Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

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

Date of latest update: 2025-01-21

Description

Description (EN):

People 50+ and youth living in remote rural areas and archipelago across the Central Baltic face often challenges such as low levels of key skills, knowledge and understanding of business enterprise, which while working in fragile business environments means that many operators are at risk of unemployment. In addition, many such micro and small enterprises have poor resilience due to a lack of business sustainability skills, and therefore market shocks such as the recent COVID pandemic or war in Ukraine put these enterprises and their self-employed owners at greater risk than others of business failure. Insufficient levels of innovativeness make it difficult for them to adapt to changing business circumstances: the 50+ people often have insufficient knowledge and skills to enter new areas of business and develop new businesses for example for self-employment, while younger entrepreneurs lack the entrepreneurial experience to start a new business. Restrictions within e.g. protected areas and archipelagos also set limits to entrepreneurship in remote rural areas. The project will benefit two target groups, 50 + and youth through training, mentoring and networking/clustering to improve the success and sustainability of their businesses and self-employment. It is based on network of partners with a real life understanding of the needs of the target group and challenges rural entrepreneurs face, such as lack of human and financial resources, long distance to the customers and strong embeddedness to local community. The target group will undertake during a project a certificated, diverse entrepreneurship training programme, which is unique in providing a mentored personal approach to the training (local networking), as well as intense cross-border networking opportunities. Aim is to reach 104 participants. Three courses will be delivered over the three-year project period. One focuses on training local mentors (appox 30 participants) and two on rural entrepreneurship training. Participants will have their training needs analysed and a personal learning path devised from among themed components such as entrepreneurship as way to self-employment, micro business entrepreneurship, community involvement, heritage, tourism, and service-provision. Innovation, the digital business environment and business planning are also key elements of the programme. The programme will consist of face-to-face workshops, online cross-border trainings, mentoring, cross-border networking and cross-border intensive courses and study trips as well as individual work. Each mentor will assist trainees throughout the course and support their progression. After the training, the participants have drafted their own business plan. The local mentors will also stay in the area. The project will be implemented by eight partners from four Central Baltic countries with different expertise. The lead partner, EMÜ has great experience in leading international projects and therefore is optimal to fulfil the role of the lead partner. Ruralia will devise the training programme and provide expertise to the training and mentoring modules regarding rural business and community embeddedness. Six regional organisations - Lahemaa and Soomaa from Estonia; Gauja from Latvia; Åland and Sepra from Finland; Söderhamn from Sweden – work closely with 2 target groups (50 + and youth) in their area and are each responsible for conducting the local level project activities in their region. Throughout the project, participants will have opportunities to learn from each other and make use of international expertise. The challenges faced by our target group developing businesses in the rural areas of this project are in many cases common, thus the solutions developed to address these will be transferred across the region throughout the lifetime of the project together, adapted to suit local conditions by each partner. Through the provision of this mentored cross-border training programme and support across the four countries, the entrepreneurial capabilities and possibilities of the target group will be enhanced, the role of entrepreneurship as self-employment increased and business profitability and sustainability supported, which all, ultimately secure the target groups’ employment.

Expected Achievements (EN):

Working with 6 rural regions with fragile business environments to raise capacity in the target group (50+, youth <25) to create a new business and improve sustainability in their existing business. Capacity will be built through: SME enterprise training, cross-border exchange and study visits focusing on quality product and service and business plan (BP) preparation, mentoring support for BP and SME cluster creation in CB region. Specific objective 1/ 84 new BPs created and supported by 20 new mentors Project participants will: - Understand entrepreneurship and have the skills required to manage an SME - Appraise themselves and family for suitability for a new business - Generate ideas for starting new enterprises - Describe the potential problems and critical factors of business start-up - Know where grant assistance is available for rural businesses - Prepare a business plan according to a standard business plan canvas - 20 mentors will be trained and 84 BP canvases prepared

Project outputs: Participants in cross-border entrepreneurship training(EN)

Thematic information

Labour market and employment Social inclusion and equal opportunities Rural and peripheral development

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: 134 Measures to improve access to employment

Partners (8)

Lead Partner: Eesti Maaülikool

Partner’s ID if not PIC: EE100018015

Department: Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Address: Fr. R. Kreutzwaldi, 51006 Tartu, Estonia

Department address: Fr. R. Kreutzwaldi, 51006 Tartu, Estonia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.emu.ee

Total budget: EUR 295 703.60

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 236 562.88

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 59 140.72

Gaujas Nacionālā parka tūrisma biedrība

Name: Gaujas Nacionālā parka tūrisma biedrība

Partner’s ID if not PIC: LV40008050743

Address: Ausekļa street , LV-2150 Sigulda, Latvia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://www.entergauja.com/en/

Total budget: EUR 93 140.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 74 512.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 18 628.00

Kehittämisyhdistys Sepra ry

Name: Kehittämisyhdistys Sepra ry

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FI15049376

Address: Helsinkintie , 49460 Hamina, Finland

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://sepra.fi/

Total budget: EUR 118 996.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 95 196.80

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 23 799.20

MTÜ Ökokuller

Name: MTÜ Ökokuller

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 80406220

Address: Vallamaja tee, 74808 Kolgaküla, Kuusalu vald, Harjumaa, Estonia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Total budget: EUR 104 696.45

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 83 757.16

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 20 939.29

Söderhamns kommun

Name: Söderhamns kommun

Department: Business department

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SE212000235301

Address: Faxholmsgatan, 826 80 Söderhamn, Sweden

Department address: Faxholmsgatan, 826 80 Söderhamn, Sweden

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: https://www.soderhamn.se/

Total budget: EUR 134 672.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 107 737.60

