About project

Project name:

50+ Go Digital: Online Marketplace Entrepreneurship for People in Pre-retirement Age (acronym: 50+ Go Digital)

Project aim:

A common cross-border challenge is the engagement and retention of people aged 50–64 in economic life in Latvia and Estonia, particularly those with backgrounds in the humanities who face limited employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. The project aims to help participants adapt to the changing labour market by developing practical digital, entrepreneurial and e-commerce skills.

Therefore, the overall objective of the project is to jointly develop and implement a comprehensive cross-border training course consisting of 14 events and 98 learning hours, enabling participants to establish and operate an international business on the Etsy digital marketplace or provide e-commerce services to micro and small companies seeking to develop their presence on the platform.

The training will combine product development, entrepreneurship, digital marketplace skills and the practical use of AI for business tasks. Cross-border cooperation will allow participants to benefit from the expertise and experience of practitioners from Latvia and Estonia, explore opportunities in international markets, and establish connections with entrepreneurs interested in e-commerce.

Through practical training, expert support and match-making activities, the project aims to strengthen participants’ entrepreneurial capacity, improve their opportunities for economic activity and support the establishment of sustainable online businesses.

Project activities:

The comprehensive cross-border training course will last for 1 year, comprise 14 face-to-face events and 98 learning hours, and will be conducted twice: in Cycle 1 and Cycle 2. Participants will learn how to develop competitive products, identify promising market niches, and establish and operate a business on the Etsy digital marketplace, while developing essential entrepreneurial, e-commerce and digital skills.

The training will have a strong practical focus. Participants will explore Etsy product categories and market trends, create their own products, learn the technical, marketing, operational and regulatory aspects of running an Etsy shop, and practise using AI tools for a wide range of business tasks. At the advanced stage, participants will build their own Etsy shops under expert guidance, receive professional audits and improve their shops based on practitioners’ feedback.

Eight Etsy practitioners will contribute to the training, while a cross-border Help Point with six mentors in business, e-commerce and AI will provide additional support throughout the course. Match-making activities with Latvian and Estonian entrepreneurs interested in developing an Etsy presence will also create opportunities for participants to apply their newly acquired skills and explore potential cooperation.

Results planned:

82 people aged 50–64 from Latvia and Estonia will be active participants in the training course during 2 cycles. The project targets people with backgrounds in the humanities and basic digital skills who are unemployed or at risk of leaving their current jobs.

Participants will strengthen their digital and entrepreneurial competencies, helping them adapt to changing labour market requirements, explore new professional opportunities, and increase their potential for employment or self-employment.

Trainees will receive a Certificate of Completion signed by the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies and Daugavpils University, outlining the completed training topics and learning hours. The hours can be recognised as credit points within formal education.

Participation in the comprehensive training programme will strengthen participants’ competitiveness in the labour market and increase their capacity to pursue entrepreneurial and professional opportunities.

Project duration:

1st July 2026 – 28th February 2029