| SE strategy / action plan 1.2.1 S167S2100S367S467S533 Criteria and evidence- S1 · Status: 67 (adopted, lapsed before 31 Dec 2025, not renewed)
The Social Protection and Labour Market Policy Guidelines 2021-2027 (Cabinet Order No. 616, 2021), point 6.3, repeal Cabinet Order No. 618 of 30 Oct 2014 (the social entrepreneurship concept); no dedicated successor was adopted, SE continuing as task 3.3 of the guidelines: 'adopted but lapsed before 31 Dec 2025, not renewed'. · source 1 - S2 · Dedication: 100 (dedicated national SE strategy or action plan)
The 2014 concept paper is a stand-alone government policy document on social entrepreneurship: 'dedicated national SE strategy or action plan (adopted)'. · source 1 - S3 · Operational content: 67 (measures with named responsible bodies)
The concept's measures (SE law, ESF support scheme) were carried by the Ministry of Welfare and ALTUM and continue as guidelines task 3.3 'Attīstīt un pilnveidot sociālās uzņēmējdarbības vidi un atbalsta instrumentus' (responsible: Labklājības ministrija; co-responsible: Finance and Economics ministries, planning regions; deadline 2027), without SE targets or budget: 'measures with named responsible bodies'. The 2014 concept text itself was not read. · source 1 - S4 · Monitoring: 67 (monitoring body or indicator set in place)
The successor guidelines carrying the SE task have a results-indicator framework, require progress information by 1 May 2025 and an interim impact assessment to the Cabinet by 1 Nov 2025; the Social Enterprise Law (s. 4) obliges the ministry to report every two years; no published report dated 2021-2025 was opened: 'monitoring body or indicator set in place'. · source 1 - S5 · Participation of SE organisations: 33 (public consultation only, or a general statement that stakeholders took part)
No evidence that SE organisations sat in a drafting or monitoring group of the concept; ordinary public consultation is assumed: 'public consultation only'. · source 1 · low confidence
| 66.7 |
| Institutional structure & dialogue 1.2.2 I167I2100I3100I40 Criteria and evidence- I1 · Lead responsibility: 67 (a ministry named responsible in a law, decree, adopted strategy or its statutory functions, within a broader unit)
The Social Enterprise Law (s. 4) makes the Ministry of Welfare responsible for policy planning documents, aid programmes, guidance and the status; no dedicated SE unit was found: 'a ministry named as responsible in a law ..., within a broader unit'. · source 1 - I2 · Breadth of mandate: 100 (the social economy / SE broadly)
The mandate covers social enterprises with any positive social impact (employment of target groups, social, health, education services): 'the social economy / SE broadly'. · source 1 - I3 · Consultative body with SE organisations: 100 (set up and met in 2024–2025 (dated record))
The Commission for Social Enterprises (s. 6) is a collegiate advisory body of 'an equal number of authorised officials and also representatives of associations and foundations'; in 2025 it held 15 meetings and adopted 83 decisions: 'set up and met in 2024-2025 (dated record)', though its remit is status opinions rather than policy. · source 1 - I4 · Inter-ministerial coordination: 0 (none)
The guidelines name co-responsible ministries for the SE task but set up no coordination body; the Social Enterprise Commission assesses status only; no inter-ministerial mechanism on SE was found: 'none'. · source 1
| 66.7 |
| Social clauses in public procurement 2.3.2 P1100P267P333P467 Criteria and evidence- P1 · Legal basis: 100 (reservation or preference explicitly for SE/SSE entities (e.g. Directive 2014/24 Art. 77 transposed, a national SSE quota))
Public Procurement Law s. 16 (amended 26 Apr 2018, in force 1 Jun 2018) lets buyers reserve Annex 2 health, social and cultural services for tenderers with 'sociālā uzņēmuma statuss' (and other contracts for employers with over 30% disabled staff): 'reservation or preference explicitly for SE/SSE entities'. · source 1 - P2 · National policy push: 67 (national socially responsible procurement guidance or plan)
The Ministry of Welfare's explanatory guide 'Palīgs sociāli atbildīgu publisko iepirkumu veikšanai' (2023) and the Procurement Monitoring Bureau's 'Vadlīnijas sociāli atbildīga publiskā iepirkuma īstenošanai' are national SRPP guidance; no target: 'national socially responsible procurement guidance or plan'. · source 1 - P3 · Evidence of use: 33 (individual cases reported)
The ministry guide reports individual socially responsible tenders (Ogre municipality road works, VAS 'Elektroniskie sakari' cleaning, Riga school catering) but no national figures: 'individual cases reported'. · source 1 - P4 · Capacity support: 67 (a government training programme or helpdesk documented to cover social clauses or reserved contracts, for contracting authorities or for SEs)
The guide points contracting authorities to the Procurement Monitoring Bureau's SRPP section with a self-study course, guidelines and practice examples (iub.gov.lv/lv/socialais-iepirkums): 'a national (government) training programme ... for contracting authorities'. The course itself was not opened, hence medium. · source 1
| 66.7 |
| Official SE definition 3.1 D1100D2100 Criteria and evidence- D1 · Where defined: 100 (in law)
Social Enterprise Law (2017, in force 1 Apr 2018), s. 2: 'in law'. · source 1 - D2 · Content (social aim; participatory governance; limits on profit distribution): 100 (all three)
Section 2 requires economic activity with a positive social impact; s. 5 and 9 require profit to be invested in the statutory objectives and bar dividends; s. 5 requires a target-group representative or expert in the executive, supervisory or advisory body 'if such has been established' (participatory governance): 'all three'. · source 1
| 100.0 |
Legal recognition of SEs 3.2.1 · level 3 of 3Social Enterprise Law (Sociālā uzņēmuma likums), adopted 12 Oct 2017 · sources 1 2 3L1100L2100L3100L4100L5100 Criteria and evidence- L1 · Adoption stage: 100 (in force)
- L2 · Scope: 100 (general: SE broadly, including a status open to several legal forms or any purpose)
- L3 · Implementing rules: 100 (all adopted, or none required)
Cabinet Regulation No. 173 of 27 Mar 2018 on groups at risk of social exclusion and the procedure for granting, registering and supervising social enterprise status (issued under ss. 3, 5(6), 7(4) and 10(3) of the Law; in force 1 Apr 2018; amended by Reg. No. 76 of 4 Feb 2021 and No. 158 of 8 Mar 2022, as transitional provision 5 required). The Commission operates, so its by-laws (s. 6(2)) are in place; the commercial-aid rules (s. 8(6)) were not checked separately. - L4 · Status or register: 100 (operating, entities recognised)
Register of social enterprises kept and published by the Ministry of Welfare (s. 7): 390 companies granted status since 2018, 281 active social enterprises at 31 Dec 2025 (Ministry data reported on esfondi.lv, 20 Jan 2026). - L5 · Bodies foreseen by the law: 100 (set up)
Social Enterprise Commission (s. 6), set up by the Ministry of Welfare (officials and NGO representatives in equal numbers); held 15 meetings and adopted 83 status decisions in 2025.