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 26 934.40

Helsingin yliopisto Ruralia-instituutti

Name: Helsingin yliopisto Ruralia-instituutti

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FI03134717

Address: Yliopistonkatu, 00014 Helsinki, Finland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/ruralia-instituutti

Total budget: EUR 62 977.60

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 50 382.08

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 12 595.52

Företagsam Skärgård

Name: Företagsam Skärgård

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 2107903-7

Address: Jomalagårdsvägen, AX-22150 Jomala, Finland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://skargarden.ax/

Total budget: EUR 110 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 88 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 22 000.00

MTÜ Soomaa Turism

Name: MTÜ Soomaa Turism

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 80284744

Address: Pärnu mnt , 86801 Tori alevik, Estonia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://visitsoomaa.com/

Total budget: EUR 104 696.50

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 83 757.20

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 20 939.30

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Gauja National Park Tourism Association

Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

Partners and Projects info

Kehittämisyhdistys Sepra ry

Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

Partners and Projects info

NGO Ökokuller

Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

Partners and Projects info

Municipality of Söderhamn

Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

Partners and Projects info

University of Helsinki Ruralia Institute

Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

Partners and Projects info

Enterprising Archipelago

Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

Partners and Projects info

Soomaa Tourism Association

Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

Partners and Projects info

Estonian University of Life Sciences

Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

Project acronym: Enhanced ERA

Project ID: CB0300167

Project start date: 2024-04-01

Project end date: 2027-03-31

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

Rural Lifestyle - Creating attractive rural
lifestyle destinations, 2020-2022 (EN) | Almost the same team - the project idea came from the discussions of future challenges in the regions. The ongoing creation of Rural Lifestyle products will ensure sustainable development and rural employment
Rural Lifestyle products and destinations developed during the project need further promotion. (EN), Meta cluster for attracting the Japanese tourism market CAITO, 2016-2020 (EN) | Gross-boarder cluster development and knowledge exchange. Some same partners - good co-operation (EN), COMCOT - An innovative tool for improving the competitiveness of community-based tourism, 2010-2013 (EN) | Community based approach in employment and entrepreneurship development.
Some same partners - good co-operation (EN), Forest Trail project CB779 (EN) | Product development activities take place also in the territory of Gauja National Park and Lahemaa National Park two of the Enhanced ERA pilot areas. The community-based approach, involvement of local stakeholders in rural tourism product development, trust, and reliability achieved in this project are the assets that will support the implementation of a new product. (EN), CB project St Olov Waterway (EN) | Has used the historical aspect of how the pilgrims traveled over the sea from Finland to Sweden to create a joint tourism attraction, in this case a trail and waterway. The project offers opportunities for entrepreneurs along the way as well as giving the citizens valuable knowledge of our history. (EN), Interreg Europe financed project SARURE (Save rural retail) (EN) | Its goal is to change local/regional policies on rural service. (EN), INTERREG EST-LAT programme UNESCO tourism (EN) | Branding the rural products all over the region will be one of the key elements in enhancing the employment opportunities. (EN), Interreg BSR StratKit + (EN) | Tools that can be used in supporting food cased service companies. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 024 882.15

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 819 905.72

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

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 819 905.72. Co-financing rate, 80.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Training program for mentors
Training program for entrepreneurs
Improved training program for entrepreneurs
List of mentors
List of 1st round of entrepreneurs
List of 2nd round of entrepreneurs
Presentations of lectures/seminars
Presentations of lectures/seminars
Presentations of lectures/seminars
Lists of participants
Lists of participants
Lists of participants
Lists of participants
Presentations of lectures/seminars
Presentations of lectures/seminars
Presentations of lectures/seminars
Presentations of lectures/seminars
Minutes/summary of each local training event
Minutes/summary of each local training event
Minutes/summary of each local training event
Minutes/summary of each local training event
Lists of participants
Lists of participants
Minutes/summary of the intensive program
Minutes/summary of the intensive program
Lists of participants
Lists of participants
Summaries/analyses of mentoring
Summaries/analyses of mentoring
Summary and analyses of the feedback from mentor training
Summary and analyses of the feedback of the 1st round of the entrepreneurs training
Summary and analyses of the feedback of the 2nd round of the entrepreneurs training
Summary and analyses of the whole training program
Business plan canvases
Business plan canvases
Certificates of mentor training
Certificates of entrepreneur training
Certificates of entrepreneur training

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyBalticSeaRegion The project has a clear link to the EUSBSR objectives:
‘Bioeconomy" provides an integrated approach to rural economy solutions. ’
"Education" - preparing the training programs that strengthen the social dimension of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Knowledge transfer from science to education and for SMEs will take place for enhanced employability also gross-border knowledge exchange.
"Innovation"
The project promotes a globally competitive position within innovation for sustainable economic growth in the BSR and provides a strong platform for an enhanced macroregional collaborative ecosystem for innovation, research, SMEs, and digitalization.
Enables shared learning through knowledge-transfer activities;
Creates and strengthens networks across the Baltic Sea region;
Aligns resources and regulations e.g. through coordination of funding sources; Facilitates the joining up of forces in common programs and investments and in the development of solutions for common challenges.
Three types of innovation will be encouraged:
Challenge-driven innovation;
Digital innovation and transformation;
Co-creative innovation.
‘Tourism’ - project partnership will continuously develop Rural Lifestyle products including tourism-related products to reinforce the macro-regions cohesiveness through tourism.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

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

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

Enhanced Employment Opportunities in Rural Areas

Description

Thematic information

Partners (8)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

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

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