Climate services market research

Actions should address one of the following:

a) Defining the European and international climate service market characteristics and foresight into market growth: Proposals should develop a comprehensive analysis of users, their needs, constraints and capabilities, and a systematic assessment of European climate services providers/purveyors – operating at national, European and international levels – together with their business models and services provided. Based on this, the potential for market development should be assessed. This covers assessing the potential of including climate services in the decision-making process of perspective users (public administrations, business, individuals); translating users' needs into the required services, access and capabilities; assessing the divide between users' needs/perceived market potentials and services supplied, and identifying service and innovation gaps and responses.

b) Climate services market barriers and enabling conditions: Proposals should assess the constraints and enablers – of scientific, technical, legal and socioeconomic nature – for the uptake of climate services and the growth of the market, leading to identification of gaps and responses. Proposals should develop a comprehensive analysis including: the assessment of policy environments and supportive frameworks (e.g. incentives, voluntary schemes, and standards); the assessment of the implications of competition and synergies among different provision modes (public/private, EU/national/local level); the analysis of ethical, legal and intellectual property implications of provision and use of climate services, including the assessment of criteria and protocols for quality assurance and quality control.

For both, based on appropriate surveys and analysis of case studies, proposals should develop best practices and recommendations for both climate services providers/purveyors and policy makers, with a view to growing the market and enhancing users' access to quality services.

Adequate involvement of, and outreach to, relevant stakeholders and multiplier organisations, as well as feedback and linkages to the relevant platforms and research and innovation actions in the field should be ensured. The topic calls for a strong trans-disciplinary approach. The participation of partners with a sound track record in market research is expected.

Projects with duration of maximum 2 years will be financed.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU in the range of EUR 1.5 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Climate services are a specialised field, but have the potential to evolve into a promising market, able to scale up the cost-effectiveness of climate change adaptation and mitigation in Europe and beyond. To enable the growth of the climate services market, there is a need to better understand the nature and scope of both the demand and supply sides, and to assess constraints and opportunities, so as to identify the untapped potentials and enabling conditions for market development in Europe.

The project results are expected to contribute to:

• enhanced access to climate services;
• greater reliability of climate services;
• better relevance and use of climate services for and by user organisations, through a supportive environment for business and the development of existing and creation of new markets, building market share;
• the development of a new generation of highly-customised climate services, tailored for users' needs;
• strengthening and broadening the use of climate services to new sectors/users.