ECES

What ECES does

ECES (European Centre for Electoral Support) is a Brussels-headquartered, not-for-profit operational foundation founded in 2010 that delivers electoral cycle support across more than 70 countries, primarily in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, with additional offices in Florence and a presence extending into Latin America and parts of Asia. Its service portfolio is anchored by the copyrighted EURECS strategic framework (European Response to Electoral Cycle Support), now in its 2026 edition, alongside 22 copyrighted methodologies including LEAD (leadership and conflict management), LEAD-Q (quality management), LEAD-AI (AI skills for electoral stakeholders), PEV (election-related violence prevention), EPEA (electoral political economy analyses), Innov-Elections (remote training platform built with Sant'Anna School and UNITAR during COVID-19), and the MEPA academic programme with Sant'Anna School. ECES operates as a project-based implementing organisation funded primarily by institutional grants from the European Union, EU Member States (notably Germany via KfW, Italy, and France), and other development partners; it engages national and regional electoral management bodies, civil society election observation coalitions, and continental bodies such as the African Union, ECOWAS, and ECCAS either directly or through consortia (e.g., ERMES with the College of Europe). The organisation has mobilised more than 155 million euros from 35+ donors, deployed 11,000+ experts across 60+ nationalities and 30+ languages, and reached 800,000 people through trainings, with ISO 9001 and TRACE certifications and EU Transparency Register registration supporting donor compliance requirements.

Name

ECES

Legal name

European Centre for Electoral Support

Website

https://eces.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ECES is a Brussels-based not-for-profit foundation delivering electoral cycle support — including capacity building, conflict prevention, and remote training — to electoral management bodies, civil society, and regional organisations across 70+ countries, funded by EU institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electoral Support Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAGAA

Electoral Support & Election Observation

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Human Rights, Democracy & Governance

Keywords

• Electoral support services
• Democracy assistance
• Capacity building
• Election monitoring
• Civic education

Headquarters

HQ city

Brugge

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding and Grants: ECES is a not-for-profit foundation that generates revenue through grants and funding from institutional donors. Primary donors include the European Union, EU Member States (Germany, Italy, France), and other international development agencies. The organisation reports +35 major donors and has mobilised over 155 million euros. ECES operates on a project-based funding model where donor contributions fund specific electoral cycle support programmes.
2. Donations: ECES accepts donations through Transnational Giving Europe (TGE), a network of philanthropic institutions across 19 European countries. Donations are tax-effective cross-border contributions that support the organisation's electoral support activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ECES delivers end-to-end electoral cycle support to electoral management bodies, political actors, and civil society in more than 70 countries, combining capacity building, technical assistance, conflict-sensitive dialogue facilitation, and civic/voter education. The foundation designs and implements training programs, peer exchanges, and field-level interventions funded primarily by EU institutions, member states, and multilateral donors.

Product overview

ECES (European Centre for Electoral Support) is a not-for-profit foundation established in Brussels in 2010 that implements electoral assistance activities across 70+ countries, primarily in Africa, Middle East, and Europe. The organisation's product portfolio is built around its core strategic framework EURECS (European Response to Electoral Cycle Support), which encompasses a comprehensive suite of copyrighted methodologies and training programmes including LEAD (Leadership and Conflict Management), LEAD-Q (Leadership and Quality Management), and LEAD-AI (Leadership and Artificial Intelligence Skills) for capacity development. ECES also offers specialised tools like Innov-Elections for remote electoral assistance during crises, and ERMES (European Resources for Mediation Support) for conflict prevention. The portfolio includes country-specific projects (EURECS II Ethiopia, PRO-DEM Zambia, Pro-Election Bolivia, Pro Electoral Integrity, PACEM Gabon, PAPPE Chad, Shawiri Comoros, PARD Guinea), the MEPA academic programme delivered with Sant'Anna School, media monitoring services with specialised software, and various training programmes (BRIDGE, Effective Electoral Assistance). Projects are funded primarily by the EU and EU Member States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• InnovElections: Tool developed by ECES in response to COVID-19 pandemic to continue delivering electoral assistance activities, enhancing contextualization of training programmes to local realities affected by the crisis.
• LEAD
• LEAD-AI
• LEAD-Q
• EURECS
• EURECS II
• PEV
• EUSDGN
• PACEM
• PAPPE
• Shawiri
• PARD
• ERMES
• MEPA

Products and services

• Electoral cycle capacity building Structured training, mentoring, and institutional-strengthening programs for electoral management bodies, political actors, and civil society across the electoral cycle, designed for delivery in fragile and transitional contexts.
• Technical assistance to electoral management bodies Deploys experts to support electoral management bodies on legal frameworks, operational planning, boundary delimitation, voter registration, results management, and other electoral administration functions.
• Conflict-sensitive political dialogue facilitation Mediation, dialogue, and consensus-building support for political actors, electoral stakeholders, and civil society in polarized or post-conflict environments, designed to reduce electoral-related violence and foster inclusive political participation.
• Civic and voter education programs Programs that inform citizens about electoral processes, rights, and participation mechanisms, targeting inclusive engagement of underrepresented groups such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
• Peer exchange and practitioner training curricula Standardized curricula and peer-exchange formats that connect electoral practitioners across countries to share lessons, methodologies, and good practices in electoral administration and democratic governance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800,000 people reached through trainings
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability1 record

