On 2 April 2026, the Government of the Republic decided to begin preparations for the divestment of the shares of Aktsiaselts Eesti Post through a public auction.
Aktsiaselts Eesti Post, operating under the Omniva brand, provides a nationwide postal network development and management service in the public interest, ensuring the provision of both domestic and international postal services. The company’s home market is the Baltics, but its operations extend to more than ten countries outside the region. Under the Postal Act, Omniva has been designated as the universal postal service (UPS) provider in Estonia.
According to the expectations approved by the Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture as the representative of the owner, the company’s main strategic objective is to ensure sustainable access to postal services for the people of Estonia through the provision of high-quality universal postal services. In recent years, the company’s activities have clearly shifted towards commerce and logistics services – in 2025, universal postal services accounted for only 5% of total revenue. At the same time, customer needs and habits have changed, and the volume of traditional postal services has significantly declined – by more than 75% over the past five years.
In light of the changed market conditions and declining use of postal services, the Government of the Republic decided on 2 April 2026 to begin preparations for the divestment of the company’s shares through a public auction. In essence, this means that the state is moving forward with preparations for privatisation. Preparation for the public auction will begin in 2026, and the conclusion of the share sale agreement is planned during 2027.
The divestment will not change the principles of providing universal postal services. The obligation to provide the service derives from regulation, and the state will continue to have mechanisms to ensure service continuity. Omniva’s obligation to provide and develop universal postal services will remain in force after privatisation.
The state’s ownership in the company has primarily been related to ensuring universal postal services and the necessary postal network. Going forward, this objective is intended to be fulfilled through public procurement and state regulation, rather than necessarily through state ownership in a postal and logistics company.
In 2025, the group’s revenue amounted to €154.7 million, and normalized net profit was €1.4 million.
At the same time, universal postal services recorded a loss of €2.1 million, and their volume decreased by 13% over the year.
AS Eesti Post is currently 100% owned by the Estonian state and falls under the administration of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture.
Decision to divest
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Why does the state want to divest the company?
In recent years, Omniva’s activities have clearly shifted from traditional postal services towards commerce and logistics services. In 2025, universal postal services accounted for only 5% of total revenue, while most of the profit was generated from foreign markets.
Selling the state’s stake helps ensure the company’s long-term sustainability in a highly competitive logistics and parcel market, as the state has no strategic interest or need to expand further into new foreign markets. In addition, divestment reduces the state’s exposure to business and investment risks.
In summary, four main reasons for divestment can be identified:
attracting investment and improving competitiveness;
long-term development of the company;
improving service quality and efficiency;
enhancing competitiveness.
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Has the decision already been made?
Yes, at its meeting on 2 April 2026, the Government of the Republic decided to sell Aktsiaselts Eesti Post.
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Will the state sell the entire company or only part of it?
The Government decided to sell the entire company, i.e. 100% of the shares.
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Why was a 100% sale chosen instead of another option, such as an IPO?
Different options were analysed during the preparation of the divestment, including listing the company on the stock exchange. The analysis concluded that, at its current stage of development, an IPO is not the most suitable solution.
A stock market listing requires stable and clearly predictable financial results as well as a compelling long-term growth story for investors. Omniva has gone through a more complex period in recent years and is only now restoring stable profitability.
Therefore, it was concluded that bringing in a strategic investor through a full divestment would better support the company’s development and ensure the necessary investments.
Divestment process
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How will the divestment take place?
The divestment will take place through a public auction open to all participants who meet the established preconditions.
First, documentation concerning the company and its sale will be prepared together with advisors. Then a public auction will be announced. By the end of the auction, interested buyers will submit their bids, from which the highest bidder will be selected. In the final stage, a sale agreement will be concluded with the successful bidder.
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When will the divestment take place?
Exact information will be published through official channels. The public auction is expected to take place in the second half of 2026, and the transaction is planned to be completed during 2027.
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Who will carry out the divestment?
The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture will contract a qualified legal and financial advisor to assist in carrying out the divestment.
Impact of the divestment
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What are the possible benefits?
Divestment may bring several positive developments for the company and the Estonian economy more broadly:
investments into Estonia;
additional funding for company development;
provision of modern solutions outside Estonia.
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What are the possible risks?
One of the main risks is that the new owner may seek to optimize the service network (mailboxes, post offices, parcel machines), which could reduce service accessibility for customers.
How the risk is mitigated: the requirements for universal postal services are set out in law and supervised by the state. The company may independently decide on services in the open market, where strong competition exists, making service disappearance unlikely.
Another risk is that postal service prices may increase under the new market conditions after divestment.
How the risk is mitigated: strong competition in the parcel market and regulatory frameworks limit the extent of price increases.
A third risk is pressure from private capital to cut costs, which could lead to job reductions or restructuring based on the new owner’s strategic focus (e.g. increased emphasis on digitalisation).
How the risk is mitigated: assuming the company continues providing postal and logistics services, it will still require sorting centre workers, parcel couriers, postal workers, and support specialists in the future.
Related links
News: The privatization of Omniva will be advised by Superia, Redgate Capital, and Ellex Raidla
News: The Government of Estonia has decided to start preparing Omniva’s privatisation
Estonian Competition Authority
