“Creative Bloom” – A Project Inspiring Women to Develop Creative Entrepreneurship Has Come to an End

The Vidzeme Planning Region has concluded the project “Creative Bloom: Empowering female creative entrepreneurs”, aimed at strengthening the entrepreneurial skills and self-confidence of women over forty working in the creative sectors in Vidzeme, Latvia, and Estonia’s Ida-Viru County. The project was implemented from May 2024 to October 2025 with co-funding from the European Union’s Central Baltic Programme, and its lead partner was the Ida-Viru Enterprise Centre.

Throughout the project, several mentoring clubs, practical trainings, and experience exchange events were organized for entrepreneurs from Latvia and Estonia. These activities helped participants develop business skills, refine their ideas, and gain inspiration for future endeavors. Mentoring support and individual consultations strengthened their confidence, improved their understanding of entrepreneurship, and encouraged them to take concrete steps toward achieving their goals.

Participants gained knowledge in entrepreneurship, design thinking, marketing, branding, digital communication, and financial planning, while also improving their skills in product and service development. The workshops emphasized the importance of creativity and authenticity, providing practical tools to turn ideas into sustainable businesses. The project also encouraged women to make greater use of digital opportunities — learning digital marketing tools, creating websites, launching e-commerce, developing their presence on social media, and building stronger connections with their target audiences.

Networking and collaboration among entrepreneurs from Latvia and Estonia formed an essential part of the project. Discussions highlighted that regional richness — local resources, communities, and cultural heritage — can serve as sources of inspiration and competitive advantages in creative entrepreneurship. Over the course of the project, a strong community emerged, where participants shared experiences, supported one another, and initiated new collaborations beyond the project’s official activities.

By the project’s conclusion, the Latvian participants demonstrated remarkable growth. Out of fourteen participants, eleven had already established their own businesses. Many expanded their offerings, developed new products and services, created business websites, and became more active on social media — all contributing to increased sales, enhanced brand identities, and new collaborations with other entrepreneurs. And these are only the first visible results of the project’s impact.

“It has been a fantastic year, filled with so many experiences that it’s impossible to list them all. But I believe the most valuable part has been the people — wonderful mentors, lecturers, project coordinators, and participants who entered my life and made it richer, more colorful, and full of friendship, understanding, and support. Being surrounded by people who are on the same wavelength is pure happiness,” said project participant Evita Ūdre.

Participants see many ways to apply the practical experience and knowledge gained through the program in the coming years. It helped them not only to develop business skills but also to strengthen self-confidence, belief in their creativity, and the conviction that they can build sustainable careers in their regions. Many noted that the project marked a significant turning point in both their professional and personal growth.

“The project proved that women in the regions are capable, creative, and entrepreneurial. With support from lecturers, mentors, and one another, participants received not only a wealth of knowledge but also a great deal of inspiration for future creative work and life in general. This year together with participants, mentors, and creative professionals showed how valuable the creative sector can be for regional development, providing both social and economic benefits,” emphasized Arta Indriksone, Mentoring Programme Coordinator at the Vidzeme Planning Region.

The Vidzeme Planning Region expresses its sincere gratitude to all project participants, mentors, lecturers, and partners — especially the Ida-Viru Enterprise Centre — for their contribution and cooperation. Although the project has officially concluded, the community of creative women it has fostered continues to grow, inspiring new ideas and building collaborations both within Vidzeme and beyond.