INTERREG FEM Seminar in Sigulda July , 13 - 14, 2007

1. INTERREG FEM Seminar in SiguldaJuly, 13 -14,2007 Latvia coordinator: Baiba Rivža

3. 6 Resource centrs in: Jelgava; Bauska; Cēsis; Talsi; Ludza; Preiļi; 17 Meeting places: Liepāja; Ventspils; Tukums; Limbaži; Valmiera; Gulbene; Madona; Alūksne; Balvi; Krāslava; Daugavpils Jēkabpils Aizkraukle; Dobele; Rēzekne; Valka; Saldus. WP 1

4. WP 1 • RC and MP started to work as closely connected net • RC advisor/consulter groups are additionally recruited with new members (in business organization, accountancy, legislation, project writing, e-commerce, NGO organization, home-craft). • 10 persons from Latvia (RC leaders, WP leaders and mentors) participates in transnational meeting in Poland (2007) • Meetings with Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Education - information of activities in FEM project and needed support. • Manual for practical work

5. WP 1:

6. WP 2 • Creation of database of women - existing and potential entrepreneurs. • Creation of joint strategy and action plan in Latvia • Creation the concept of the project Web-page • Organization national seminars in Riga and educational seminars in Latvia for near 4000 entrepreneurs • Participation in meetings with other WP coordinators and project leaders in Latvia • Latvian entrepreneur take place in international expo INTERTEXTIL Balticum 2007 • Dissemination of information in near 20 different meetings • Meeting with minister of economic J. Strods, secretary of state D. Lucaua, authority of LHZB bank V. Pučka

8. WP 3 • Developed questionnaires and selected Mentees and Mentors on the basis of questionnaires in the Zemgale, Vidzeme, Kurzeme and Latgale regions; • Created data basis of existing and potential mentors; • Collected and analyzed 100 questionnaires of existing and potential Mentees and 60 questionnaires of existing and potential Mentors of all regions of Latvia – Zemgale, Vidzeme, Kurzeme, Latgale; • Formed 21 mentoring pairs and 3 groups • Regular meetings, common seminars, consultancies and support (about 15 mentoring seminars in all regions); • Training in mentoring and different branches connected with entrepreneurship (management, legislation, communication, finances, etc.); • Monitoring and evaluation of results of mentoring cooperation (interviews with 10 mentors 15 and mentees)

9. WP 3 • 4 FEM Mentors of the event “Mentor of the Year 2006” received rewards (Nelda Bailīte, Zeltīte Kaviere, Eleonora Maisaka, Vija Ancāne); 2 Mentors of of the event “Mentor of the Year 2007” received awards – Astrīda Vītola – mentor for micro-credit group in Iecava and Inara Vasilevska – pair mentor in Preili (Latgale region); • Developed mentoring manual; • Information providing for TV, other mass media (near 30 publications in newspapers) • 6 scientific articles and 12 presentations in seminars and international conferences in Latvia, Finland, Denmark, Poland, etc. • Mentoring is included in the National plan for development of Latvia for the years 2007. – 2013 as one of the priorities in creating new competitive enterprises, creation of unite and efficient support system for business launching (mentor consultations, finance supporting – “first seed grants", net supporting, seed grants, micro credits, investments guarantees, risk capital funding, resource centers etc.).

10. WP 3:

11. Mentor Nelda Bailīte received award „Mentor of the Year” from association „Līdere”, December, 2005

12. Project coordinator professor Baiba Rivza in mentoring seminar in Skulte, summer 2006.

13. WP 4 • Established 31 new microcredit group (99 women) in 17 of 26 administrative districts and 10 (38 women) are in the last stage of preparing; established data base about these groups • Organized almost 100 microcredit seminars Latgale, Zemgale, Vidzeme, Kurzeme regions • Organized meetings with leaders others WP • Consultations about microcredit and business plan (~90 women) • Networking groups leaders training (~80 women) • Information in newspapers, in Radio company and TV 3 company about FEM project activities • Organized meetings with business women and NGO • Cooperation with 5 countries –Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden • Meetings with banks, municipalities, with ministries and president • Established new foundation –“Women’s entrepreneur support foundation” • Participation in transnational meetings (the last one in Poland (2007)

14. WP 4: Total: 137 women are involved in microcredit groups

15. WP 5 • Creation the national database of women - entrepreneurs in Latvia based on Latvia Rural Women Association (LLSA) web page: www.llsa.lv/FEM, list of entrepreneurs with photos of their products. • Information in international web page: www.feminfo.net, presentations of women entrepreneurs of Latvia, new contacts and development skills for internationalization for participants of WP 5 • Educational seminars about starting and developing of entrepreneurship, marketing, e-commerce, international contacts etc. for women: more than 30 seminars in Latvia with about 650 participants. • Network with other WP on national and international level: meetings with leaders of other WP, contacts by e-mail and phone, workshops. • Participation in national and transnational meetings. • Preparing and publishing book “Business of Rural Crafstmen in Latvia” with 120 pages in 4 languages: Latvian, English, German and Russian. • Dissemination of information in 30 local newspapers all over of the Latvia, national and regional TV, different national, local and international meetings. • Training for starting marketing and e-trade – attended by 195 women • Summary of women’s experience participated in the project (by questionnaires in the internet) • Final report for the future concerning women’s business internationalisation

16. Summary In all regions of Latvia: • 6 Resource centers • 17 Meeting places • 41 microcredit groups • 21 mentoring pairs/3 groups

17. Information materials

18. Thank You for attention!