Apply for the first experience exchange tour “Discovering the potential of social enterprises in Latvia and Lithuania”
To promote the development of social entrepreneurship and foster collaboration between Latvia and Lithuania in this sector, five thematic experience exchange visits to social enterprises in Latvia and Lithuania will take place between January and May 2025. Social entrepreneurs, social science educators, municipal specialists and other stakeholders from both countries – primarily from the Zemgale region and Northern Lithuania (municipalities of Rokiškės, Biržai, Pasvalė, Kupiškės and Panvėžys) – are invited to participate. Participation is free of charge and the working language is English.
The first trip will take place on 15 January in Jelgava County and Jelgava City, where participants will have the opportunity to hear experiences from five social enterprises that are successfully and innovatively operating in the field of education, work with young people and in the development of local communities. The event will start at “Branku Brančotava”, Jelgava Region, where the experiences of “Mājas TUVU”, which organises camps and events for young people, “Barboleta”, which has created an innovative balance platform for learning and work productivity, and “Pats”, a private primary school that offers child-centred primary education in the region, will be shared. The day will end with a visit to two more social enterprises in Jelgava – the professional dance school “Benefice” and “BJMK Rokskola”.
Detailed programme of the event is available on the Zemgale Planning Region website. Places are limited. To apply, fill in the online application form by 6 January:
The cycle of experience exchange tours “Discovering the potential of social enterprises in Latvia and Lithuania” is part of the activities of the Interreg VI-A Latvia-Lithuania Programme 2021-2027 project “Improving the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Zemgale and Northern Lithuania” (RE:IMPACT), implemented by the Zemgale Planning Region in cooperation with the Latvian Social Entrepreneurship Association, Lithuanian Social Business Association and Rokiskis District Municipality. The trips will be a great opportunity not only to get to know different social enterprises and their impact in each country, but also to provide new contacts and ideas for meeting the needs of society.
Each trip will focus on a specific theme, such as youth work, social services, cultural heritage and tourism, labour integration, nature and animal protection, sustainability, community building and more. Three trips will take place in Latvia and two in Lithuania. Free shared transport will be provided for participants to more distant destinations.
The next experience exchange event will take place on 19 February in Riga and the second half of the day in Jelgava County, and will focus on labour integration and social services. On 21 March, the route of the trip will lead to Pasvalė District in Lithuania, where there will be an opportunity to learn about our neighbouring country’s social entrepreneurs’ initiatives that promote the involvement of seniors and young people in local community building. On 16 April, the experience of other Lithuanian social entrepreneurs in the field of heritage conservation and tourism will be presented in the Rokiškis district. The series of experience exchange visits will end on 21 May with a visit to Ķekava Municipality, where participants will have the opportunity to learn about Latvian social enterprises working in the fields of animal welfare, nature conservation, and sustainability.
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Project No. LL-00020 “Improving the Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Zemgale and Northern Lithuania” or “Re:Impact” is implemented within the Interreg VI-A Latvia-Lithuania program 2021-2027. The total project budget is EUR 595,286.00, including co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund of EUR 476,228.80. More about the project HERE.
This publication has been produced with the financial support of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Zemgale Planning Region and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Union.
