Latvian Rural Forum

What Latvian Rural Forum does

Latvian Rural Forum (Biedrība "Latvijas Lauku forums", LLF) is a national-level non-profit association founded in 2004 and headquartered at Strauti, Kolka, with an operational office at Pils iela 21, Riga. It functions as an umbrella convener for rural civil society in Latvia, with over 90 member organizations including all 32 Local Action Groups (Vietējās rīcības grupas, VRGs), 80+ NGOs, and 48 associate members. The organization's mission is to promote balanced rural development and strengthen citizen participation in policy-making at local, national, and EU levels, organized around three strategic priorities: civil society development, coordinated rural development, and LEADER/SVVA approach implementation.

LLF's core offerings are programs and events rather than technology products. Flagship initiatives include the Viedais ciems (Smart Village) recognition mark (running annually since 2021), the Kopienu Persilāde summer forum, the Viedās trešdienas (Smart Wednesdays) bi-weekly online training series, the Latvian Rural Community Parliament (300+ participants in the 6th edition), and the 'Vietējā enerģija, vietējais spēks' energy communities initiative delivered with Nidus Balticus. The organization also serves as the national contact point for the EU ENERCOM Facility and the Technical Assistance Support Point for the EU Rural Energy Communities Advisory Hub. No proprietary technology platform is described; delivery runs on standard web, YouTube, Facebook, and email channels.

LLF is funded almost entirely through grants: EU programs (LEADER funds, ELARD-related projects, ENERCOM, Modernization Fund), Latvian state budget allocations via the Sabiedrības integrācijas fonds (Society Integration Fund) and Ministry of Culture, and membership fees from its 90+ member organizations. Programs are provided free of charge to rural communities. The organization operates a wholly-owned subsidiary, SIA 'LLF sadarbnīca', which provides paid expert services in sustainable rural development and directs profits back to LLF's mission. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Latvian Rural Forum

Legal name

Biedrība "Latvijas Lauku forums"

Website

https://laukuforums.lv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Latvian Rural Forum is a national non-profit association that convenes 90+ member organizations, including all 32 Local Action Groups, to run rural development programs such as the Smart Village recognition mark, Smart Wednesdays training, and the Rural Community Parliament. It is funded primarily by EU grants and Latvian state budget allocations through the Society Integration Fund and Ministry of Culture.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development & Community Capacity Building

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Rural development
• Community capacity building
• Civil society network
• Rural advocacy
• NGO association

Headquarters

HQ city

Kolka, Kolkas pagasts, Talsu novads

HQ country

Latvia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Project-based EU funding: Organization receives significant funding from European Union programs including ELARD, LEADER funds, and various development cooperation projects. Funding also comes from the Modernization Fund for energy communities.
2. State budget funding: Funding from Latvian state budget through Sabiedrības integrācijas fonds (Society Integration Fund) and Ministry of Culture allocations.
3. Membership fees: Association operates with member organizations including local action groups, NGOs, and associate members who pay membership fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Latvian Rural Forum (Biedrība "Latvijas Lauku forums") is a national-level non-governmental association that operates a network of 90+ member organizations to promote balanced rural development in Latvia. It delivers training programs, recognition initiatives (Viedais ciems / Smart Village), parliamentary-style community events, energy community support, and rural advocacy under three strategic priorities: civil society development, coordinated rural development, and the LEADER/SVVA approach.

Product overview

Latvijas Lauku forums (LLF) is a national-level non-profit organization with over 90 members, operating as a unified advocacy and community development organization rather than a modular platform. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs: the Atpazīstamības zīme 'Viedais ciems' recognition program for smart villages; the Kopienu mācības (Viedās trešdienas) capacity-building training program; the annual Kopienu Persilāde forum for rural community networking; the Vietējā enerģija, vietējais spēks energy community support initiative; and the Latvijas Lauku kopienu parlamenti parliamentary format events. These programs work together to advance LLF's three strategic priorities: civil society development in rural regions, coordinated rural development, and LEADER/SVAA approach strengthening.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Viedais Ciems (Smart Village): Recognition mark awarded to smart villages and communities demonstrating innovation and sustainable development practices.
• Kopienu Persilāde
• Viedās Trešdienas (Smart Wednesdays)

