European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)

What European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) does

EPDE (European Platform for Democratic Elections) is a non-profit civil society platform founded in December 2012 in Warsaw and currently operated from a secretariat in Berlin held by Europäischer Austausch gGmbH. It functions as a network of 17 independent European citizen election observation organizations spanning EU member states (Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden) and Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine). EPDE's mission is to defend democratic elections against malign interference, support independent citizen observers, and strengthen electoral frameworks across Europe.

EPDE's core offerings center on five interconnected product lines: the Citizen Election Observation Network itself; the Fake Observers Database identifying politically biased observation networks; the Russian Election Monitor (REM) initiative launched in 2025; the annual ElectLab Academy for capacity building; and the FURIC conference for follow-up on electoral reform recommendations. Supporting products include the Electoral Framework Follow-up Database, an Expert Hub, and a Solidarity Program for at-risk observers. The platform is governed by a board chaired by Stefanie Schiffer (founder of Europäischer Austausch gGmbH) and supported by an Advisory Council of senior election and cyber-policy experts. EPDE is a signatory of the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and a member of the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM).

EPDE does not sell products or services and operates purely on institutional grant funding. Its two core donors are the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the European Union (via programmes including Europe for Citizens and SEEEDS), supplemented by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation, German Marshall Fund, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Marion Dönhoff Foundation. The secretariat is lean (approximately 5 staff including a Senior Election Expert/Team Lead and three associates), and most field-level election observation is delivered by member organizations rather than central staff. Distribution is via the epde.org website, a monthly newsletter, social channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube), and earned media coverage in outlets including Nettavisen, Italian Media Digital Observatory, and NewsGuard. EPDE has been designated an "undesirable organisation" by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office since 2018, restricting in-country operations.

Name

European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)

Legal name

Europäischer Austausch gGmbH

Website

https://epde.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EPDE is a Berlin-based non-profit network of 17 European citizen election observation organizations that defend democratic elections, maintain fake-observer and electoral-reform databases, and run capacity-building programs funded primarily by the German Federal Foreign Office and the European Union.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Society Election Observation

NAICS

Public Administration (92), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Electoral Support & Election Observation (BPADAGAA)

Keywords

• Election observation
• Democratic governance
• Civil society networks
• Electoral integrity
• Election monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: EPDE is a non-profit organization financed primarily through institutional donors. The platform is financially supported by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the European Union.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EPDE operates as a network of 17 independent European citizen election observation organizations supporting democratic election processes across Europe and Eastern Partnership countries. The platform provides capacity building, peer learning, expert missions, and an Electoral Framework Follow-up Database for tracking election reform implementation, alongside a Fake Observers Database identifying politically biased observation networks. Its dedicated initiatives include the Russian Election Monitor (REM), the ElectLab Academy, and the annual FURIC conference.

Product overview

EPDE operates as a platform of independent European citizen election observation organizations focused on supporting democratic election processes across Europe. The core offering consists of a network of 17 member organizations that conduct election monitoring, supported by specialized tools including the Fake Observers Database for identifying biased observation networks and the Russian Election Monitor for tracking electoral developments in Russia. EPDE provides capacity building through its annual ElectLab Academy and FURIC conference, while also maintaining an Expert Hub for knowledge sharing and a Solidarity Program supporting observers at risk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ElectLab Academy: EPDE's annual academy focused on election integrity, capacity building, and peer learning.
• FURIC
• Russian Election Monitor (REM)
• Fake Observers Database

Products and services

• Citizen Election Observation Network A network of 17 independent European citizen election observation organizations that monitor elections across Europe, contributing to democratic election processes and protecting election integrity against malign interference.
• Fake Observers Database A database maintained by EPDE that identifies persons and networks engaged in politically biased or fake election observation practices, aimed at creating false legitimacy for non-democratic regimes.
• Russian Election Monitor (REM) EPDE's dedicated monitoring initiative focusing on electoral developments in Russia, including tracking fake observation ecosystems and producing regular election updates and reports.
• ElectLab Academy EPDE's annual academy bringing together election experts, citizen observer organizations, youth-focused actors, and civil society practitioners for peer learning, skills development, and innovative approaches to election-related challenges.
• Follow-Up on Recommendations' Implementation Conference (FURIC) Annual EPDE conference that tracks implementation of election-related recommendations and monitors progress in electoral reform across member countries.
• Electoral Framework Monitoring EPDE tracks implementation of election-related recommendations and monitors progress in electoral reform through databases and policy recommendations.
• Expert Hub A resource center providing access to EPDE expertise, analysis, and specialized knowledge for election observation and democratic integrity.
• Solidarity Program EPDE stands in solidarity with election observers at risk, supporting human rights defenders who advocate for citizens' right to public oversight over elections and democratic institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 of 17 member organizations are now based in EU member states following 2024 expansion

