AI adoption in Latvia
How can a Latvian company implement AI with state and EU funding?
As of 14 October 2026, the main open route is free services from the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) in Latvia. The LIAA grant for digitalization and AI closed on 7 November 2025, and ALTUM's digitalization loan is closed. Below: each program we checked, what it covers, its status and source. Checked on 14 October 2026.
Which AI and digitalization funding programs are open in Latvia in October 2026?
Of the programs we checked, two kinds of AI-relevant support are open in October 2026: free EDIH services and LIAA innovation vouchers for new-product development. The ALTUM start-up loan is open too, but it is a general loan, not an AI program. The LIAA digitalization and AI grant and ALTUM's digitalization loan are closed.
LIAA says its grant and its innovation vouchers are given under de minimis rules. The status column quotes the operator's own page, not press articles. Where a press article or an English-language page says something else, we follow the operator's official Latvian page and give its date. Statuses change, so check the operator's page before you plan a project.
| Program | Who can apply | What it covers | Rate | Maximum | Status | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDIH services (dih.lv) | SMEs first; micro and large companies are also welcome | AI Kickstart training, expert consultation, expert visit to the company, 90-minute session on AI in business | 100%: free for the company | Value of one service €500–1,000 | Open; new groups are formed as applications come in | dih.lv service pages and FAQ | 14 October 2026 |
| EDIH services (digitallatvia.lv) | Latvian companies, SMEs first; checks: no tax debts, no criminal record, de minimis balance | Digital maturity test, roadmap, consultations on digital innovation and on raising finance | 100% for all services | Consultations valued at €70 per hour; introductory consultation €260 | Open, applications by form; only the digital transformation strategy service is suspended (see below) | digitallatvia.lv price list, application and funding pages | 14 October 2026 |
| LIAA support for process digitalization and AI solutions (grant) | Micro, small and medium companies, small mid-caps and mid-caps; associations and foundations that do business and unite at least three companies; individual merchants | Digital solutions; development and implementation of AI solutions, including related consulting | Up to 50% (micro, small), 40% (medium), 30% (small mid-cap) | €10,000 for digital solutions; €200,000 for AI solutions | Closed. Applications ran 21 July to 7 November 2025; LIAA says no resumption is currently planned | LIAA program page; Cabinet Regulation No. 748 | 14 October 2026 |
| LIAA innovation vouchers | SMEs in the Register of Enterprises that develop a new product or technology in RIS3 areas, ICT included | Feasibility pre-assessment, industrial design, IP, certification; industrial research and experimental development must be done by a research institution | Introductory 100%; classic 85%; design 85%; hiring a highly qualified employee 45% | €10,000 introductory; €25,000 classic; €5,000 design; €25,000 employee | Open while funds last: €1,574,722.66 of €7,215,930 left on 5 October 2026; projects until 29 February 2028 | LIAA program page | 14 October 2026 |
| ALTUM digitalization loans with a capital rebate | Micro to large companies, except agriculture and fisheries | Process digitalization, Industry 4.0 solutions including AI, equipment, 5G, data storage | Capital rebate up to 35% of costs excluding VAT | Loan €100,000–5,000,000; rebate up to €200,000 | Closed: the Latvian page says applications are closed (page metadata: 3 July 2026) | ALTUM Latvian page | 14 October 2026 |
| ALTUM start-up loan (general, not for AI) | Self-employed people and micro to large companies (up to 3,000 people) founded no more than 7 years ago | Working capital, equipment, machinery, vehicles, real estate | Interest from 4.9%; own contribution of at least 10% to an investment project, depending on its purpose | €250,000 | Open; AI implementation services are not named in its list, so ask ALTUM | ALTUM Latvian page (page metadata: 13 October 2026) | 14 October 2026 |
| de minimis aid (a cap, not a program) | Every "single undertaking", that is, a group of linked companies | Limits the total of most support above | Not applicable | €300,000 in any rolling period of three years | In force since 1 January 2024 (Regulation (EU) 2023/2831) | LIAA de minimis page; EUR-Lex | 14 October 2026 |
What does the European Digital Innovation Hub in Latvia offer for free?
The European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH, called EDIC in Latvian) gives Latvian companies training, consultations, expert visits and a digital maturity roadmap at no cost to the company. Every service has a stated value, such as €800 for the AI Kickstart training, but the aid rate is 100%.
