Impact Hub Liepāja community invites NGOs from all over Latvia, especially from Liepāja and South Kurzeme region, to apply for the free three-month NGO Growth Incubator Programme.
The aim of the programme is to boost the skills and ambitions of NGO leaders and developers, both in terms of recruiting members and partners, and in acquiring financial resources.
NGO leaders, managers and board members are encouraged to apply by 6 April by filling in the application form
The target group of the Growth Incubator Programme is managers, leaders, and founders of non-governmental organisations in any sector from Latvia, particularly Liepāja and South Kurzeme region, focused on growth and self-development. The programme will welcome a total of 10 NGOs, with 1-3 representatives from each. Participants of the NGO Growth Incubator Programme will be selected following a questionnaire, which will assess the motivation for participation in the programme, the ambition of the organisation to achieve its goals, and the willingness to cooperate. Participation in the incubator programme is free of charge.
There are more than 1100 registered NGOs in Liepāja alone, representing a great variety of sectors and cross-sectors such as sport and culture, entrepreneurship, social services, real estate management and infrastructure, religion, environment and climate, support for different age groups, etc. It should be made clear that the NGO sector has a huge impact, not only in terms of jobs, added value for the environment and society, but also in terms of financial turnover on the market and attracting investment to a given region. Through the NGO Growth Incubator Programme, we aim to strengthen both existing NGOs and support the establishment and development of new ones.
The Growth Incubator Programme is intended to last three months and is split into six modules or topics. Each module will focus on meetings with the module leader, both on the practical aspects of the topic and on discussions on the details of the topic. An important feature of each module is that the participants work under the constant supervision of a coach, thus ensuring practical benefits in terms of financial capacity building for NGOs. At the end of the cycle, participants will present their progress and performance indicators.
According to data published by the "Latvian Civic Alliance", of the registered and active NGOs, only about 50% are financially active. Regrettably, the situation in the NGO sector in the Kurzeme region and Liepāja is weaker than the national average, which confirms the importance of promoting the growth of NGOs by attracting funding from members, international programmes, and economic activities. The Growth Incubator Programme will not only enable participants to develop or improve their organisation's strategy and goals, create an international cooperation and publicity plan, and create a roadmap of the organisation's resources, but also to work towards creating a revenue plan and identifying and attracting resources such as people, space, materials, and finance.
The NGO Growth Incubator Programme is implemented by the "Impact Hub" in cooperation with "NEXT", "Kurzeme Business Incubator" and "Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry".