About project

Why?

Amidst the challenges posed by increasing inflation, geopolitical instability, recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the global climate crisis, it becomes crucial to enhance both individual and societal resilience in the Baltic Sea region. A vital aspect of this effort is to ensure that everyone in society has equal opportunities to access sustainable and dignified livelihoods. Furthermore, it is important to provide individuals with the necessary tools, training, and support to attain such livelihoods.

Recognizing the significance of social entrepreneurship in fortifying European societies, the European Union (EU) has recently acknowledged it as a fundamental instrument. The EU particularly highlights its suitability for younger generations, who do not necessarily perceive a conflict between generating profits and making a positive social impact. However, despite this recognition, the visibility of the social entrepreneurship sector remains limited, especially beyond the major cities in the Baltic Sea region.

What?

The primary objective of this project is to unlock the untapped economic potential of two important aspects of Latvian and Finnish society: 1) disadvantaged youth, and 2) social entrepreneurship as a means to achieve sustainable and dignified livelihoods. To accomplish this goal, we will implement a pioneering cross-border training program that motivates and supports disadvantaged youth under the age of 25 to become social entrepreneurs.

Through their involvement in the program, all participants will develop a resilient entrepreneurial mindset, acquire valuable transferable skills, create a conceptual prototype of a business, and gain an understanding of how to develop Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) – early versions of services or products that can be tested by the target audience.

Our project builds upon previous initiatives aimed at fostering youth livelihoods and promoting social entrepreneurship in both Finland and Latvia. However, it brings a novel approach by integrating these two objectives in a cross-border manner, which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been done before in this region. Consequently, our project will adopt a “build-measure-learn” approach, placing significant emphasis on evaluation and adaptability.

How?

The project consists of three main components:

• Bootcamp/Leadership camp 

As their first step towards becoming social entrepreneurs, participants will need to develop  entrepreneurial mindsets, problem-solving skills, and begin generating ideas for business solutions to  real-life challenges. This will be the objective of the Bootcamp, a one-month intensive and interactive  programme that will include a mix of entrepreneurship simulation activities (in-person) and group based tasks (online). Participants, allocated into teams, will receive an introduction to the basics of  social entrepreneurship and the process by which to develop a conceptual business prototype and  MVP.

Following the Bootcamp, participants will be invited to complete their core training by participating in a cross-border residential leadership camp in Latvia. This activity brings the two cohorts together in order to engage in a series of interactive, simulation-based activities that support the further development of key entrepreneurial soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, and communication.  

• Spark Network 

Following their completion of the core programme (Bootcamp + Leadership camp), participants will be invited to join a new cross-border online network. The aim will be to support them in continuing to develop their entrepreneurial mindsets and prototypes/MVPs over the long term through a  combination of peer-based support, sign-posting to other development opportunities, and external webinars with inspirational speakers.

• Innovation Lab 

In addition to the Spark Network, participants will be invited to join the optional Innovation Lab,  providing access to online coaching sessions in order to reinforce individual learning and refine prototypes. Participants will also be provided with access to online toolkits with self-led tasks that they will be able to follow and complete in their own time. 

Target Audience

The target group of the project is disadvantaged young people under the age of 25 in Finland and Latvia, including NEETs (young people who do not participate in the education system, do not work or learn a trade), migrants, refugees (including from Ukraine), young people from rural areas and suburbs.