On 31 March 2025, the Ambassador-at-Large for Economic Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maija Manika, and the Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia, Zane Petre, opened a seminar, “Opportunities for Latvian entrepreneurs in public procurement of the European Union agencies”, held with the aim of promoting the activity of entrepreneurs from various fields and stimulating their interest in participating in public tenders.
The idea of the seminar was formulated at the 3rd Forum of Latvian Professionals Working in International Organizations organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The author of the idea is Inga Naumane, a staff member of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Institution. This is a prime example of the initiative of Latvian professionals working in the international environment and of support for Latvia’s export capacity.
At the seminar, specialists from EU agencies emphasized that Latvian businesses have high prospects, as EU agencies are currently experiencing a significant lack of competition. The ICT sector and data services, which are used by almost every agency, were highlighted in particular. For example, Frontex (the European Border and Coast Guard Agency) emphasized that its tenders include those for drones, ICT solutions, and other security surveillance goods and services, in which Latvian entrepreneurs have advantages.
EU agencies provided an overview of their activities, types of procurement, budgets available, and the objectives to achieve that condition the range of goods and services purchased by the agencies – medical and scientific goods, stationery and office supplies, furniture, chemical products, transportation, IT and cybersecurity solutions, energy and sustainability, standards control and inspection, and language training services.
The agencies represented at the event were: EMA (European Medicines Agency), EEA (European Environment Agency), Frontex (the European Border and Coast Guard Agency), EU-OSHA (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work), ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control), ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity), CEPOL (European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training), BEREC Office (Agency supporting the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications), ECHA (European Chemicals Agency), EFCA (European Fisheries Control Agency), Eurofound (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), ETF (European Training Foundation), F4E (Fusion for Energy), EIGE (European Institute for Gender Equality), EIOPA (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority), EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), EUAA (European Union Agency for Asylum), ELA (European Labour Authority), and EUROJUST (European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation).
The seminar organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia was arranged in partnership with the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and the EU Agencies Network. Its video recording will be made available for businesspeople who could not attend the event in person.
