Idea management and web-based idea management systems application situation and potential in Latvia have been identified by applying qualitative and quantitative methods – community survey and expert interviews. It has been found that there is a tendency in Latvia that ideas in the organisations are generated within the frame of the same groups of people and there is no definite idea management system or effective idea management. It is important to stress that the results of the research also show that web-based idea management systems are not widely used in Latvia, but there is a perspective to apply them in private, public and academic sectors. Perspective areas to apply web-based IMS are cultivation of open and user-driven innovation, encouragement of civic participation, contribution to public communication and a wide range of creative cultural promotion.