European Social Fund Agency
Karolina Zakarauskaite is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in diversity and inclusion, mental health initiatives, and the arts. As a Diversity and Inclusion Expert at the European Social Fund Agency since December 2021, Karolina oversees the Inclusion component of the National Advancement Programme, managing a budget of 210 million euros. In addition, Karolina is the founder of the Mental Health Arts Festival Ryšiai and has curated various arts for health projects as a freelance professional. Previous roles include Project Manager at the Lithuanian Ministry of Health, where Karolina developed a Social Prescribing programme, and various positions in academic research and community engagement across the UK. Karolina's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Edinburgh, contributing to a unique integration of neuroscience knowledge within public programs.
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European Social Fund Agency
ESFA – Meaningful Investment in People The European Social Fund Agency initially was named Human Resources Development Programmes Support Foundation and was established by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania in August, 2002. At the very beginning, ESFA was established to administer the pre-accession instrument’s Phare ESS 2001 and Phare ESS 2002 projects, thereafter the Agency became an integral part of the Institutional Structure of Structural Funds in Lithuania. Since its inception, ESFA was appointed to administer the SPD 2004-2006 – during the 2004-2006 programming period, the ESF 2007-2013 – for the 2007-2013 programming period and the ESF 2014-2020 – for the 2014-2020 new programming period. With the accrual of experience and knowledge while administering the Human Resource projects, the ESFA was entrusted with overseeing the following new programmes: Community Initiative EQUAL (2004), SOLID funds (2007-09), European Glo¬balization Adjustment Fund (2009), National Programme of the European Year 2010 for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (2010), Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (2014), Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (2014). The following functions are administered during programme implementation: • Launch calls for proposals; • Inform and consult applicants; • Evaluate of applications; • Prepare grant contracts; • Oversee project implementation: verify reports submitted by project promoters, verify and approve eligibility of expenditures reported in payment requests, carry out on-the-spot checks, verify submitted public procurement documents, and modify grant contracts, manage risks, investigate irregularities; Our projects: Decreasing poverty and social exclusion; Fostering entrepreneurship and employment; Learning opportunities for everyone; Development new generation of researchers; Better public services for inhabitants.