Funded under the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme, PCP WISE is leveraging the power of innovation procurement to develop advanced solutions for climate-resilient water management across Europe
Launched in January 2025, PCP WISE is a €19 million Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP) action that brings together a consortium of 26 partners from nine EU countries, including 12 public buyers and 14 technical and support organisations. Led by the Dutch water authority Het Waterschapshuis, the project is set to run for 36 months, allocating €12 million to the research & development phases of the PCP.
At its core, PCP WISE seeks to strengthen Europe’s climate resilience by fostering the development of cutting-edge water management solutions (up to TRL 8). By harnessing Environmental Observation (EO), satellite data, and digital technologies, the project addresses key challenges including floods, droughts, and infrastructure impacts in both urban and rural areas. These efforts are directly aligned with the ambitions of the European Green Deal and the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy.
Procuring innovation for climate action
The PCP WISE group of public buyers will launch its call for tenders on 5 September 2025, inviting maker suppliers ranging from start-ups and SMEs to large companies, research and technology organisations, and universities to co-develop EO-based and digital tools that enhance water resilience, sustainability, and crisis preparedness. This initiative transforms public procurement into a strategic lever, enabling the development of pioneering research into scalable, real-world applications that support national, regional, and local authorities, water boards, and environmental agencies.
In preparation for this tender, PCP WISE conducted a wide-reaching Open Market Consultation (OMC) to engage with the supplier community and gather market intelligence. This process aimed to ensure the PCP challenge is well-aligned with the state-of-the-art and encourages the participation of SMEs, startups and innovation leaders.
Responding to shared European challenges
PCP WISE builds on the legacy of the PROTECT project, which mobilised a community of over 100 public buyers and 200 solution providers across five sectors: Marine/coastal, energy/utilities, smart cities, agriculture/forestry, and civil protection. Building on PROTECT’s groundwork, PCP WISE hones in on one overarching challenge:
Water — the carrier and catalyst of many climate-related risks. Specifically, PCP WISE aims to develop an integrated Soil-Water-Vegetation monitoring system.
Five real-world use cases guide the PCP WISE procurement process:
- Urban drought (Northwestern Europe): Tackling water scarcity, groundwater depletion, and subsidence in dense urban areas.
- Urban water excess (Northeastern Europe): Managing flood risks and stormwater infrastructure in cities.
- Rural drought (Northwestern & Eastern Europe): Addressing agricultural and environmental drought, with solutions such as wildfire prediction and precision irrigation.
- Rural drought/flooding (Southern Europe): Managing seasonal extremes and enhancing water allocation strategies.
- Rural drought/flooding (Northern Europe): Mitigating peatland degradation, groundwater fluctuations, and underground fire risks.
Objectives and expected impact
PCP WISE is committed to:
- Driving innovation: Supporting the development and testing of breakthrough EO-powered climate services.
- Fostering cross-border collaboration: Enabling cooperation among regions, cities, and crisis response organisations.
- Improving information systems: Creating shared operational climate and water data products.
- Ensuring a demand-driven approach: Engaging end-users throughout the PCP process for validation and uptake.
Join the PCP WISE community
PCP WISE invites stakeholders, innovators, and public authorities to engage through its Community Platform. The project offers ongoing matchmaking, regular updates, and a dedicated Q&A page to support participation in the upcoming tender.