EDIH services in Latvia are offered through two websites, dih.lv and digitallatvia.lv, which link to each other. The "value of the service" on these pages is the amount of aid you receive, not a price you pay. dih.lv names the EU Digital Europe Programme as a co-funder. Services are mainly for SMEs. dih.lv names priority sectors: agri-food, electronics, engineering, woodworking and medicine.
The application steps on digitallatvia.lv are simple. You fill in a form. EDIH checks that you have no tax debts or criminal record and that you have de minimis balance left. A commission then decides. The first two services are mandatory: a digital maturity test, and a roadmap prepared within 30 days after the test. EDIH provides the services itself and with its own experts. It does not give money: its FAQ says that it is not an organization that can grant funding.
The dih.lv FAQ says its mentoring is free "within de minimis". Ask EDIH how the other services are recorded against your de minimis balance.
One caveat concerns a single service. The funding page of digitallatvia.lv dates the support for writing a digital transformation strategy "30 June 2026, served in queue order". The price list now marks that service as suspended and paid: €70 per hour or €5,220 per service. The other services on the price list carry the 100% aid rate.
| Service | Format | Value of the service | Cost to the company |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Kickstart training (dih.lv) | 4 days, one day per week, at RTU Riga Business School; Make.com and process analysis; ask EDIH for the next start date | €800 | Free |
| Expert consultation on digital transformation (dih.lv) | Consultation with an expert | €500 | Free |
| Expert visit to the company, with recommendations on digitalization and automation (dih.lv) | Experts from the Latvian IT Cluster | €1,000 | Free |
| "AI opportunities in business" information session (dih.lv) | 90 minutes, AI Studio, Ķīpsalas iela 6, Riga | €500 excluding VAT | Free (100% aid rate) |
| Digital maturity test (digitallatvia.lv) | Mandatory first service; online, or with an EDIH consultant | €105 online; €440 with a consultant | Free (100% aid rate) |
| Digital development roadmap (digitallatvia.lv) | Mandatory second service; prepared within 30 days after the test | €210 for one service; €490 for several services | Free (100% aid rate) |
| Consultations on digital innovation or on raising finance (digitallatvia.lv) | By the hour | €70 per hour | Free |
| Introductory consultation (digitallatvia.lv) | One consultation | €260 | Free |
| Digital transformation strategy (digitallatvia.lv) | Support suspended | €70 per hour; €5,220 per service | Paid by the company |
What happened to the LIAA digitalization and AI grant, and will there be a new round?
The LIAA grant for process digitalization and AI solutions took applications from 21 July to 7 November 2025 and is closed. On 14 October 2026 its page says that resuming the support is currently not planned, and asks companies to follow LIAA's official channels. Companies requested €25.5 million against €18.55 million available.
The grant covered up to €10,000 for digital solutions and up to €200,000 for developing and implementing AI solutions. The rates are set in Cabinet Regulation No. 748 of 26 November 2024, point 53. Aid was capped at 50% of costs for micro and small companies, 40% for medium companies and 30% for small mid-caps. LIAA's own example: €14,000 of costs at 50% gives €7,000 of aid. Unlike the ALTUM loan, LIAA's Q&A says an EDIH roadmap was not required to apply.
Eligible costs included installing and adapting ready-made AI solutions with the related consulting, implementing AI and robotics, and process automation with the related consulting. The grant share for consulting could not exceed the grant share for the other eligible costs, so a project of consulting alone did not qualify.
The press reported an expected reopening (ifinanses.lv, 8 May 2026). LIAA's page, checked on 14 October 2026, says no resumption is currently planned. We follow LIAA's page and make no forecast. For how many Latvian companies use AI and what they use it for, see how many companies in Latvia use AI.
Is the ALTUM digitalization loan with a capital rebate still available?
No. ALTUM's Latvian page for digitalization loans says that applications are closed (page metadata: 3 July 2026). Under the last conditions, loans were €100,000–5,000,000, and the capital rebate covered up to 35% of costs excluding VAT, at most €200,000. A digital maturity test and an EDIH roadmap were a required step.
