, promoting transnational knowledge and learning of social entrepreneurship, and creating networks to strengthen social entrepreneurship in sparsely populated NPA regions. The project emphasizes collaboration, action-oriented development, and transformative knowledge sharing across borders.

Actual Achievements (EN):

The project start occurred during holiday periods in the partner countries, which meant that the first online partner meeting could be held on 25 August, however, this meeting was preceded by 2 project meetings (21 April and 29 May) in connection with the granting of the project on 22 March. During the period, LP preparations and the establishment of the project's management and a communicator were attached to the project. The project manager and controller participated in a mandatory Lead Partner meeting NPA held in Copenhagen on 23 May. Project partners from Sweden and Norway participated in NPA yearly conference and in the Lead Partner seminar in Skellefteå on the 8th-9th November. A steering group, consisting of a representative from all project partners, was formed in June and had its first meeting on 22 June and the second on 3 November. During the project period, all project partners' contacts were coordinated. A further 4 associated partners were contacted, of which 3 joined the project. Much of the time during the period was spent establishing contacts and collaborations as well as planning the implementation of project activities. During the period, MIUN and Coompanion worked with preparations ie. invitations, travel and hotel arrangements, and program design, for MERSE's kickoff conference. The kick-off took place on 16-17 October in Östersund with project and associate partners' participation. During the meeting, the participants visited several Swedish social enterprises in the Jämtland region. The partners started with the literature review using a constructed template and started as well with the mapping of conditions for SE in the partner countries and regions. During the period WP1 was initiated included planning of mapping and comparison of obstacles and opportunities for social entrepreneurship in the partner regions as well as documenting best practise examples. We have also started the literature review by defining the topics to look for in the country-specific literature on rural SEs. Some planning for WP2 was done as welMaximum All partners have also worked with follow-up and reporting of the project. During the period, the project group has had regular online project meetings and the steering group met once. The project members have participated in the second physical project meeting in Iceland on April 8-11. At the meeting, the progress of WP1 and preliminary results were discussed. The project meeting in Iceland involved the project's partners and associated partners, where we jointly conducted workshops on MERSE's implementation of WP1 and the start of WP2 on July 1, 2024. During the period, the work continued with WP1 which involved a mapping and comparison of obstacles and opportunities for social entrepreneurship in the partner regions. This was accomplished through: a) A literature review regarding the state of knowledge for social entrepreneurship in the five partner countries. The result will be further processed by MIUN in the fall of 2024. b) A comparative study of the partner countries' conditions for social entrepreneurs by comparing the entrepreneurial ecosystems of the social enterprises in the project's 5 countries based on data presented in the European Social Enterprise monitor from 2020. The result will be further processed by MIUN in the fall of 2024. c) A survey to 395 rural social entrepreneurs and social enterprises regarding the conditions for SE in their country. The questionnaires were designed in an English version and then translated by project partners into resp. country's language so that respondents could answer in their own language and MIUN distributed all the questionnaires in Netigate. The project partners translated the open answers back into English. The results (21% response rate) will be processed in autumn 2024. d) A survey to 403 business support organisations in the partner countries regarding the support they provide to rural social enterprises in the five partner countries. MIUN prepared together with partners the questionnaires in English and distributed the questionnaires to all respondents. The results (13% response rate) of the survey will be processed in autumn 2024. e) Interviews of 21-23 decision-makers in municipalities (Finland is missing) regarding knowledge of and conditions for social enterprises in a selection of the partner regions' municipalities. The results of the study will be processed in autumn 2024. 13 best practice examples from partner countries were identified and interviewed (Finlands is missing) All published on MERSE's mini website. The project has carried out the procurement of a new peer-to-peer leadership learning concept (Output 2:5) which will be provided by the organisation, Social Enterprise Academy, who will carry out the"leadership training program targeted to social enterprise facilitators who are provided tools and methods to support rural social enterprises in the Nordic regions" specified in the application. The methodology of the training should be based on a comparative cross-border approach which enables learning from experiences and contexts and finding new solutions and contribute to the online training platform (Output 2.1). During the period we started to recruit in total 12 social entrepreneurs from the partner countries who will participate in the pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in the project (Output 2:3 and one of the solutions in indicator RCR104_1.3). The program will start on the 5th of September 2024. The project's communicator developed the project-mandatory mini website on NPA's website, see https://www.interreg-npa.eu/projects/merse/home/. This has been continuously updated with news and results from MERSE available to anyone with internet access. MERSE participated in a mandatory “Regional project day” organised by Region Jämtland – Härjedalen. MERSE participated in “EU in my Region”, April 2024. The project had a meeting with Region Jämtland Härjedalen's Regional Development Strategist and was able to contribute with our insights into the effect and importance of EU-funded projects have for the region and European cohesion. All project partners have provided their best Horisontal Principles examples to the LP. A compilation of these was distributed to partners for the voting of the HPs that MERSE will implement during the project period. During the period, the project group has had regular online project meetings and the steering group met twice. Since October we have had more frequent project meetings i.e. every month. The project partners and a few associate partners participated in a third physical partner meeting in Glasgow, Ireland on October 15-16, program and participant list are attached. At the meeting (see attached agenda), preliminary results from the mapping in WP1 were displayed and discussed. During the project meeting in Ireland we also made more plans for the activities in WP2 and distributed the responsibility for the different WP2 activities in 2024-2025 between partners. In this period we started the Leadership programme for social enterprise facilitators led by the procured organisation Social Enterprise Academy in Scotland. The first online meeting for the 12 recruited social enterprises (3 from Iceland, 3 from Ireland, 2 from Norway, 2 from Finland, 2 from Sweden) was on September 5. The facilitator programme participants met in person for a one week programme in Galway, Ireland from September 14-18, see attached participant list. During the period several workshops, seminars and meetings has been arranged by the partners in the respective region to discuss conditions for SEs and to communicate and engage stakeholders to various MERSE activities. Important new connections has been developed in and between stakeholders the partner regions. During the period, the work continued to process the data from our mapping in WP1 and also with the communication of the results. On December 11 the project conducted an online kick-off international conference with stakeholders interested in the question of: what is needed to make it easier to start and develop social enterprises in rural areas. There were 92 participants registered to the conference from all five partner countries. During in the conference we presented results from the mapping and comparing of the countries. There were also presentations from a social enterprise, a SE support organisation, a municipality and a researcher of rural SEs, see programme. All presentations can be found on the MERSE mini-website. Additionally, together with an expert in rural entrepreneurship in Iceland, we organized an online webinar together with the Regional Development Agencies in the rest of Iceland focusing on the entrepreneurial process. This webinar was a part of a series organized in collaboration with the regional development agencies in all of Iceland, this one was the first one and we have already planned to host one specifically on social entrepreneurship in fall 2025. The project's communicator continued to update the mini-website with presentations of all the participating partners and facilitators see https://www.interreg-npa.eu/projects/merse/home/. The website and social media has been continuously updated with news and results from MERSE available to anyone with internet access.

