SDGs or Sustainable Development Goals represent the United Nations’ global plan consisting of 17 goals aimed at promoting well-being, economic growth, and environmental protection by 2030. These goals cover various areas, including eradicating poverty, ensuring quality education, achieving gender equality, mitigating climate change, and sustainably using resources.

The SDGs are significant because they help countries and organizations collaborate to address global challenges and ensure a better quality of life for future generations. They are increasingly embraced by organizations and businesses as they foster societal and environmental well-being while providing significant advantages to the companies themselves.

Many organizations integrate SDGs into their strategies to enhance their reputation, attract socially responsible investors, and strengthen customer loyalty. The SDGs help businesses define their sustainability objectives, such as reducing carbon emissions, promoting gender equality, or supporting local community development. Furthermore, more buyers and partners are demanding that companies demonstrate responsibility toward society and the environment, driving the adoption of SDGs as a global standard. This highlights that sustainable operations are not only an ethical choice but also a strategic step toward long-term competitiveness and growth.

Therefore, the Social Entrepreneurship Association of Latvia (SEAL) has also turned its attention to this topic and, using the SDG Impact Assessment Tool, analyzed which sustainability goals align with the organization’s activities.

Three Sustainable Development Goals most closely align with SEAL’s activities – 8, 10, and 17.

Eighth SDG focuses on decent work and economic growth. Economic growth should serve as a positive driving force in every country, which is why stakeholders must ensure that financial growth goes hand in hand with dignified working conditions and environmental care.

Real involvement of organizations in achieving this goal means promoting policies aimed at economic development – creating new, inclusive jobs, fostering entrepreneurship, and encouraging innovation. It also involves ensuring equal pay for women and men, including other vulnerable groups such as youth and persons with disabilities.

How Does SEAL Implement This Goal in Its Activities?

SEAL supports and provides networking opportunities for social enterprises and organizations pursuing social objectives in their daily operations. Social enterprises focus on: 1.) Employing marginalized or vulnerable groups, or 2.) Creating products or offering services for these groups.

The organization actively advocates for the interests of social entrepreneurs at institutional and political level. This includes engaging in discussions with relevant institutions on tax reliefs, legal changes affecting social entrepreneurs, grant and legal system support, and the contribution of social enterprises to the national economy.

SEAL organizes training programs and seminars for social entrepreneurs to enhance their skills in social entrepreneurship, particularly sustainable social entrepreneurship, and to improve financial literacy. These activities ensure that entrepreneurs have the knowledge and tools necessary to grow and create new and stable jobs.

In 2025, from January 15th to May, five thematic exchange visits to social enterprises in Latvia and Lithuania will take place. For more information about the event, read

By introducing social entrepreneurs to grant opportunities, various funding platforms, competitions, and promoting collaborations with large companies, SEAL supports economic growth. Additionally, SEAL provides lectures and workshops in educational institutions – schools and universities – to educate and introduce young people to social entrepreneurship. At an international level, SEAL shares its experience and knowledge with organizations across Europe.

Tenth SDG focuses on reducing inequalities. The majority of the world’s wealth is concentrated in the hands of a very narrow group of people. This situation perpetuates inequality. For all countries to prosper, equality and well-being must be accessible to everyone, regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, or economic status.

This goal sets the target of gradually achieving income growth for the financially vulnerable 40% of the world’s population by 2030, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and promoting social, economic, and political inclusion, regardless of age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.

How Does SEAL Implement This Goal in Its Activities?

The association plays a crucial role in reducing inequality by focusing on supporting and growing the social enterprise sector. The organization brings together 141 like-minded organizations, businesses, and individuals who believe in the potential of social entrepreneurship in Latvia and are ready to participate in the development and strengthening of the sector. The social enterprises supported by SEAL employ people from marginalized or vulnerable groups and promote the representation of women and other underrepresented groups in business and leadership positions.

The organization collaborates with lawmakers to ensure that the legal framework supports social enterprises that reduce inequality through their activities. This includes financial support, various regulatory measures, and fair access to resources. By promoting public understanding of the benefits social enterprises bring to society, SEAL encourages institutions and large companies to form collaborations and purchase goods from social enterprises.

In collaboration with international organizations, SEAL has the opportunity to learn from the best case studies within the European Union and beyond, with the goal of implementing these practices in Latvia.

Seventeenth SDG focuses on building partnerships to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Global goals can only be achieved by working together, as both international investments and support are needed to ensure technological development and fair access to markets, especially in developing countries.

This goal involves multilateral partnerships where countries and organizations mobilize, sharing knowledge, expertise, technologies, and financial resources to support the achievement of sustainable development goals in all countries. Not only international cooperation is essential, but also collaboration between sectors within each country – coordinating and aligning domestic policies for sustainable development.

How Does SEAL Implement This Goal in Its Activities?

SEAL collaborates with various state institutions to develop supportive policies for social entrepreneurship, ensuring alignment with national and global sustainable development strategies. It also works with non-profit organizations, NGOs, and advocacy groups to strengthen the impact of social entrepreneurship initiatives on government institutions and address common issues. SEAL is a member of the Latvian Civil Alliance and LAPAS, as well as international networks such as Euclid, ENSIE, and closely collaborates with the DIESIS network.

The organization actively participates in international projects, gaining and sharing knowledge, best practices, and resources. This promotes global understanding of the role of social entrepreneurship in sustainable development, enabling the application of newly acquired knowledge and tools to strengthen the social enterprise sector in Latvia. SEAL also collaborates with universities and research institutions that gather data on the impact of social enterprises.

This data is also presented to international partners to create a strong knowledge base for the development of common policies. The association promotes access to platforms where useful research results, success stories, and tools can be learned and shared. These resources can be used by anyone in Latvia and globally to replicate effective social entrepreneurship models.

Fill out this tool and find out how your organization or business aligns with these criteria!