On 26 May 2026, PCP WISE officially launched its 2nd Webstival series with the opening webinar “From Call for Tenders to PCP Implementation”, bringing together 45 participants from across Europe. The session marked an important milestone in the project’s journey, highlighting the transition from market engagement activities toward the implementation phase of innovative climate resilience solutions.

Gathering public buyers, researchers, technology providers, innovation procurement experts and climate resilience stakeholders, the webinar provided participants with an overview of PCP WISE progress, lessons learned from the procurement process, and the roadmap for the next stages of development.

▶️ Watch the recording of the webinar here and access the webinar presentation here

From Ecosystem Mobilisation to Concrete Action

Opening the webinar, Sofiane Bari (G.A.C. Group) reflected on the evolution of PCP WISE since the first Webstival organised in 2025.

The first edition successfully mobilised a wide ecosystem around climate-resilient water management, attracting hundreds of participants and creating valuable exchanges among public buyers, suppliers and experts. Since then, PCP WISE has transformed this mobilisation into concrete implementation progress.

Key achievements presented during the session included:

These results demonstrate the strong European interest in developing innovative solutions addressing climate-related water challenges.

Public Buyers Present Real-Life Climate Challenges

A central part of the webinar focused on the operational challenges driving innovation within PCP WISE’s five use cases.

Representatives from public buyer organisations introduced a variety of regional contexts and climate-related challenges across Europe, including:

Despite their diversity, several common needs emerged: improving access to reliable environmental information, reducing data fragmentation, strengthening predictive capabilities and enabling more informed decision-making processes.

Earth Observation data, hydrological modelling and integrated climate services were identified as key enablers for supporting resilience strategies and anticipating future risks.

Insights into the PCP Call for Tenders

The webinar also provided participants with a detailed overview of the PCP procurement process.

During her presentation, Ana Isabel PeirĂł Baquedano (Corvers Procurement Services) explained the structure of the PCP WISE Call for Tenders and the phased approach guiding innovation development:

  • Phase 1: solution design and feasibility studies
  • Phase 2: prototype development and laboratory validation
  • Phase 3: field testing and demonstration activities in European pilot sites

Participants gained further insights into the evaluation methodology, consortium composition requirements, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) provisions and the overall framework supporting Pre-Commercial Procurement.

Strong Market Response and Selected Consortia

During the session, Arnoud Gringhuis (hetWaterschapshuis) shared key figures and lessons learned from the procurement and evaluation process.

The response from the market exceeded expectations, with 25 proposals submitted by organisations from across Europe, demonstrating both the attractiveness and relevance of the PCP WISE challenge. Following a multi-stage evaluation process, five consortia were selected to enter the implementation phase:

The selected teams bring together multidisciplinary expertise covering Earth Observation, hydrology, artificial intelligence, climate science, digital technologies and operational service development. Their work will contribute to developing innovative solutions capable of addressing climate resilience challenges across multiple European contexts.

Looking Ahead: Scaling Innovation Across Europe

The final presentation, delivered by Hans van Leeuwen (STOWA), introduced the PCP WISE implementation roadmap and outlined future activities supporting the transition toward large-scale adoption.

Particular attention was given to future demonstration activities, engagement of additional public buyers, validation processes and business development opportunities. The session highlighted PCP WISE’s ambition not only to develop innovative solutions but also to ensure their long-term scalability and replication across Europe.

Join the Next PCP WISE Webstival Session

The webinar concluded with an interactive discussion and Q&A session, allowing participants to exchange perspectives and identify key takeaways. The PCP WISE community now looks ahead to the next session of the Webstival series:

Webinar 2: Technology Foresight for Climate-Resilient Water Management
đź“… Last week of June 2026

Stay connected through the PCP WISE Community Platform for upcoming registration information and updates.