ERASMUS+ project “Digital Financial Literacy for Microenterprises” - DIFILIM

Turiba Univeristy in cooperation with partners from Cyprus, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands started the porject DIFILIM - Digital Financial Literacy for Microenterprises. Main aim of the project is to contribute towards enhancing digital financial literacy/inclusion of European micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Most firms in European countries are SMEs, with rates exceeding 90%, whilst such countries also present very high solo self-employment shares in the EU. At the same time, the momentum for firms in these countries has not looked particularly favourable over the last decade. The rise of non-performing loans, the fragmentation in the EU financial system and the marginal availability of alternative sources of financing hinder productivity growth of firms across sectors and deter innovation and digitalization, which are perennial to the integration of enterprises to the 4th industrial revolution. Against the above background, the era of financial technology (FinTech) is changing the financial services industry at a rapid pace, with consumers and “small investors” becoming increasingly more exposed to new financial products. Managing personal finances today is more complicated and time-consuming, yet more important than ever. People need to have an ever-increasing financial awareness to effectively use products offered through digital channels. The digital age demands “digitally smart” people for their effective participation in the new economy.

The project has set the following goals:

• To contribute towards enhancing digital financial literacy/inclusion in certain European micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
• To identify digital and financial literacy needs and provide training to fill in this gap for both professional and unemployed people.
• To develop an attractive, training programme in the country language, that will allow digital financial literacy enhancement.
• To deliver a curriculum to meet the real needs of entrepreneurs in the areas of financial literacy and digital skills.
• To design and apply a curriculum to deliver skills in a combination of methods including an e-learning platform.
• To create networks at local, regional and European levels for spreading good practices of educational integration.

Planned project activities:

• Research on the needs and impact of Digital Financial Literacy on enterprises in each Partner Country;
• Guidebook of Digital Financial Literacy for Microenterprises in each Partner Language;
• Online Training Platform development in English and each Partner Language;
• Monitoring, Quality Assurance Plan and Dissemination Strategy.

Lead partner:

• Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Latvia)

Partners:

• Turiba University (Latvia)
• Cyprus University of Technology (Cyprus)
• Magnetar Ltd (Cyprus)
• Forma Camera, Special Agency of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Craft and Agriculture of Rome (Italy)
• Amadora Inovation E.M. Unipessoal Lda (Portugal)
• Stichting Incubator (The Netherlands)

DIFILIM – Digital Financial Literacy for Microenterprises

PROJECT NEWS

Project implementation period: 01.11.2021 - 31.10.2023

Contacts:
Ieva Bruksle
Project expert
Vice-dean of the Business administration faculty
ieva.bruksle@turiba.lv
Kristīne Tihanova
Project manager
Head of project department
kristine.tihanova@turiba.lv
+371 67625371

Project is co-financed by ERASMUS+ programme.
Project number: 2021-1-LV01-KA220-ADU-000028225