LIAA export support 2026: what's available for Latvian SMEs

We (SIA “AFF Lab”) received LIAA support for our own administrative-process digitalization project. So when Latvian SME founders ask us about using EU funds for export promotion and marketing, we know it from both sides — as recipients, and as service providers to many clients who use it.

This is an overview of the 2026 support landscape for export activity, focused on what’s eligible for marketing activities (cold outreach, lead generation, B2B campaigns) and what isn’t.

Caveat: Support programs change. The specific numbers, deadlines and requirements in this article correspond to mid-2026. Before preparing an application, always verify current information on LIAA’s website and the relevant regulations.

Background: what LIAA is and why it matters

The Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) is the main channel through which Latvian SMEs access EU cohesion fund and state aid resources for economic development. In an export context, it operates in three main directions:

1. Export market research and entry — support for first entry into a foreign market
2. Technology implementation and digitalization — productivity and export capacity growth
3. Export marketing activities — exhibitions, trade missions, targeted marketing campaigns

Each of these zones is its own separate support type with its own conditions.

Main program 2026: EU Cohesion Funds 2021-2027

The current programming period (2021-2027) includes several measures directly relevant to export promotion and marketing. The most significant in the SME context:

Measure 1.2.2.1 — “Support for digitalization in commercial activity”

This is the measure we ourselves received support from. The goal — support an enterprise’s internal process digitalization through technology implementation, which increases productivity and, as a secondary effect, export capacity.

Eligible costs:

• Software licenses and development
• IT consultant services
• Technology implementation
• HR training for new technologies

In a cold outreach context — eligible costs include:

• CRM implementation and configuration
• Sales automation platform (Apollo, Smartlead, Lemlist) implementation
• Website and marketing digitalization
• Database and real-time prospecting tool implementation
• AI tool implementation in marketing processes

Not eligible:

• Direct sales activities (sending to customers)
• Advertising costs (Google Ads, Facebook Ads)
• Travel costs

Support rate: typically 30-50% of project eligible costs, depending on company size and project type.

Maximum project amount: typically €100,000 - €300,000 in the SME category.

Measure 1.2.1.1 — “Innovation and technology implementation”

A broader program for R&D and innovation promotion. Eligible costs include prototype development, testing, certification. In an export context — often used for product preparation for a new market (CE marking, ISO certificates, localization work).

Export promotion support — separate measures

LIAA periodically opens specific support types for export activity:

• Support for participation in international exhibitions — partial compensation for exhibition space, registration fee and travel expenses
• Market research support — funds for foreign market research
• Export consultant services — LIAA office network in Berlin, Hamburg, Scandinavia, USA, UAE, China

Practical note: these are periodically opened tenders. Mark LIAA’s website support section RSS or subscribe to news so you don’t miss openings.

Direct question: are cold outreach services eligible?

Most Latvian SMEs that come to us with this question want to know: is our Sales Pilot service eligible for EU fund support?

The answer is nuanced:

Usually eligible:

• Sales automation platform implementation (Apollo, Smartlead, Instantly licenses) — under Measure 1.2.2.1
• CRM and database implementation — under Measure 1.2.2.1
• Consultant services for system implementation (our setup work) — under Measure 1.2.2.1

Partially eligible or difficult:

• Direct campaign execution (our Growth/Scale retainer services) — usually evaluated as “sales activity” rather than “digitalization”, so harder to qualify
• Target market research — depends on project structure and whether it’s part of a broader digitalization project

Not eligible:

• Direct commercialization activities
• Sales commissions or success fees

Practical approach: our clients who use LIAA support typically structure the project as “sales operations digitalization” with specific technology implementation goals. Our role in this structure is a consultant-type service for system creation, not a direct lead-gen service.

Practical application process

Our own experience and clients’ experience shows that application preparation takes 4-8 weeks from zero to submission. Main steps:

Step 1: Target measure selection (1 week) Identify exactly the program measure you’ll apply for. Wrong choice = application is rejected or rerouted, losing months.

Step 2: Project description preparation (2-3 weeks) Clearly define project goals, achievable results, eligible costs, project work plan and result indicators. This is typically a 30-50 page document.

Step 3: Consultant necessity Many SMEs hire application consultants (€2,000-€5,000 fee). Our experience: for a first application, this is justified. The consultant’s value isn’t ethical but bureaucratic — they know the exact terminology and format that gets accepted.

Step 4: Submission via LIAA portal All applications are submitted electronically through LIAA’s platform. Deadlines are strict; on the final day the system becomes slow — don’t leave it for the last hours.

Step 5: Evaluation and response (4-12 weeks) Experts evaluate the application on multiple criteria. The response comes with specific comments. Many first applications get rejected in the first round — that’s not a failure, that’s a normal cycle.

Step 6: Revision and resubmission, if needed

Step 7: Approval and contract signing

Step 8: Project execution and reporting preparation This is what many don’t think about until the first report: the documentation burden is serious. Every purchase, every work document, every report — all must be kept for 5 years after project end. Build a system for this from the very beginning.

Typical mistakes we see Latvian SMEs make

After dozens of clients going through the LIAA process, the most frequent losers:

1. Wrong measure selection. Application submitted for Measure 1.2.1.1 (innovation) for what’s actually a Measure 1.2.2.1 (digitalization) project. Result: rejected after 12 weeks, time lost.

2. Too broad project scope. Application that covers “digitalization, marketing, sales and product development” in one package. Evaluators want narrow, focused projects with clear result indicators.

3. Unrealistic result indicators. “Export turnover will grow 500% in 12 months” — evaluators take this seriously and then demand proof in reports. Better to promise 30% and achieve 40%, than to promise 500% and achieve 80%.

4. Bad eligible cost breakdown. Every line item must connect to a specific activity in the project plan. “€20,000 marketing tools” gets demanded to be explained — which tools, why exactly these, how they’ll achieve the goal.

5. Documentation lapses. After receiving support, the SME doesn’t maintain proper reports. After 2-3 years, an audit reveals gaps and part of the support has to be returned. Invest immediately in a system that easily generates reports.

What to expect in project content

If you’re thinking about using LIAA support for export marketing digitalization (covering our services), a typical project structure example:

• Digitalization goal: “Build an automated B2B export sales pipeline with AI-driven personalization for one or several export countries”
• Main activities: CRM implementation, sales automation platform implementation, database setup, consultant services for system implementation
• Expected results: Automated process for X export operation types, Y contact processing per month, Z reporting system for management
• Eligible costs: Licenses, consultant work, training, equipment

This structure fits Measure 1.2.2.1 requirements and typically gets a 40-50% support rate.

How long it takes and why it’s still worth it

From application start to project completion and all reporting handover — 18-30 months. That’s a serious time investment.

But — support value is often €30,000 - €150,000 in real money you’d otherwise have spent. That’s real financial resource that accelerates export expansion by 12-24 months. For many Latvian SMEs, this is the difference between “going abroad with quality” and “going abroad with improvisation”.

If you want more context on connecting project digitalization with cold outreach and export lead generation, we have a first export client guide that walks through the entire process practically.

If you want us to structure and execute the digitalization and export project together as consultant partners — get in touch via /en/contact/.