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2012EPDE is a member of GNDEM and adheres to the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations.
• European Exchange (Europäischer Austausch gGmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPDE secretariat is held by European Exchange in Berlin. Stefanie Schiffer founded European Exchange in 2005 and serves as EPDE Chair of the Board.
• European Partnership for Democracy (EPD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-implementing partner in SEEEDS project (Supporting Engagement in European Elections and Democratic Societies) funded by the European Union.
• Election-Watch.EUmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-implementing partner in SEEEDS project, organizing workshops and election assessment missions.
• Democracy Reporting International (DRI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-implementing partner in SEEEDS project, providing social media monitoring and analysis.
• Russian Election Monitor (REM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership launched in August 2025 to provide insights into Kremlin's obstruction of elections domestically and worldwide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Democracy Reporting International (DRI): Berlin-headquartered NGO that monitors electoral processes and democratic governance, with a particular focus on transitional and conflict-affected states. EPDE is a co-implementing partner with DRI in the SEEEDS project, where DRI contributes social media monitoring and analysis - directly comparable methodology and EU-focused scope.
• Election-Watch.EU: European platform coordinating citizen election observation across EU member states. Co-implements the SEEEDS project with EPDE, organizing workshops and election assessment missions - making it a direct operational peer in citizen-led EU election monitoring.
• Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM): Global network of domestic election monitoring organizations of which EPDE is itself a member and on whose board EPDE Board Member Zofia Lutkiewicz also serves. Both build capacity among citizen election observers and promote nonpartisan election monitoring standards through the Declaration of Global Principles.
• European Partnership for Democracy (EPD): Brussels-based network of European organizations working on democracy support. EPDE is a co-implementing partner with EPD in the EU-funded SEEEDS project (Supporting Engagement in European Elections and Democratic Societies), making them direct operational peers in European election integrity programming.

Broad incumbents

• National Democratic Institute (NDI): Major US-based democracy support organization with global election observation programs; EPDE Advisory Council member Patrick Merloe was NDI's senior associate and director of electoral programs (1993-2022). Operates at significantly larger scale than EPDE, with overlapping mission around nonpartisan election observation and citizen empowerment.
• The Carter Center: Long-established international election observation organization with global remit and decades-long methodology. Comparable mission around nonpartisan election monitoring and democratic standards, but operates at much larger scale with multi-issue program portfolio beyond elections.
• International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA): Intergovernmental organization supporting democratic elections worldwide through research, standards, and capacity building. Comparable focus on electoral framework assessment and reform tracking (similar to EPDE's Electoral Framework Follow-up Database), but operates at intergovernmental scale across all regions.
• International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES): US-headquartered organization providing professional electoral assistance, including election administration support and observer training. Comparable mission around election integrity, but operates with broader technical-assistance mandate including direct support to electoral management bodies rather than solely citizen observation.
• OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR): OSCE's principal institution for election observation across 57 participating states, including extensive work in Europe and the former Soviet space. EPDE Advisory Council member Nacho Sánchez Amor has conducted multiple ODIHR missions. ODIHR is the official intergovernmental counterpart to EPDE's citizen-led approach.
• International Republican Institute (IRI): US-based counterpart to NDI with global programs supporting political processes and election integrity. Comparable methodology (international election observation missions, citizen observer support) but broader portfolio and US government funding base versus EPDE's European institutional focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EPDE_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@europeanplatformfordemocra7135
• Facebookfacebook.com/epde.electionsmonitoring
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-platform-for-democratic-elections

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)