Omniva LT UAB, the Lithuanian subsidiary of Estonian postal operator Omniva, has announced it has bid to become Lithuania’s next universal postal service (USO) provider.
The USO ensures that basic postal services – including the delivery of letters and small parcels – are available to all residents at affordable prices. In Lithuania, state-owned Lithuania Post has so far been the sole operator, holding the current contract until the end of 2026.
Martti Kuldma, chairman of Omniva’s management board, said, “Post is a declining business across all Western countries, but Omniva has decades of experience delivering universal service. We believe the key to sustainability is combining postal and parcel networks. In Lithuania, we have a postal license since 2006, a wide network, automated sorting center and years of market experience. Entering the USO tender is the next logical step.”
The Lithuanian USO market was worth €13.6m (US$15.8m) in 2024, but remains loss-making due to declining mail volumes. The government compensates providers for the shortfall and will allow parcel locker and shop networks to be used in USO delivery from 2025. The upcoming tender covers the 2027–2035 period.
“Logistics is a volume business. The additional USO volumes from Lithuania would strengthen Omniva’s position in the Baltics and make our operations – sorting, distribution networks – more efficient to improve the group’s overall profitability even though the service itself comes to a zero,” Kuldma said. “Providing universal service in multiple countries could also allow us to optimize operations, such as combining letter sorting, making the service more sustainable in both countries.”
Across Europe, shrinking letter volumes have put pressure on USO models. Some countries, including Denmark, have opted to end their universal postal obligations entirely. Omniva has argued that reform is needed to make postal operations more sustainable and has suggested that regional cooperation could be one solution.
In Lithuania, the USO tender also decides the national distributor of periodicals, unlike in Estonia where separate tenders are held.
To qualify for the USO role, Omniva must prove that by the end of 2026, it has a sufficient network in Lithuania to provide universal postal services. The deadline for submitting documents for participation to the Lithuanian regulator was October 13, 2025. The date when the Lithuanian regulator will appoint the UPS provider for the 2027–2035 period has not yet been announced.
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