The program area

Programs eligible regions are located in Estonia, Finland, including the Åland Islands, Latvia and Sweden.

The eligible areas in Latvia cover Kurzeme, Riga, its metropolitan area ("core" regions), Vidzeme and Zemgale ("extra" regions).

The program aim is to promote the sustainable growth of the region, achieving a balance between economic and environmental interests. The program has identified four priority areas:

1. Increasing the Competitiveness of SMEs", which will contribute to the Central Baltic sea region as a knowledge-based innovative regional economic development by supporting new businesses and promoting the region's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in entering international markets. In addition, the Programme focuses on youth entrepreneurial activities increase from the early school years, as well as building bridges between different generations of entrepreneurs.
2. Environmental preservation and conservation of resources and the efficient use of them" target task is to jointly develop and introduce new, innovative methods and technologies to protect the Baltic Sea and to reduce pollution resulting from waste, hazardous substances and toxins in the inlet. The aim is also to maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal zone management, the protection of the region's total unique natural and cultural heritage, promote sustainable use of the marine ecosystem, as well as to improve urban planning and management.
3. Promotion of sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in key network infrastructures” in order to improve access to the region. This has a direct impact on the entire region's economic activity. This includes the purpose of supporting an integrated "green" multi-modal transport system planning, as well as to establish and develop a better urban environment in order to enhance regional sustainable urban development. In order to improve the region's regional and local mobility as well as to increase the attractiveness of the region in terms of attendance, program will support sustainable development of small ports in the Baltic Sea.
4. Investments in education and training, including vocational training, in order to ensure the development of skills and life-long learning by developing education and training infrastructure" provides abundant region-building, strengthening local communities and improving human skills, knowledge and welfare of the people (especially young people and elder)

Overall funding for this program is EUR 65 650 000,00.

Beneficiaries: National, regional and local authorities to set up institutions; planning regions and the bodies set up; Non-governmental organizations; public equivalent bodies.

The amount of aid: the ERDF co-financing rate Latvian project partners are 85% of the eligible costs of the project itself but the total eligible cost "ceiling" is not currently defined.