Latvia’s Viedās administrācijas un reģionālās attīstības ministrija has asked Riga City Council to explain a planned procurement for LinkedIn strategy and advertising services. The request concerns an estimated contract value of €300,000 excluding VAT, with no finding of wrongdoing reported.
Ministry asks what the public interest will be
The ministry has written to Riga City Council chairman Viesturs Kleinbergs seeking an explanation for the procurement announced by the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency. Minister Edgars Tavars said that €300,000 in public money for communication services connected with a LinkedIn profile was a significant sum requiring additional explanation. The ministry wants Riga to set out what public interests would be served if a contract were signed, whether the price was assessed under the law on preventing waste of public funds and property, and why the service is objectively necessary. The request is for clarification, not a published finding that the procurement is unlawful or wasteful.
The proposed contract would run for 24 months
Information on the Procurement Monitoring Bureau website says suppliers have until 6 October to submit offers. The procurement documentation provides for a 24-month contract, or until the contract amount has been used, whichever comes first. That structure sets both a time limit and a financial ceiling for the proposed service, while leaving the exact scale of work to the procurement documents and any resulting contract. The stated estimated contract price is €300,000 excluding VAT. The source does not report that a contract has been awarded or that the full amount will necessarily be spent.
Riga is also asked about internal capability
VARAM has asked why the work could not be delivered within the municipality, specifically through the Investment Division of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency. This makes the question broader than the choice of LinkedIn as a communications channel: the ministry is asking Riga to explain the need for external procurement and the division of responsibilities inside the authority. The ministry also refers to proportionality, the municipality’s competence and the principle that public funds should be used efficiently. Riga’s mayor said on social media that he had reviewed the information, called for the procurement to be halted and requested explanations of its need, basis and requirements.
The clarification request leaves the procurement’s case to be made
The mayor said Riga’s name should be promoted internationally and that the city should explain its opportunities, but added that this must be done in an economical and advantageous way, with each expense carefully assessed. That position accepts the communications objective while questioning whether the proposed route and cost have been sufficiently justified. For bidders, the immediate point is that the advertised process has a submission deadline and defined contract conditions, but its public rationale is now being examined by both the ministry and the mayor. The source records requests for explanation and an invitation to pause, not a final decision on the procurement.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Procuring body | Riga Investment and Tourism Agency |
| Procurement | LinkedIn strategy and advertising services |
| Estimated contract price | €300,000 excluding VAT |
| Offer deadline | 6 October |
| Contract term | 24 months or until the contract amount is used |
| Review requested by | Viedās administrācijas un reģionālās attīstības ministrija |
The public has the right to receive a clear justification for why such a procurement is necessary, what results it will achieve and whether the chosen solution is proportionate, Edgars Tavars said.
WHY IT MATTERS
A procurement can specify a contract ceiling and a time limit without guaranteeing that the whole amount will be spent. Here, the clarification request focuses on the business case, proportionality, public interest and whether the municipality’s own Investment Division could provide the service.
Reported from pmo.ee, 2026-09-08. The Tender Wire is published by Otnox.
