This case study presents Estonia’s Adaptation and Integration Measure, an initiative funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). It addressed issues around the integration of immigrants and less-integrated permanent residents through targeted, innovative services. The project supported language learning, cultural immersion and digital access via platforms like “settleinestonia.ee”. It targeted migrants from Ukraine, Belarus, Nigeria, and EU countries, offering modular, multilingual services tailored to regional and demographic needs. The initiative promoted social cohesion, labour market inclusion, and access to education, with nearly 90% of participants reporting improved language and cultural skills. Key features include seasonal and regional adaptation, cross-sectoral collaboration and flexible resource allocation. ESF support ensured the project’s scalability, continuity and adaptability, while enhancing service quality through stakeholder training and mid-term evaluations.
The Adaptation and Integration Measure in Estonia
Abstract
The social economy in Estonia is emerging, even if it operates without a comprehensive national framework. In 2021, 160 social enterprises were active, employing 1 693 individuals and generating EUR 49 million in revenue (OECD, 2023[1]). These entities are mainly non-profit organisations (68.1%), private limited companies (26.9%), and foundations (5%). Although existing legislation like the Non-Profit Associations Act offers legal structures for non-profit organisations, Estonia does not have a comprehensive legal framework to fully regulate the social economy. Despite this gap, the sector is experiencing growth, with revenues rising by 53% in 2021 compared to 2014.
Estonia promotes social innovation through a mix of public initiatives and sectoral programmes, such as “Vision 2030 for social innovation”, implemented by the National Foundation of Civil Society and its partners. While there is no dedicated strategy or law for social innovation, the Estonian Social Enterprise Network (ESEN) plays an important role in supporting innovative practices within the social economy (OECD, 2023[1]). The country's initiatives focus on "Policy Making for Social Innovation," promoting experimental approaches through targeted efforts, such as the Adaptation and Integration Measure (Civitta Easti AS, 2019[2]). This programme aligns with Estonia’s broader goals for social cohesion, using tools such as multilingual platforms (Estonian, English and Russian) and modular training to integrate migrants.
Estonia received EUR 694 million in ESF funding between 2014 and 2020 – including both EU and national co-financing – representing 11% of the country’s total European Structural and Investment Funds allocation (European Commission, 2025[3]). These funds have supported various areas, including sustainable employment, education and vocational training, social inclusion, and effective public administration. ESF programmes, along with additional funding from the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU) and the European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI), have helped in implementing initiatives like the Adaptation and Integration Measure.
In Estonia, the ESF+ is managed at national level by the Ministry of Finance and the State Shared Service Centre, which acts as the Managing Authority. According to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060), both bodies oversee the National Programme for Cohesion Policy Funds. As illustrated in Figure 1There are seven Intermediary Bodies, including six 1st level Intermediary Bodies, which are ministries that design the measures and conditions for support. The 2nd level Intermediary Body, the State Shared Service Centre, is responsible for organising calls for the proposals, controlling payment claims, managing reports of the beneficiaries, and carrying out on-the-spot checks of these projects. At the regional level, there are 79 municipalities in Estonia, which can apply for support from the national calls (through the 2nd level Intermediary Body) or from the international calls (directly from the European Commission).
Source: Authors’ own elaboration based on information provided by Estonia.
The Adaptation and Integration Measure promotes integration through targeted activities, such as language learning, cultural immersion, and digital service platforms. This EUR 19.4 million project addresses the dual challenge of integrating immigrants and supporting less integrated residents, coming mostly from Ukraine, Belarus, Finland and Latvia (Voog et al., 2024[4]). The project specifically targets new immigrants and less-integrated permanent residents who face linguistic, cultural, and social barriers. It aims to equip participants with language skills, cultural understanding, and access to employment and education opportunities, fostering social cohesion and reducing isolation.
The project innovatively tailors services to new immigrants and less integrated permanent residents. This involves cross-sectoral collaboration among ministries, private entities, and NGOs. Tools like the multilingual platform settleinestonia.ee provide centralised resources, while activities such as language clubs and cultural immersion enhance engagement. Seasonal adaptation aligns services with migration trends, and regional adaptation targets high-immigration areas. The programme influences national policy and demonstrates flexibility in reallocating budgets to meet high demand for language learning. High participation satisfaction reflects its effectiveness, with 85.5% of newly arrived immigrants reporting improved language skills and cultural knowledge (Voog et al., 2024[4]).
The main challenges included fragmented services and limited awareness. Some integration activities lacked coherence, due to insufficient coordination among providers. A lack of clarity in stakeholder roles, combined with technical issues in immigrant registration systems, led to inefficiencies. Non-participation stemmed from limited awareness among target groups, inconvenient schedules, and perceived irrelevance of activities. Short-term contracts driven by procurement processes further disrupted the continuity of programmes.
Solutions focused on modular approaches, collaboration, and enhanced participant engagement. The project used modular programmes tailored to regional and demographic needs. Platforms like settleinestonia.ee centralised information, while language clubs, cultural immersion activities, and multilingual resources enhanced accessibility. Collaboration among stakeholders was reinforced through networking seminars, aligning objectives across the public, private, and third sectors. While awareness campaigns improved outreach and programme visibility, feedback from participants facilitated alignment with beneficiaries’ needs. Budget reallocations also expanded popular initiatives like free Estonian language courses, demonstrating adaptability to demand.
ESF funding supported the scaling, continuity and adaptability of the Measure. The EUR 19.4 million budget, of which 85% was funded by the ESF, enabled the implementation of six core activities, including multilingual platforms, welcome programmes and integration courses (Civitta Easti AS, 2019[2]). This funding supported innovations, such as modular language learning programmes and cultural immersion activities. ESF resources also financed capacity-building initiatives like training and study visits for service providers, enhancing programme delivery. Additionally, ESF funding facilitated mid-term evaluations, refining strategies to facilitate efficiency, effectiveness and continuity.
References
[2] Civitta Easti AS (2019), Mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the ESF’s Adaptation and Integration Action or the period 2014-2018, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Culture.
[3] European Commission (2025), “Cohesion Open Data Platform - Estonia”, https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/countries/EE/14-20 (accessed on 15 January 2025).
[1] OECD (2023), “Country Fact Sheet: Estonia”, https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/topics/policy-sub-issues/social-economy-and-social-innovation/country-fact-sheets/country-fact-sheet-estonia.pdf (accessed on 15 January 2025).
[4] Voog, A. et al. (2024), “Integration Monitoring Report 2023 in Estonia”.
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