Entrepreneurship support measures in the Zemgale Planning Region

Project facts

Project promoter:

Zemgale Planning Region(LV)

Project Number:

LV-LOCALDEV-0003

Status:

Completed

Final project cost:

€91,095,785

Donor Project Partners:

Innovation Circle network(NO)

Other Project Partners

Jekabpils City municipality(LV)

Jelgava City municipality(LV)

Programme:

Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Cultural Cooperation

More information

Description

Project objective

To reduce social and economic disparities between the local governments of the Zemgale Planning Region (ZPR), strengthening the capacity of specialists and entrepreneurs and creating mechanisms for the development of innovation and business in the region.

Target groups: municipalities, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organizations, including organizations representing employers, children and young people, schools and educators.

Main activities: 1. Strengthening the capacity of the entrepreneurship centre and local governments. 2. Regional marketing promotion activities. 3. Regional mentoring of youth entrepreneurship. 4. Support to increase employment and competitiveness, implementing region-specific activities 5. Publicity.

Results:

19 professional employees trained;
entrepreneurship support capacity strengthened for 50% of local governments;
entrepreneurship support capacity of the ZPR strengthened;
2 experience exchange visits to Norway;
6 training courses for the specialists of local governments;
3 business situation games for the business specialists;
38 enterprises supported with strengthened operational capacity;
50% of local governments involved in regional promotion activities;
2 trade missions organised;
12 support days for local entrepreneurs organised;
participation in 3 international exhibitions;
6 training courses for entrepreneurs organised;
40 seminars organised for entrepreneurs;
10 persons supported for the development of local enterprises;
the Youth Career Consultation and Motivation Centre of Jelgava City equipped;
10 business idea generation workshops for young people in schools;
3 business idea competitions for young people;
the creation and maintenance of the co-creation area for young business talents;
2 new ideas implemented (region-specific solutions):
1 market for local manufacturers created in Jekabpils City;
4 video tours created for the popularisation of Zemgale tourism entrepreneurship.

Summary of project results

There were several issues or challenges in the project: to reduce social and economic disparities among the municipalities of the Zemgale Planning Region by strengthening the capacity of specialists and entrepreneurs and creating mechanisms for innovation and business development in the region.

Project main activities:

1. Strengthening the capacity of the entrepreneurship centre and local governments of the ZPR.

There were organized trainings and simulation games to strengthen the capacity of entrepreneurship specialists. There were organized 2 change of experience visits to Norway entrepreneurship supporting institutions.

Business support capacity were strengthened in municipalities – 100% of 6 municipalities.
Trainings for municipal specialists – 6 (sessions) - 31 individual persons trained. Technical capacity was strengthened of Zemgale Business support centre – 1 centre.

2. Regional marketing promotion activities.

In scope of this activity the capacity of the companies of the region were strengthened. The activity involved working with entrepreneurs to provide new knowledge (including training sessions and seminars on current topics), participating in trade missions, including to Norway, and attending international exhibitions to explore new markets. There were organized local entrepreneur promotion days to connect with new entrepreneurs in Zemgale, thereby offering services and collaboration opportunities to foster the development of the business environment in the region.

A significant sub-activity was the promotion of the Zemgale business environment and the attraction of new investors, which included creating video clips, paid publications, and other initiatives to stimulate investor interest in Zemgale.

Supported companies with strengthened operational capacity – 43. Participation in 2 trade missions and 3 exhibitions or international conferences was facilitated. 12 local entrepreneur promotion days were organized. Two video materials and two publications were developed about the business environment and industrial areas of Zemgale.

3. Regional mentoring of youth entrepreneurship.

As part of the activity, business idea generation workshops were organized in schools to encourage young people to think about business, create new ideas, and become familiar with support institutions and their activities in the region and Latvia. For those young people who already have ideas and wish to start their own businesses, 2 Business Idea Competitions were organized to support the beginning of commercial activities. The goal was to motivate young people to start businesses and foster the generation of business ideas in region-specific fields.

As part of the competition, training sessions were organized for both the participants and other young entrepreneurial talents, providing them with the opportunity to work in the established co-working space. This offered the chance to create a new community of entrepreneurs, gain experience, share knowledge, and learn to collaborate. To strengthen cooperation, inspiration events and networking sessions were organized.

As a project result there was established and equipped Jelgava City Youth Career Counseling and Motivation Center for the development of the Zemgale region. Business Idea Competitions were organized, in year 2022 – 61 young participants and in year 2024 – 70 participants from the whole Zemgale region. Youngsters participated in 8 inspiration events – 193 participants in total and 15 idea generation workshops were organized. Co-working space was equipped and designed located in Jelgava City.

4. Support to increase employment and competitiveness, implementing region-specific activities

The aim of the activity was to strengthen the capacity of existing businesses and create mechanisms to reduce unemployment and promote entrepreneurship in the region. Within the framework of the activity, Jēkabpils Municipality, as a project partner, established a local producers'' market in the city of Jēkabpils. This initiative fosters the growth of local producers and crafts, promote cultural and gastronomic tourism in Jēkabpils Municipality and surrounding areas (including Aknīste, Jēkabpils, Krustpils, Sala, and Viesīte Municipalities, among others), and stimulates economic activity in the Zemgale region.

