About State Education Development Agency

The State Education Development Agency (SEDA, Latvian – VIAA) is a direct administration institution, subordinated to the Ministry of Education and Science.

VIAA is responsible for various policy areas and activities.  Since 2010, VIAA has been the agency responsible for the implementation of European Union (EU) Structural Funds, foreign scholarships and cooperation programmes, financial instruments and grants of the European Economic Area Member States in the field of education, science, research, lifelong learning and career support policy, offering comprehensive information and consultations concerning education development opportunities offered by Latvia and Europe.

VIAA performed the functions of a second-level intermediary institution in administering EU Structural Funds for the 2004-2006 programming period, while in the 2007-2013 programming period, it provides the functions of a cooperation authority.

VIAA functions:

• To perform the functions stipulated by laws and regulations regarding the management of EU Structural Funds (European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund), ensuring the functions of a cooperation authority in the 2007-2013 programming period of EU Structural Funds,
• To implement education and lifelong learning programmes and projects based on contractual relations between VIAA and the institutions of Latvia, EU or other countries,
• To ensure the implementation of the sectoral EU Lifelong Learning programmes (Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci, Erasmus, Grundtvig, Transversal programme and the Jean Monnet programme) in Latvia,
• To perform the functions of the Nordplus (Nordic Council of Ministers’ education and research programme) information office,
• To ensure cooperation among the institutions involved in career guidance by performing the functions of the Cooperation Council Secretariat,
• To ensure the participation of Latvia in the Euroguidance Network according to the aims and objectives set out in guidelines by the European Union,
• To ensure implementation of innovation projects in education and allotting life-long grants for life-long contributions to education,
• To implement the Erasmus Mundus cooperation and mobility programme,
• To participate in the information collection, monitoring, processing and circulation network, Eurydice,
• To administer the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norway Financial Mechanism, “Academic Research Block Grant” and “Scholarship Block Grant” grant schemes,
• To implement the Swiss Contribution , “Scholarship Fund” grant scheme,
• To ensure the functions of the Latvian contact point for the European Centre for Modern Languages,
• Cooperation with foreign institutions and international organisations in the selection of candidates for scholarships offered by foreign and international organisations in the field of education and science,
• To ensure that the “Europe in School” and “European Acknowledgment in Language Learning” activities continue,
• To engage, select and finance foreign nationals and residents of Latvia for studies, research and participation in international summer schools in higher education and science institutions,
• To implement information, publicity and support measures for EU external cooperation policy instruments in the field of higher education,
• To ensure implementation of international research,
• To ensure Latvian participation in the international vocational education competitions for students and alumni - Euroskills.

In order to Perform its Functions VIAA Undertakes the Following Tasks:

• Ensuring an open procedure of project proposal selection for EU Structural Funds, namely, implementation, monitoring, control and data collection of projects of structural funds in the 2007-2013 programming period according to the functions of an intermediary institution and laws and regulations,
• Ensuring the selection, evaluation and administration of applications for EU Lifelong Learning programmes, other foreign programmes, financial instruments and international scholarships,
• Planning, implementing and administering programmes and projects, providing them with the necessary support based on the contractual relations between VIAA and the institutions of Latvia, EU or other countries,
• Cooperating with the respective institutions of Latvia, EU and other countries in developing and implementing experience and information exchange, vocational education, further education and lifelong learning programmes and projects,
• Developing and maintaining databases about acquisition of structural funds and ensuring exchange of information in international networks of educational information and cooperation based on the contractual relations with European Commission (EC information and consultation network Euroguidance and EC portal PLOTEUS – section about educational opportunities in Latvia), collecting information and maintaining the NIID.LV national database of educational opportunities,
• Coordinating the implementation of career guidance system in the fields of education and labour and ensuring the cooperation among institutions involved in this system,
• Entering into contracts with individuals or legal entities for the supply of different services and goods,
• Planning, implementing and monitoring educational innovation projects and deciding on financial support for allotting life long grants for outstanding life long work in education by raising, accumulating, managing and using funds to support projects financially.