Project outputs: Transnational project partnership(EN)
Online training platform(EN)
Impact measurement tool(EN)
Leadership training programme(EN)
Social Enterprise support(EN)
New Peer to Peer leadership learning concept(EN)
Website: https://www.miun.se/en/Research/research-projects/ongoing-research-projects/business-models-empowering-rural-social-entrepreneurship---voicing-the-rural-norm/

Thematic information

SME and entrepreneurship

Priority: (VI-B_NPaA_1) Strengthening the innovation capacity for resilient and attractive NPA communities

Priority specific objective: RSO1.3. Enhancing sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs and job creation in SMEs, including by productive investments

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO1 A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity

Type of intervention: 021 SME business development and internationalisation, including productive investments

Partners (6)

Lead Partner: Mittuniversitetet

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 891390522

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SE202100452401

Department: Department of Economics, Geography, Law and Tourism

Address: Kunskapens väg, 83125 Östersund, Sweden

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.miun.se

Total budget: EUR 568 387.77

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 369 452.05

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 198 935.72

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20a

Contractors:

Name: Social Enterprise Academy
VAT registration or tax identification number: 272855

Helsingin yliopisto

Name: Helsingin yliopisto

Department: Ruralia Institute

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999994535

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FI03134717

Address: Lönnrotinkatu , 50100 MIKKELI, Finland

Department address: Lönnrotinkatu , 50100 Mikkeli, Finland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/ruralia-institute