ALTUM's English page differs. On 14 October 2026 it calls the program "currently suspended". It gives loans of up to €7 million and a rebate of up to €1 million. It also says the Ministry of Economics is developing amendments. The Latvian page is the more recent one, so we use its figures. If an AI assistant quotes €7 million to you, this is where the number comes from.
ALTUM's start-up loan is open, but it is a general loan, not an AI program. It is for companies founded no more than 7 years ago. It offers up to €250,000 at interest from 4.9%. The borrower contributes at least 10% to an investment project, depending on its purpose. AI implementation services are not named in its list of purposes, so ask ALTUM whether your project fits.
What is de minimis aid in Latvia, and how do I check my remaining amount?
De minimis aid is small state aid that a company can receive without separate approval from the European Commission. Since 1 January 2024, the cap is €300,000 per "single undertaking" in any rolling period of three years (Regulation (EU) 2023/2831). Before that it was €200,000 under Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013, with a transition period until 30 June 2024.
A single undertaking means linked companies counted together, for example where one company holds more than 50% of the votes or capital of another. So the cap is shared by the group, not given to each company separately.
You check your balance in the State Revenue Service's EDS system (eds.vid.gov.lv), under the "de minimis" button. There you also fill in the de minimis form, and LIAA asks for its number when you apply. EDIH checks your de minimis balance before it provides services. LIAA's guide to the EDS steps was updated on 11 February 2026.
The dih.lv FAQ says mentoring is free within de minimis. How the value of the other free services is counted against your balance is not stated on the pages we checked, so ask EDIH before you apply.
Where should a company start if no funding fits?
Start with the EDIH services that are free today, prepare your project in case a similar grant opens again, and then decide which process to automate first. None of these three steps depends on a program being open, so you lose nothing by starting now.
- Free now: apply to EDIH for the digital maturity test and the 90-minute "AI opportunities in business" session. Check your de minimis balance in EDS first.
- Ready for a possible future round: describe the process you want to change, collect prices from three suppliers, and do not buy anything before you apply. Under the last LIAA rules, costs counted only from the date of application. LIAA has not announced a new round.
- A first look at your processes: in a free 90-minute consultation we go through your processes and say what to automate first.
If you already know that a process needs automating, see how business process automation works in practice. If your team first needs to learn the tools, EDIH runs the 4-day AI Kickstart training (ask EDIH for the next start date).
A related but different question is how a company gets mentioned in AI answers such as ChatGPT. That is covered in how to get your company mentioned in ChatGPT answers.
The first step costs nothing
In a free 90-minute consultation we go through your processes with you and say what to automate first.
If you already know which process takes the most time, see how business process automation works in practice.
Sources
- LIAA. Support for process digitalization and AI solutions (Latvian; applications 21 July to 7 November 2025, "resumption currently not planned", €25.5 million requested vs €18.55 million) (14 October 2026)
- LIAA. Q&A on the digitalization program, No. 427 (Latvian; example €14,000 at 50%; EDIH roadmap not required) (14 October 2026)
- Cabinet Regulation No. 748 of 26 November 2024 "Support for process digitalization in business" (Latvian; points 29.1, 48, 49, 53) (14 October 2026)
- LIAA. Innovation voucher support (Latvian; balance €1,574,722.66 on 5 October 2026) (14 October 2026)
- LIAA. De minimis aid (Latvian; EDS guide updated 11 February 2026) (14 October 2026)
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 on de minimis aid (€300,000 over three years, from 1 January 2024) (14 October 2026)
- State Revenue Service. Electronic Declaration System (EDS), "de minimis" section (14 October 2026)
- EDIH, dih.lv. AI Kickstart training (Latvian; value €800, free for the participant) (14 October 2026)
- EDIH, dih.lv. Expert consultation on digital transformation (Latvian; value €500) (14 October 2026)
- EDIH, dih.lv. Expert visit to the company with recommendations on digitalization and automation (Latvian; value €1,000) (14 October 2026)
- EDIH, dih.lv. "AI opportunities in business" information session (Latvian; 90 minutes, €500 excluding VAT, 100% aid rate) (14 October 2026)
- EDIH, dih.lv. Questions and answers (Latvian; mentoring free within de minimis; the center does not grant funding) (14 October 2026)
- EDIH, digitallatvia.lv. Price list of services (Latvian; 100% aid rate; digital maturity test €105 or €440, roadmap €210 or €490) (14 October 2026)
- EDIH, digitallatvia.lv. How to apply (Latvian; checks, digital maturity test, roadmap within 30 days) (14 October 2026)
- EDIH, digitallatvia.lv. Funding (Latvian; the "30 June 2026, served in queue order" line refers to the digital transformation strategy service) (14 October 2026)
- EDIH, digitallatvia.lv. Apply for support (Latvian) (14 October 2026)
- ALTUM. Digitalization loans (Latvian; "applications closed", page metadata 3 July 2026) (14 October 2026)
- ALTUM. Digital transformation (English page; "currently suspended", amounts differ from the Latvian page) (14 October 2026)
- ALTUM. Start-up loan (Latvian; page metadata 13 October 2026) (14 October 2026)
- ifinanses.lv. EU fund opportunities for business digitalization in 2026 (Latvian, 8 May 2026; paywalled press article, cited only for the reported expected reopening) (14 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Are there AI grants for businesses in Latvia in 2026?
