What are the challenges and opportunities for Latvia in social impact investment? The topic was discussed in September in Riga at a stakeholders meeting organised by the Social Entrepreneurship Association (SEAL) of Latvia and in which the EIB Institute, together with the EIF participated.
Social entrepreneurship, as such, started being discussed in Latvia ten years ago and a law on social entrepreneurship is currently being drafted and will enter into force in January 2018. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Latvian Business Angel Network, the Ministry of Welfare, and New Door (an accelerator programme), among others. Madara Ūlande, Director of SEAL, opened the meeting (click here for presentation) before handing over to Cyril Gouiffes (EIF) (click here for presentation) and two researchers from the Stockholm School of Economics who presented the potential for developing a social impact investment market in Latvia (click here for presentation). Their presentations were followed by a lively discussion with all of the participants.
The 2017 edition of the Institute’s Social Innovation Tournament also took place on 21 September in Riga, in cooperation with SEAL and the Latvian Ministry of Welfare.
