Prosper BSR developed a comprehensive Training Programme to equip Business Support Organisations (BSOs) staff with the knowledge and skills needed to support refugee integration across the regions’ labour markets. The programme was prepared and tested in a transnational setting together with BSOs in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany, enabling a strong exchange of experience, closer ties between organisations and strengthening the work of these institutions.

Eight training modules form a curriculum that covers complementary aspects of refugee labour market integration, balancing theory with practical tools. Built on practitioner experience and exemplary integration models from several countries, the programme serves as a scalable approach for organisations across the Baltic Sea region.

Prosper BSR successfully transferred the programme to Business Support Organisations (BSOs) in Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The Chamber of Commerce of Poland, the Vilnius Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Craft and the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry are already applying the programme’s tool and methodologies to support refugee integration.

BSO staff are raising awareness among local companies about the benefits of hiring refugees, addressing labour shortages, and providing culturally competent, trauma-informed guidance. They are now better prepared to assess refugee skills, match them with labour market needs, and guide both employment and entrepreneurship pathways.

Thanks to the train-the-trainer approach, trained staff can now pass on their knowledge to their colleagues, extending the reach and long-term impact of Prosper BSR across the region

This joint effort resulted in a shared vision for inclusive labour markets across the four countries and the wider Baltic Sea region. It led to the signing of 24 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with chambers of commerce, ministries, NGOs, state revenue services, welfare associations, diversity development groups, innovation centres, charities, municipality and city representatives, committing them to continuing cooperation and engagement beyond the project’s lifetime.

The transnational alliance remains active and is already feeding into future initiatives. The WIN4SMEs project, funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, builds directly on Prosper BSR results and is establishing Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in the region, including opportunities for refugees.

Prosper BSR has also expanded its impact through its work with the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project BSI4Women, particularly in the field of refugee entrepreneurship.