Additionally, to promote tourism entrepreneurship, 5 video tours were created for less developed municipalities in Zemgale Planning Region (ZPR), including border areas. It is planned that the implementation of this initiative will encourage an influx of tourists and increase demand for new services in these municipalities, such as catering, accommodation, and other services.

5. Publicity.

The aim of this activity was to ensure and adhere to the visual identity and publicity requirements of the program, including the preparation of paid publications and publicity events.

Three publicity events during the project:

Project launch event (1): Representatives of municipalities, business support groups, entrepreneurs, and project partners were invited to introduce the planned activities and objectives of the project.
Co-working space launch event (1): Designed as a publicity event to encourage youth participation and interest in entrepreneurship initiatives.
Project closing event (1): Representatives of municipalities, business support groups, entrepreneurs, and project partners were invited to showcase the project’s achieved results and explore opportunities for collaboration with the Zemgale Planning Region (ZPR).

During the project implementation time about 100 social media news were posted, 23 press releases, 6 paid articles, 87 articles in project partners’ home pages were published.

Business support capacity was strengthened in municipalities – 100% of 6 municipalities.
Trainings for municipal specialists – 6 (sessions) - 31 individual persons trained. Technical capacity was strengthened of Zemgale Business support centre – 1 centre. The capacity of entrepreneurship specialists were strengthened. There were organized 2 change of experience visits to Norway entrepreneurship supporting institutions, the impact was – new networks, project ideas, new working methods with entrepreneurs and new supporting tools were introduced.

The impact was: strengthened capacity and performance of businesses in the region. As part of the activity, work with entrepreneurs was organized to ensure the acquisition of new knowledge (including training sessions and seminars on current topics), participation in trade missions, including in Norway, and participation in international exhibitions to explore and access new markets.

Jelgava City Youth Career Counseling and Motivation Center was developed and equiped for the development of the Zemgale region. Business Idea Competitions were organized, in year 2022 – 61 young participants and in year 2024 – 70 participants from the whole Zemgale region. Youngsters participated in 8 inspiration events – 193 participants in total and 15 idea generation workshops were organized. Co-working space was equipped and designed located in Jelgava City.

The impact of this activity was that young people were encouraged to engage in entrepreneurship. Within the framework of the activity, the municipality of Jelgava City, as a project partner, established a Youth Career Consultation and Motivation Center in Jelgava, including the purchase of necessary equipment. In this center, qualified specialists offer young people theoretical knowledge about starting a business, practical skills in business plan development, and competencies in applying ICT in entrepreneurship.

These activities motivated young people to start their own businesses, the priority was given to enhancing their individual skills, particularly digital skills and digital leadership, which are crucial tools in today''s economic and business environment. The center''s services will be accessible to all youth in the region.

As part of the activity, business idea generation workshops were organized in schools to encourage students to think about entrepreneurship, create new ideas, and familiarize themselves with support institutions and their operations in the region and across Latvia. For young people who already have ideas and wish to start their own businesses, Business Idea Competitions were held to support business creation.

The goal is to motivate young people to engage in entrepreneurship and promote the generation of business ideas in areas specific to the region. Within the competition framework, both participants and other emerging entrepreneurial talents had access to established Jelgava City Youth Career Counseling and Motivation Center.

This provided a platform for building a new entrepreneurial community, gaining experience, sharing insights, and learning to collaborate. To further strengthen cooperation, inspirational events and networking sessions were also be organized.

Jēkabpils Municipality, as a project partner, established a local producers'' market in the city of Jēkabpils. This initiative fosters the growth of local producers and crafts, promote cultural and gastronomic tourism in Jēkabpils Municipality and surrounding areas (including Aknīste, Jēkabpils, Krustpils, Sala, and Viesīte Municipalities, among others), and stimulates economic activity in the Zemgale region.

During the project implementation time about 100 social media news were posted, 23 press releases, 6 paid articles, 87 articles in project partners’ home pages were published. The aim of this activity was to ensure and adhere to the visual identity and publicity requirements of the program, including the preparation of paid publications and publicity events.

Summary of bilateral results

a.How the project benefited from having a donor project partner?Our project international partner was from Norway – NGO Innovation circle network. Zemgale Planning region has cooperated with this organization also in other projects and for long time of period, since 2007. Cooperation with NGO Innovation circle network was successful, project team and target groups were satisfied with organized visits in Norway. Also, NGO representatives were satisfied with possibility to participate in trade missions and Norwegian specialists were glad to hear the presentations from our Zemgale region NGOs. Our international partner visited Zemgale region schools and that was good experience for our pupils how to present business idea in English, how to learn things differently, how to cooperate. b.Describe the main results from a bilateral level.NGO Innovation circle network organized 2 visits in Norway. Norwegian partner organized 2 trade missions in Norway. Our international partner visited Zemgale region schools and that was good experience for our pupils how to present business idea in English, how to learn things differently, how to cooperate. c.Plans to continue the bilateral cooperation.We have received invitation from NGO Innovation circle network to participate in another project.

Information on the projects funded by the EEA and Norway Grants is provided by the Programme and Fund Operators in the Beneficiary States, who are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of this information.