Social investments in society
We Engage for Future Generations
We choose to support the projects that provide a strong and stable base for the growth of business activity, help to improve living conditions of children and youths, facilitate education and supplement the knowledge of our customers.
The Choice of Supported Projects
Upon the evaluation of the projects applying for support, we base our decisions on the unified criteria of SEB.
- We support the projects that enable active participation of us as sponsors, both by participating in the management of the project and by providing financial support.
- The projects supported by us strengthen the brand of SEB and conform to our ethical and corporate values, as well as the interests of our customers. They are targeted at the following areas that are significant to society:
Sustainable influence on the development of children and youths;
Entrepreneurship and innovation;
Education and knowledge. - We do not support natural persons, projects that facilitate social isolation and discrimination, projects that include risk elements, as well as events of a political and religious character.
- For several years we strictly observe a no gifts policy — we do not provide gifts to our customers and partners. But, by supporting youth and social organisations, we provide our customers with welfare gifts as gratitude for the contribution of a customer, donating behalf of our clients.
We invite to submit applications for sponsorship projects in writing by sending a description of the project in electronic form or by mail to the Marketing Department of SEB banka. We evaluate all received projects based on their conformity with the established criteria, as well as in the context of the existing projects and depending on the available resources. We send a written reply to the submitter, to the e-mail address indicated by them, within two weeks.
Business and Innovations
We wish our customers to be successful in the future as well, but our involvement in the facilitation of business activity has much deeper objectives. By supporting various programmes and projects we help businesses to not only receive the funding, but also – which is even more significant – to acquire the knowledge that might help our customers to develop a growing and thriving society in the future.
Some of the projects that we are already actively offering to new and existing entrepreneurs are the Growth program, eAcademy. In addition, anyone can take part in events organised by the SEB Innovation centre.
Social inclusion
Children are our future. Therefore it is significant for us to provide them with the conditions required for the successful commencement of their independent lives. SEB banka, as a socially responsible bank, constantly supports various social organizations that are involved in solving socially significant problems.
SEB supported the activity of MTÜ SEB Heategevusfond (Charity Fund), the objective of which is to improve the well-being of children without parental care. In 2020, various scholarships were granted, such as the study scholarship and scholarships for young mothers and for hobbies. In addition, a Christmas tree project was organised for 800 children and families of shelters and substitute homes. SEB Heategevusfond has been active in Estonia for more than 15 years.
Education and social literacy
SEB pays a lot of attention to sharing its expertise in the field of financial literacy. We continued on its own initiative the voluntary financial literacy lessons, supporting also the Estonian Banking Association with voluntary teachers, who gave lessons all over Estonia. More than 120 pupils from across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have joined SEB’s School Ambassador Programme. After training session, pupils will be able to pass on their knowledge of personal finance management, savings, investments, entrepreneurship to theirs peers in schools across the countries. In 2020, the bank continued co-operation with the state’s oldest university, the University of Tartu and its Science School responsible for the refresher courses of youngsters, who want to get more of school education. The aim of SEB is to support its brand awareness among the youngsters, support the Science School on the way towards digitalization and in updating its materials, for which a separate digital environment e-oppekeskus.ee has been established.
Additional information on the platform is available at https://e-oppekeskus.ee/.
In 2020, SEB established cooperation with the founders of Jõhvi Coding School with a purpose of supporting the venture financially as well as with experience. The cooperation is to continue at least until 2024, while SEB aims at assisting the school in expanding innovation education, contributing to spreading digital skills and offering the young people jobs in its company.
Another matter of raising priority over the recent years has been cyber security, due to which the bank launched a panBaltic communication campaign. This was designed to attract the attention of people towards the current threats, talk about the behavioural patterns of fraudsters and send a message that the security area of banking and financial services is undergoing major changes.
Culture
As a gold sponsor of the Estonian National Opera, SEB contributes to the future of opera every year, issuing the public award to one female and one male soloist, who were chosen by the audience.
Governance
Strong ethics, effective governance and transparency support our sustainability goals.