Total budget: EUR 224 004.70

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 145 603.05

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 78 401.65

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20a

Vestfjardastofa

Name: Vestfjardastofa

Department: Westfjords

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 885308040

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 5805181170

Address: Árnagötu, 400 Ísafjörður, Iceland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://www.vestfirdir.is/

Total budget: EUR 200 011.77

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 130 007.65

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 70 004.12

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20a

Údarás na Gaeltachta

Name: Údarás na Gaeltachta

Department: Research and Sectoral Development

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 905308179

Partner’s ID if not PIC: IE0539918O

Address: Na Forbacha, H91TY22 Galway, Ireland

Department address: Na Forbacha, H91TY22 Galway, Ireland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://udaras.ie/en/

Total budget: EUR 236 716.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 153 865.40

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 82 850.60

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20a

KBT Fagskole

Name: KBT Fagskole

Department: Vocational school

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 904965381

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 924 519 991

Address: Sorgenfriveien, 7031 Trondheim, Norway

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://kbtkompetanse.no/

Total budget: EUR 258 150.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 129 075.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 50.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 129 075.00

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20a

Coompanion Kooperativ Utveckling i Västernorrlands län

Name: Coompanion Kooperativ Utveckling i Västernorrlands län

Department: Västernorrland

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 884208448

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SE716460386701

Address: c/o Bizmaker Storgatan, 85233 Sundsvall, Sweden

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Business support organisation

Website: https://coompanion.se/

Total budget: EUR 215 783.10

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 140 259.01

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 75 524.09

GBER schemes / de minimis: GBER Article 20a

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

University of Helsinki

Business Models Empowering Rural Social Entrepreneurship – voicing the rural norm

Partners and Projects info

Westfjords Regional Development Office

Business Models Empowering Rural Social Entrepreneurship – voicing the rural norm

Partners and Projects info

The Gaeltacht Authority

Business Models Empowering Rural Social Entrepreneurship – voicing the rural norm

Partners and Projects info

KBT Vocational School

Business Models Empowering Rural Social Entrepreneurship – voicing the rural norm

Partners and Projects info

Coompanion Co-operative Development

Business Models Empowering Rural Social Entrepreneurship – voicing the rural norm

Partners and Projects info

Mid Sweden University

Business Models Empowering Rural Social Entrepreneurship – voicing the rural norm

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Business Models Empowering Rural Social Entrepreneurship – voicing the rural norm

Project acronym: MERSE

Project ID: NPA0300095

Project start date: 2023-07-01

Project end date: 2026-06-30

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

BERSE preparatory project, NPA 2022 (EN) | The feasibility studies has drawn attention to the fact that there is a great interest and a general need among all stakeholders to increase the knowledge of the contribution of SE, how to measure the value of SE for the stakeholders, how value creating SE in rural areas can be facilitated and supported, but also to find models and methods to improve cross-border collaborations and learning between NPA regions and stakeholders from the different sectors. (EN), ViSEnet - Village Social Enterprise learning material, guidance and networking, ERASMUS+, 2018-2021 (EN) | The ViSEnet-project supported the creation and development of community-based social enterprises in rural areas through designing of a range of learning materials and by supporting networking and peer-to-peer learning between rural social entrepreneurs. (EN), Joint Master's Curriculum in Rural Community Development (RuralCom), ERASMUS+, 2020-2023 (EN) | By developing a joint curriculum in Master's level on rural community development, RuralCOM aims to implement joint initiatives together by promoting cooperation, peer learning and exchange of experiences at European level. RuralCOM focuses on villages and people with an overall objective to support rural community development, social entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability of rural areas. (EN), Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (EN) | This Irish programme is a key intervention for disadvantaged communities including rural areas in Ireland and offers supports for both individuals and local community groups, and which has a social enterprise support function. (EN), Regional Development and Social Entrepreneurship in Norway- Sweden (RESENS), Interreg Sweden-Norway programme, 2016-2018 (EN) | The aim was to create increased cross-border understanding and to stimulate learning processes for how regional renewal can benefit through community-based social entrepreneurship. It contributed to cross-border collaborations between actors in the ecosystem which resulted in significant development of knowledge about the contextual conditions of social entrepreneurship and a significant increase in competence regarding support models for social entrepreneurship in the regions. (EN), Social Entrepreneurship - cross-border force for regional and local development in sparse environments (SESPA), EU Regional Fund programme, 2010-2014 (EN) | Interdisciplinary project with focus on societal entrepreneurship contribution to sustainable development in the local community and entrepreneurship in sparsely populated areas. The project resulted in the establishment of an ongoing research profile at the Mid Sweden University focusing on sustainable entrepreneurship and regional development in sparse areas. (EN), Social Business start up 2022-2023 (EN) | A learning program and digital platform is formed in Mid Sweden region, project owner Coompanion Jämtland, co-partner, Coompanion Västernorrland. 45 companies get support in an on-line program in five sessions in a loop of three during project. Personal coaching between sessions to develop social business models within their companies. Three networks, impact measurement and financing skills. End in august 2023. The experience from this will be taken in to Merses facilitator program. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 703 053.34

