Kiri

From: Olga Gnezdovski <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, February 17, 2025 10:38 AM
To: Prince Sandra EDA PRISA <[email protected]>; Liechti Evelin EDA STEEV <[email protected]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] SSIP Component 4 - approval request for participation in the event outside the EU-13/Switzerland

 

……….. 

 

Dear all,

 

Hereby I’m sending a request regarding participation at a coming study visit to Norway on March 31^st – April 3^rd, 2025. The aim of the study visit is to meet and network with Norwegian social enterprises to gather good practices regarding social innovation, including in the field on integration, and find collaboration opportunities. 

 

The study visit is organized by the Estonian Network of Social Enterprises within an international collaboration project “One vision: Integrating profit and social impact in Estonia and Norway”, partnering with SESAM  - Centre for social entrepreneurship and collaborative social innovation (University of South-Eastern Norway) and Impact Hub AGDER (Norway). 

 

National Foundation of Civil Society (NFCS) is partnering with the Estonian Network of Social Enterprises in an ESF+ funded project on developing the Estonian Social Innovation Competence Center. The NFCS carries a role as the competence center coordinator, both within the project and within the network. 

Within the NFCS, the Swiss-Estonian Cooperation Program Social Innovation Component works closely together with the Estonian Social Innovation Competence Center team and partners, to ensure mutual learning and achievement of project goals effectively and sustainably. Within this collaboration we have actively taken part of Estonian Network of Social Enterprises “Estonia vs Norway: Supporting Social Enterprises” project activities (e.g. webinars) and have been invited to participate in the study visit. 

 

Within the Swiss-Estonian Cooperation Program Social Innovation Component, two activities directly related to the study visit are: 

• * Organizing workshops on Nordic countries’ best practices in integrating new immigrants and refugees 

• * Collecting, systematizing and sharing best practices on social innovation and social entrepreneurshi 

 

The study visit aims to organize personalized meetings with Norwegian organizations of interest for mutual learning. To ensure that, a meeting with the study visits’ Norwegian main organizer – Lise Arvesen from Effektlab - took place on February 11^th, where our interest in meeting organizations that have successfully and effectively supported new immigrants and refugees was expressed and received confirmation that the field of integration is also important for them, and within the scope of the study visit, one aim will be to get acquainted with good examples and Norwegian counterparts from the field of integration. 

 

Regarding the Swiss-Estonian Cooperation Program Social Innovation Component activities, this is a great and important opportunity to get to know Norwegian good examples in integration, to network and establish collaboration opportunities to integrate these good examples and key actors into our workshops in Estonia. 

 

A detailed schedule of the study visit is yet to arrive, an overview of the general agenda is as follows: 

• * April 1, 2025 (Tuesday)      

SHE Conference: Full-day attendance at the SHE Conference (offers a possibility to set up one-on-one meetings with participants and speakers) 

• * April 2, 2025 (Wednesday)         

Workshop on Social Innovation: Concluding session for the series of webinars on social innovation. Includes collaborative activities, presentations, and discussions. 

• * April 3, 2025 (Thursday)         

Free Day (Optional): Participants can organize individual meetings with Norwegian counterparts etc. 

  

Please consider the following request for approval of work assignments abroad suitable for the program. 

 

Participants: Sandra Paulus, Swiss-Estonian Cooperation Program Social Innovation component coordinator 

Date and place: 31.03. – 03.04.2025 Oslo, Norway  

Event: collaboration project “One vision: Integrating profit and social impact in Estonia and Norway” study visit 

Overview of the event: attending SHE conference (Europe’s largest social sustainability conference) and networking with participants, attending a workshop on social innovation and taking part of collaborative activities, setting up and attending individual meetings with Norwegian counterparts regarding integrating new immigrants and refugees with social innovation and social entrepreneurship methods. 

Purpose for participating mutual learning, networking and establishing collaboration opportunities to bring Norwegian best practices in integrating new immigrants and refugees to Estonia, within the scope of the Swiss-Estonian Cooperation Program Social Innovation Component activities (workshops and gathering and disseminating best practices). 

Costs: 200 euros (daily subsidies). Accommodation, travel insurance, flight tickets, travelling to and from airports are covered by the organizers of the study visit. 

 

 

Thank you in advance,

 

	Sandra Paulus Koordinaator Tel : +372 5232 883 SA Kodanikuühiskonna Sihtkapital Vabaduse plats 2, Viljandi (III korrus)