| 100.0 |
| SE support ecosystem 4.3.6 E1100E267E333E4100E567 Criteria and evidence- E1 · National programme: 100 (national programme dedicated to SE, run by government or a public agency)
The ESF 'Support for Social Entrepreneurship' scheme, run by the Ministry of Welfare with the development institution ALTUM, offers grants for social business ideas, wage compensation and free business-plan consultations, continuing in 2026: 'national programme dedicated to SE, run by government or a public agency'. · source 1 - E2 · Territorial coverage: 67 (several regions)
Cabinet Regulation No. 818 (19 Dec 2023) sets no geographic restriction for SE support (ALTUM grants, ministry consultations), but no regional network of support centres is provided; supported enterprises are concentrated in Riga (47%): 'several regions'. · source 1 - E3 · Public funding of support: 33 (mainly donor or EU funded)
The scheme is funded through the European Social Fund (ESF/ESF+): 'mainly donor or EU funded'. · source 1 - E4 · Continuity: 100 (five years or more)
ESF support for social entrepreneurship ran from 2016 (203 ALTUM grants, EUR 12.6m, by 31 Mar 2023; project activities to Nov 2023), and the ESF+ measure 4.3.3.3 covers costs from 1 Oct 2023 with ALTUM grants from 2024 ('otro grantu programmu', Sept 2025): no break in the programme, though new grants paused between the funding limit (early 2023) and 2024: 'five years or more'. · source 1 - E5 · Range of services: 67 (two)
Regulation No. 818 provides business-idea competitions, training and consultancy for aspiring social entrepreneurs, and the ministry gives free consultations on business plans and guidance on obtaining status: finance or investment-readiness advice and registration advice, 'two'. · source 1
| 73.3 |
| EU funds mobilised for SE 5.1.1 F1100F2100F3100F467 Criteria and evidence- F1 · Programming: 100 (a dedicated SE measure or priority with an allocated budget)
A dedicated ESF measure 'Support for Social Entrepreneurship' (Ministry of Welfare and ALTUM) continued as a new ESF+ grant cycle from 2024: 'a dedicated SE measure or priority with an allocated budget' (budget not seen). · source 1 - F2 · Calls and instruments: 100 (recurring dedicated calls, or an EU-funded financial instrument for SE)
ESF+ measure 4.3.3.3 'Atbalsts sociālajai uzņēmējdarbībai un sociālās ekonomikas attīstībai' (EUR 17.9m, of which ESF+ EUR 15.2m) gives grants of EUR 10,000-200,000 to social enterprises through ALTUM, following the 2016-2023 ESF grant programme: 'recurring dedicated calls'. · source 1 - F3 · Channel: 100 (managed by national or regional authorities as part of national SE policy)
The ESF scheme is 'managed nationally by the Welfare Ministry', the ministry responsible for SE policy under the law: 'managed by national ... authorities as part of national SE policy'. · source 1 - F4 · Evidence of take-up: 67 (number of SE beneficiaries or projects reported)
ALTUM reported in Sept 2025 that the ESF+ programme had supported 86 enterprises with about EUR 4.8m (target 120 enterprises, EUR 7m to 2029); the ministry reported 203 grants (EUR 12.6m) under the earlier ESF programme: 'number of SE beneficiaries or projects reported'. · source 1
| 91.7 |
| Dedicated national funding 5.2.2 N133N20N30N40 Criteria and evidence- N1 · Dedicated line: 33 (only general SME/employment programmes open to SE)
The dedicated SE grants and wage compensations are ESF+ measure 4.3.3.3 (85% ESF+, at least 15% state co-financing), which belongs to 5.1.1; nationally SEs have tax reliefs and free use of public property, and general programmes are open to them: 'only general SME/employment programmes open to SE'. · source 1 - N2 · Instrument types: 0 (none)
N1 at 33: 'none, or N1 ≤ 33'. · source 1 - N3 · Continuity: 0 (none)
N1 at 33: 'none, or N1 ≤ 33'. · source 1 - N4 · Execution: 0 (no evidence)
N1 at 33: 'no evidence, or N1 ≤ 33'. · source 1
| 8.3 |
