In a rapidly changing world, social problems are becoming increasingly diverse and complex, and innovative solutions are essential. Social enterprises and NGOs play a crucial role in the development and promotion of social innovation. They meet social needs in various sectors that the state or market cannot.

A study titled “Comparative analysis of social innovators in the Zemgale region and Northern Lithuania” was conducted this year to identify social innovators in Latvia (specifically in the Zemgale region) and Northern Lithuania (specifically in the municipalities of Rokiškis, Biržai, Pasvalys, Kupiškis, and Panevėžys), to understand their fields of activity, impact, legal framework, strengths, and challenges. In the first phase, 95 potential social innovators were identified in Zemgale and 134 in Northern Lithuania, while more in-depth research was carried out on social innovators with high social innovation potential – 25 in Zemgale and 59 in Northern Lithuania.

The study was implemented by the Social Entrepreneurship Association of Latvia together with the Lithuanian Social Business Association, Zemgale Planning Region and Administration of Rokiškis District Municipality within the framework of the Interreg VI-A Latvia-Lithuania Programme 2021-2027 project “Improving the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Zemgale and Northern Lithuania” (RE:IMPACT).

Strengths

Although social innovators face various challenges in their work, they have identified their strengths. The first and most important is flexibility – the organizations represented by social innovators are often micro and small, which allows them to be very flexible and react quickly to various situations. The ability and need to cooperate with different stakeholders – local government, local organisations, ministries and local communities – is also a strength of social innovators. Some of the social innovators identified in the study cooperate with more than ten
partners, for example, 30 municipalities and other organizations.

It should also be emphasized that one of the most important strengths of social innovators in both Zemgale and Northern Lithuania is their ability to respond to the needs of residents – especially those that local authorities or national institutions have neglected or not fully met.

Fields of Activity

Social innovators in both Latvia and Lithuania work in various sectors, addressing social problems in different areas. Very often, their activities are focused on solving social problems related to socially vulnerable groups. For example, in Northern Lithuania, there is “Solidarumo kava” – a cafe where people with intellectual disabilities work. In Zemgale, the social enterprise “Līgotnes LM”; has created a family-type social care center for the elderly and people with special needs.

The most active areas are education, culture, arts and tourism. There are also many social innovators in the social care, social services and health sectors in both regions, filling gaps in services that are not sufficiently provided by national or local authorities.

Social innovators are also active in agriculture, manufacturing, accommodation and catering, but these sectors still have potential for development. However, social innovation is lacking in areas such as construction, wholesale and retail trade, transport, information and communication, and financial and insurance activities.

In the field of education, social innovators most often cover formal and non-formal education, creating innovative learning products or materials for various target groups. For example, the social enterprise “Barboleta” in Jelgava has created an innovative learning method for children – a balance board that helps them concentrate and learn better. Another social enterprise in Jelgava – “BJMK Rokskola” – offers the only rock music education in Latvia and provides alternative music education in a supportive environment to help young people discover the joy of composing.

The study also reveals differences between the regions – in Northern Lithuania, social innovators work in agriculture, while in Zemgale this field is not particularly popular. Work in agriculture is very often linked to reducing unemployment among socially vulnerable groups. For example, the rural community “Kairelių kaimo bendruomenė” grows strawberries and employs local residents in seasonal work, organizes “End of Work” festival, where cash prizes are awarded to the most active community members, villagers, and young people who have volunteered their time and work. Overall, the most popular areas for social innovators in Northern Lithuania are education, culture, tourism and active recreation, while in Zemgale it is social care, social services and health.

Impact and Motivation

The social impact created by social innovators in Northern Lithuania and Zemgale is very diverse – providing jobs for local residents; educating people on various topics important to the local community and wider society; creating positive conditions for the preservation and popularization of cultural heritage; providing benefits and improving the quality of life for a specific target group; preserving and improving the environment; creating a sense of community; introducing innovation.

Of course, these benefits can only be created by willing and motivated individuals. The study also explored the motivation of social innovators to start their activities – most often it is the desire to see changes in society, to benefit the whole society or a specific target group, to find effective and sustainable solutions to specific problems.

Understanding and State Support

Although the concept of social innovation and social innovator is not yet sufficiently developed in Latvia and Lithuania, and there is no separate legislation specifically addressing social innovation, a positive step has been taken in both countries – support organisations “Latvian Social Innovation Competence Centre” (SIKC) and “Lithuanian Social Innovation Cluster” have been established with the aim of developing the social innovation
ecosystem. SIKC was founded this year with the core mission to ensure that the parties involved in the social innovation process have sufficient access to the necessary competencies both in Latvia and abroad. The “Lithuanian Social Innovation Cluster”, established in 2020, is a network of socially responsible organisations and enterprises that unite, develop and strengthen organisations and enterprises that create innovative social entrepreneurship.

The study found that planning regions and municipalities are significant driving force for social innovation, as they initiate projects that are better tailored to local needs and can therefore finance the creation of social innovation in the regions. A positive example of cooperation from Zemgale should be mentioned – the Jelgava County municipality has given the former school premises free of charge to the social enterprise “Sajūtu māja”
(private primary school “Pats”), which offers innovative, child-centred primary education in the region.

Study is available

Project No. LL-00020 “Improving the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Zemgale and Northern Lithuania” or “Re:Impact” is implemented within the framework of the Interreg VI-A Latvia-Lithuania programme 2021-2027. The total budget of the project is EUR 595,286.00, including co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund of EUR 476,228.80. More about the project here.

#ReImpactProject