Feature9 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• African Union Commission - Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (AUC-PAPS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021MoU signed between ECES and AUC-PAPS in May 2021 for Pro-Electoral Integrity project supporting electoral integrity in Africa. The project aims to build resilience of Electoral Management Bodies and networks to contribute to credible and inclusive elections.
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020UNITAR partnered with ECES and Sant'Anna School in implementing Innov-Elections project, providing training and capacity building for electoral stakeholders during COVID-19 pandemic.
• College of EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege of Europe leads the ERMES (European Resources for Mediation Support) consortium, of which ECES is a key partner. ERMES Phase III provides a tool for the EU to advance its objectives in mediation and dialogue, implemented under supervision of the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments of the European Commission.
• Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies (SSSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECES developed partnership with Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa to promote customised, accessible and innovative capacity building programmes, including the Master on Electoral Policy and Administration (MEPA) and Innov-Elections project collaboration.
• European Forum for International Mediation and Dialogue (MediatEUr)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMediatEUr is a consortium partner in ERMES Phase III, working alongside ECES, Fondation Hirondelle, Interpeace, and ESSEC IRENE to implement European resources for mediation support.
• Fondation HirondellecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondation Hirondelle is a consortium partner in ERMES Phase III, contributing to mediation and dialogue support initiatives alongside ECES and other partners.
• InterpeacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterpeace is a consortium partner in ERMES Phase III, providing expertise in peacebuilding and conflict prevention within electoral contexts.
• ESSEC IRENE (Institute for Research and Education on Negotiation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESSEC IRENE is a consortium partner in ERMES Phase III, contributing research and education expertise in negotiation and mediation.
• African UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECES collaborates closely with African Union on electoral assistance programmes, including Pro-Electoral Integrity project and support to AU Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit.
• Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEISA partnered with ECES in implementing the PACTE Madagascar project consortium, providing electoral expertise and implementation support.
• Forum of FederationsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerForum of Federations partnered with ECES for EURECS Ethiopia project implementation, contributing federal governance expertise.
• Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerERIS partnered with ECES in PACTE Madagascar consortium for electoral reform and credibility support.
• Federation of European and International Association established in Belgium (FAIB)minorOthersECES is a member of FAIB, an association supporting international organisations established in Belgium.
• Transnational Giving Europe NetworkminorOthersECES participates in the Transnational Giving Europe Network, enabling tax-effective cross-border donations across 19 European countries.
• National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE)coreOthersPrimary beneficiary of EURECS Ethiopia and PEV Ethiopia projects. ECES provides comprehensive electoral cycle support to strengthen NEBE's institutional and operational capacity.
• ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECES collaborates with ECONEC for delivering electoral support across West African electoral management bodies through projects like Innov-Elections.
• Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries (ECF-SADC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECES works with ECF-SADC on electoral support activities in Southern Africa, including peer learning missions and training programmes.
• RECEF (Electoral Knowledge Network of French Speaking Countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECES collaborates with RECEF for delivering training and capacity building to electoral management bodies in French-speaking countries, including LEAD training programmes.
• We FootballminorGTM or Marketing PartnerECES signed MoU with We Football for Football for Democracy initiative, using football as a tool to engage citizens and promote democratic participation.
• National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) KenyacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNCIC partnered with ECES for Pro-Peace Kenya project to promote peace and prevent electoral conflicts in Kenya's 2022 elections through MoU cooperation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES): IFES is a leading US-based non-profit delivering electoral assistance, democratic governance support, and capacity building to election management bodies worldwide. It directly overlaps ECES in methodology-driven, donor-funded electoral support programmes across Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, and competes for the same EU, USAID, and member-state grants.
• National Democratic Institute (NDI): NDI is a core US-based non-profit working on democratic governance and political processes globally, including significant electoral support programmes in Africa and the Middle East. It shares ECES's model of providing technical assistance to EMBs and civil society under institutional donor funding.
• International Republican Institute (IRI): IRI is a US-based democracy-assistance organisation that implements electoral support, political party training, and civic programmes worldwide. Like ECES, it partners with EMBs and civil society under multi-donor funding and operates across many of the same African and Middle Eastern geographies.
• International IDEA: International IDEA is an intergovernmental organisation providing comparative knowledge, capacity building, and policy advice on elections, democracy, and conflict prevention. It directly parallels ECES in the EU-funded democracy-assistance ecosystem and offers overlapping EMB capacity-building services.
• The Carter Center: The Carter Center runs long-standing election observation and democratic governance programmes, including in Africa. It shares ECES's donor-funded model of providing technical assistance, observation, and capacity development to election stakeholders.
• Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA): EISA is a Johannesburg-based organisation focused specifically on African electoral processes, with a comparable mix of EMB capacity building, election observation, and peace/conflict prevention work. It is both a peer and a known ECES consortium partner (e.g., PACTE Madagascar).

Broad incumbents

• UN Electoral Assistance Division (UN EAD): The UN Electoral Assistance Division is the leading global intergovernmental provider of electoral support, operating under a UN mandate with broader scope and significantly larger budget than ECES. It often sets the institutional framework within which ECES operates as an implementing partner.
• OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR): ODIHR is the OSCE's main institution for election observation and democratic governance, with a broad pan-European mandate and significant budget. While geographically focused, it competes for the same donor funding pool and partner relationships ECES cultivates in Europe and beyond.

Emerging players

• Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS): ERIS is a UK-based consultancy-style organisation that provides technical electoral assistance and works with ECES in consortia (e.g., PACTE Madagascar). It is comparable in offering scope but smaller in scale, often partnering with ECES rather than competing head-to-head.
• Forum of Federations: The Forum of Federations is a Canada-headquartered organisation providing expertise on federalism and multi-level governance, with overlapping work on electoral processes in federal and transition states. ECES has partnered with it on the EURECS Ethiopia project, indicating comparable donor funnels and beneficiary governments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/eceseu?lang=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ECESeu
• Facebookfacebook.com/eces.eu
• Instagraminstagram.com/eces.eu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eces

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ECES