Products and services

• Atpazīstamības zīme 'Viedais ciems' (Smart Village Recognition Mark) Recognition mark awarded annually to active Latvian rural communities that demonstrate smart village principles, citizen participation, innovation, and sustainable development practices. Aimed at rural communities and local action groups in Latvia.
• Kopienu mācības / Viedās trešdienas (Community Learning / Smart Wednesdays) Online learning sessions providing community capacity building, methodological training, and participation opportunities for rural community members and leaders in Latvia.
• Kopienu Persilāde (Community Persilāde) Annual summer forum for rural community leaders, NGOs, municipal representatives, and entrepreneurs to strengthen rural communities and build sustainable cooperation across Latvia.
• Vietējā enerģija, vietējais spēks (Local Energy, Local Power) Support program helping rural communities evaluate sustainable energy solutions, develop energy communities, and produce/consume renewable energy locally. Targeted at rural municipalities and energy community initiatives in Latvia.
• Latvijas Lauku kopienu parlamenti (Latvian Rural Community Parliaments) Multi-day parliamentary-format gatherings where rural communities discuss rural development, participate in policy-making, and advocate for rural interests to local, national, and EU-level institutions.
• Kopienu ABC (Community ABC Educational Materials) Series of informational and methodological materials covering digital tools, the Rural Pact, resident councils, community vocabulary, rural revitalization, and public participation, made available to rural community members and practitioners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 675 NGOs mapped in rural community database
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Preiļu – Līvānu novadu partnerība KŪPĀcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Local action group partnership for organizing Kopienu Persilāde 2026 forum. Jointly hosts the rural community summer forum in Jersika, Līvāni municipality.
• Līvānu novada pašvaldībaminorOthers · 1 June 2026Local municipality co-hosting Kopienu Persilāde 2026 forum in Jersika.
• Nidus Balticus LatvijacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Partnership in energy communities development project 'Vietējā enerģija, vietējais spēks' (Local Energy, Local Power). Nidus Balticus promotes civic participation to create solutions for changing natural environment, particularly working with communities in the Baltics. Together they support rural communities in developing sustainable energy solutions.
• NEXTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 November 2023Collaboration on 'LĪDZDALĪBAS HAKATONS' (Participation Hackathon) project. NEXT is an NGO that organizes the hackathon, with LLF as co-organizer supporting rural community participation.
• ELARD (European LEADER Association for Rural Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLF is part of ELARD network, connecting Latvian rural development with European LEADER approach implementation and international best practices sharing.
• Sabiedrības integrācijas fonds (Society Integration Fund)coreOthersPrimary state funding source for civil society development projects. Provides financial support for LLF's community development, training, and rural parliament initiatives from Latvian state budget funds.
• ENERCOM Facility (Energy Communities Facility)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLF serves as the national contact point for the ENERCOM Facility, an EU initiative supporting energy communities. Also serves as Technical Assistance Support Point for EU initiative on rural energy communities (Advisory Hub).
• Kultūras ministrija (Ministry of Culture)coreOthersProvides state budget funding through Sabiedrības integrācijas fonds for civil society development projects implemented by LLF.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Kodukant (Estonian Village Movement): National Estonian umbrella association for village societies and rural community development, structurally analogous to LLF as the Baltic counterpart operating under the same EU LEADER framework and Smart Village/Village Movement paradigms.
• Lithuanian Rural Communities Union (Lietuvos kaimo bendruomenių sąjunga): The closest national-level Lithuanian equivalent — a membership-based umbrella of rural communities and local action groups executing EU LEADER programs. Direct regional peer in mission, member structure, and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• PREPARE Partnership for Rural Europe: Europe-wide network focused on bottom-up rural development and citizen participation, overlapping directly with LLF's Community Parliament and participatory-democracy programming.
• ELARD (European LEADER Association for Rural Development): Pan-European LEADER network of which LLF is itself a member; comparable as a higher-order umbrella organization coordinating national rural-development NGOs across EU member states and shaping LEADER policy at the European level.
• European Rural Parliament (ERP): Biennial pan-European gathering of rural civil-society representatives that LLF helps organize nationally; comparable as a higher-order convening body amplifying rural community voices in EU policy.

Direct peers

• Nidus Balticus: Latvian NGO partner of LLF on the 'Local Energy, Local Power' project; directly comparable as a civic-participation organization working on environment and community resilience in the Baltics.
• Rural Action (UK / Ireland): Non-profit supporting rural community development and social inclusion in Northern Ireland and border regions; highly comparable as a national/regional NGO running capacity-building programs and village-renewal initiatives for rural civil society.
• Federation of Finnish Village Associations (Suomen Kylät ry): National umbrella of Finnish village associations running a similar village-of-the-year recognition program and capacity-building services; the closest functional template to LLF's Smart Village recognition mark.

Emerging players

• NEXT Latvia (Līdzdalības Hakatons organizer): Latvian NGO that co-organizes the Participation Hackathon with LLF; comparable as a younger civic-tech and participation-focused NGO operating in the same Latvian civil-society ecosystem.

Others

• Sabiedrības integrācijas fonds (Society Integration Fund): State funding intermediary for LLF; comparable as the institutional counterpart channeling Latvian state and EU funds into civil-society projects, with overlapping programmatic priorities around civic participation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LaukuForums
• Facebookfacebook.com/laukuforums
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laukuforums

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Latvian Rural Forum