Not for ordinary AI adoption. The LIAA grant of up to €200,000 for AI solutions closed on 7 November 2025, and LIAA says a new round is currently not planned. Open on 14 October 2026: free EDIH services, and LIAA innovation vouchers of up to €25,000 for developing a new product with a qualifying provider.
Is the LIAA digitalization grant still open?
No. Applications ran from 21 July to 7 November 2025. On 14 October 2026 LIAA's page says resuming the support is currently not planned and asks companies to follow its official channels. The grant covered up to €10,000 for digital solutions and up to €200,000 for AI solutions.
What is EDIH (EDIC) in Latvia, and how much does it cost?
EDIH, the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIC in Latvian), gives companies training, consultations, expert visits and a digital maturity roadmap. The aid rate is 100%, so the company pays nothing; each service has a stated value, such as €800 for AI Kickstart. EDIH checks your de minimis balance before it provides services, and it does not give money to companies.
What percentage did the LIAA digitalization grant cover?
Under Cabinet Regulation No. 748 (point 53), up to 50% of costs for micro and small companies, 40% for medium companies and 30% for small mid-caps. The maximum was €10,000 for digital solutions and €200,000 for AI solutions. LIAA's example: €14,000 of costs at 50% gives €7,000. The program is closed (checked 14 October 2026).
Is the ALTUM digitalization loan still available?
No. ALTUM's Latvian page says applications are closed (page metadata: 3 July 2026). The last terms were loans of €100,000–5,000,000 with a capital rebate of up to 35%, at most €200,000. ALTUM's English page says "suspended" and gives €7 million and €1 million; we follow the Latvian page.
What is the de minimis rule, and what is the limit in Latvia?
De minimis aid is small state aid that does not need separate approval from the European Commission. Since 1 January 2024 the cap is €300,000 per single undertaking in any rolling three-year period (Regulation (EU) 2023/2831). Linked companies count together, so a group shares one cap. Before 2024 the cap was €200,000.
How do I check my remaining de minimis amount?
Log in to the State Revenue Service's EDS system (eds.vid.gov.lv) and open the "de minimis" section. There you check your balance and fill in the de minimis form. LIAA asks for the form number when you apply, and EDIH checks your balance too. LIAA's EDS guide was updated on 11 February 2026.
Can I get support if my project has already started?
Under the last LIAA grant rules, no for costs before the application: costs were eligible only from the date of application. The work also could not be completed, or the final payment made, before the contract with LIAA was signed; a 100% advance counted as a final payment. Do not buy anything before you apply.
What is an innovation voucher, and can it pay for AI automation?
An LIAA innovation voucher pays an external provider for developing a new product or technology in a RIS3 area. The classic voucher gives up to €25,000 at 85%; the introductory voucher gives up to €10,000 at 100%. Research work must be done by a research institution. Automating existing processes with AI does not fit. €1,574,722.66 remained on 5 October 2026.
How do I get a digital maturity test in Latvia?
Apply to EDIH through the form on digitallatvia.lv. After checks for tax debts, criminal record and de minimis balance, the digital maturity test is the first mandatory service. A roadmap follows within 30 days. The test is valued at €105 online or €440 with a consultant, but it costs the company nothing. ALTUM's closed digitalization loan required both.
Book a free 90-minute consultation
In a free 90-minute consultation we go through your processes and say what to automate first.