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 809 179.51

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 65.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 809 179.51. Co-financing rate, 65.00%.
ERDF equivalent: Amount, EUR 129 075.00. Co-financing rate, 50.00%. Sources, NO.
ERDF equivalent: Amount, EUR 130 007.65. Co-financing rate, 65.00%. Sources, IS.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Prerequisites for SE
Literature review
Surveys, interviews
Best practice example
Action plan and communication strategy
Transnational knowledge report
Project information and communication material
Dialogue meetings
Webinars (8-10 during the project)
Developed system for peer support across borders (e.g. digital platform)
Leadership training programme for facilitators
Workshops and individual support to social enterprises
Internship
The Rural Impact Measurement Tool: creation and piloting
Good examples of Municipality-Community-Partnership
Policy recommendations
Evaluation of the NPA-network
Feedback from the piloting process
3-5 Established NPA-networks
Business models for SE
Communication models for SE
Municipality-community cooperation models
Research publications
Roadmap
International publications

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

TerritorialAgenda2030 The project is in line with the Jämtland county's strategy for smart specialization (www.regionjh.se). Digital tools are used to develop Peer-to-Peer learning between social entrepreneurs and advisors.The project contribute to the ambition in the regional development strategy regarding the county having a diversified working life. Entrepreneurship in combination with creativity and capacity for renewal and good cooperation in the project will develop business models and support adapted to SE.
Other The project will contribute to several objectives of Ireland's social enterprise policies including 'National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland (2019-2022)' and 'Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A Five-Year Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sector in Ireland 2019-2024' and the 'National Volunteering Strategy 2021-2025' by building awareness of SE, growing and strengthening the SE sector and by developing innovative SE capability development initiatives.
Other Finnish Strategy for Social Enterprises aims for strengthening of operating conditions of social enterprises, increasing business skills and competence, and developing their operational environment. The Rural policy program 2021–2027 aims to promote service production and social entrepreneurship in village communities by creating prerequisites for the development of cooperatives and social enterprises in rural areas. The MERSE-project will contribute to achieving these goals in its part.
TerritorialAgenda2030 Merse links to both Västernorrland and Jämtland Härjedalens Counties regional development strategies and smart specialization. The project meet target areas such as: a place that people choose to live and visit; more new and growing sustainable businesses; adjustment with new business models and increased digitization., innovation, new thinking regions and reasons to live, work and stay.
TerritorialAgenda2030 The project will contribute to EUs Social Economy Action Plan (https://ec.europa.eu) aiming to enhance social investment, support social economy actors and social enterprises to start-up, scale-up, innovate and create jobs. The project activities and outputs will address the action plans' three areas:
-creating the right framework conditions for the social economy to thrive
-opening up opportunities and support to capacity building
-enhancing recognition of the social economy and its potential
TerritorialAgenda2030 The project will contribute to relevant locally formed social business plans in associated partners that are municipalities and inspire public sector to further develop their strategies and plans in this area by exchanging knowledge.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
RCO 004 - Enterprises with non-financial support, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:

Delivered output indicator(s):

(RCO87) Organisations cooperating across borders: 18.0

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:
RCR 004 - SMEs introducing marketing or organisational innovation, Measurement unit:

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

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Northern Periphery and Arctic

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-09-24

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

65 / 65 (100%)

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

310 / 310 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Business Models Empowering Rural Social Entrepreneurship – voicing the rural norm

Description

Thematic information

Partners (6)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

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

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