From 14 to 18 October, Latvia celebrated the sixth annual Social Entrepreneurship Week under the motto “Developing Social Entrepreneurship Together!”. The week was dedicated to strengthening the social economy and promoting the development of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Latvia. The programme featured two masterclasses, a youth event, and a conference titled “Opportunities and Challenges for the Development of the Social Economy”.
The conference, held on 17 October, served as the central event of the week, bringing together experts and stakeholders to discuss the development perspectives of Latvia’s social economy. Participants attended expert presentations, took part in a panel discussion, and contributed ideas for the upcoming Social Economy Plan 2025–2029.
Opening the conference, Minister of Welfare Uldis Augulis highlighted:
“Latvia currently has 230 social enterprises, and this number continues to grow. The social economy plays an important role in our national economy; therefore, it is crucial not only to develop this sector but also to foster closer cooperation between entrepreneurs, associations, municipalities, and public institutions.”
Providing a European perspective, Miia Rossi-Gray, representative of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, emphasised that the strength of the social economy lies in its ability to unite enterprises, associations, and cooperatives around a shared goal — promoting inclusion and well-being.
She noted that in the social economy, profit is a means, not an end, and through collaboration, it is possible to build a resilient and sustainable economic model that benefits everyone. Each EU Member State contributes to this goal by developing its own strategy to strengthen the social economy.
Imants Lipskis, Director of the Labour Market Policy Department at the Ministry of Welfare and Chair of the Social Enterprise Commission, together with Regita Zeiļa, Director of the Latvian Social Entrepreneurship Association, shared their vision for the future development of the social economy in Latvia. The presentations were complemented by Alda Sebre, Director of the Social Cohesion Department at the Society Integration Foundation, who spoke about the role of social innovations in solving social challenges and fostering economic growth.
During the panel discussion “The Development Potential of the Social Economy in Latvia”, participants explored ideas, challenges, and possible solutions to strengthen cooperation among stakeholders and promote Latvia’s economic growth through socially responsible business models.
In the second part of the conference, participants joined three thematic working groups:
Legal Framework, Responsibilities and Supervision
Access to the Labour Market and Social Inclusion
Development of Systems Supporting the Social Economy
The groups were moderated by Edgars Čerkovskis, Inga Muižniece, and Liene Reine-Miteva.
All participants were encouraged to contribute actively and provide proposals for the upcoming Social Economy Plan.
The events of Social Entrepreneurship Week confirmed that engagement, ideas, and experience-sharing are key drivers for the sector’s growth in Latvia.
The Social Entrepreneurship Week was organised with the support of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) project “Support for Social Entrepreneurship” (No. 4.3.3.3/1/24/I/001).
