NORTH ROMA INSTITUTE
Who we are
North Roma Institute is an emerging practice-oriented Roma institution in the BalticNordic region (Estonia, Latvia, Finland and neighbouring countries).
We combine three elements that rarely meet in one place:
- deep, long-term trust inside Roma families and networks;
- modern education and the ability to work with governments, funds and businesses;
- a focus on concrete, economically and socially meaningful projects, not symbolic visibility.
We represent a new type of Roma leadership: educated Roma women who are recognised by their own community and able to speak equally with governments, funds and businesses. Our mandate comes from families first - institutions come second.
What we actually do
We design and run practical projects where Roma communities are not objects of integration, but minority partners in real work and real value creation.
- Economic participation - pilots in agriculture, processing, services and light industry, where Roma teams work together with experienced businesses under the institute's support.
- Civic and political participation - outreach, civic education and structured dialogue between Roma families and state institutions.
- BalticNordic cooperation - cross-border projects linking Roma communities and partners in Estonia, Latvia, Finland and the wider region.
Governments and funds face three recurring problems in Roma-related work:
1. Lack of trusted intermediaries. Many programmes fail because there is no actor who is genuinely trusted by Roma families and at the same time can deliver to institutional standards.
2. Symbolic projects instead of structural change. Festivals, visibility and training for the sake of training do not significantly change poverty, employment or participation.
3. Weak project delivery. Good intentions without operational capacity and long-term follow-up.
North Roma Institute is built to address these gaps.
We can help:
- design pilots where Roma are minority partners in real economic and civic projects;
- map community potential (skills, risks, key families) in a confidential, non-public way;
- connect local initiatives in Valga / South Estonia with BalticNordic partners and EU-level priorities.
We are especially interested in programmes such as:
- EU and national funds for social inclusion and employment;
- EEA/Norway Grants and similar schemes where Roma inclusion and cross-border cooperation are priorities;
- civic and democratic participation programmes (e.g. CERV - Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values).
For governments and funds, we are not asking for charity.
We offer a structured way to:
- turn hard-to-reach Roma communities into partners in concrete projects;
- generate serious, auditable impact in small regions;
- build a model that can be replicated across the BalticNordic space.
Many companies in smaller regions face the same issues:
- chronic labour shortages;
- high turnover and low motivation;
- pressure to demonstrate real social impact (ESG, CSR) instead of box-ticking.
At the same time, Roma communities are often seen only as a social problem, not as a potential workforce or business partner.
What North Roma Institute offers to companies
We act as a bridge and risk-buffer between your company and Roma communities. In practice this means:
- Screened and prepared teams - we help identify, prepare and support Roma workers for specific roles;
- Institutional support - we stay involved as an institutional partner, not just send people and disappear;
- Blended financing - we help combine your own investment with public measures (wage subsidies, training schemes, EU and national programmes);
- Reputation and ESG value - projects can be framed as serious social-impact initiatives, not one-off charity.
Types of projects we are interested in
We are looking for partners in sectors where Roma participation is realistic and value-adding:
- agriculture and processing: farms, berry and mushroom collection and processing, basic food processing;
- tourism and services: small hotels, catering, cleaning, maintenance, support services;
- light industry and repairs: auto repairs, small logistics units, simple production and assembly.
Our role is to help design projects where:
- the company brings operations, know-how and management;
- North Roma Institute brings Roma teams and ongoing support;
- public programmes and funds help de-risk the early stages.
How to start
If you are a company operating in Estonia, Latvia, Finland or the wider NordicBaltic region and see potential for such pilots, we are ready to talk:
info@northroma.org