Friends of Europe

What Friends of Europe does

Friends of Europe is a Brussels-based, Belgian non-profit (asbl) policy think tank and forum established in 1999, focused on convening high-level debate on European affairs and connecting policymakers, political leaders, and citizens. Its core activities span content production (Frankly Speaking insights, #CriticalThinking series, Policy Voices videos, and podcasts), in-person and livestreamed summits (notably the Single Market Summit and the State of Europe Festival), and a portfolio of thematic initiatives covering Single Market, Democracy, Peace/Security/Defence, Climate/Energy/Natural Resources, Sustainable Livelihoods, Digital & Data Governance, Global Europe, the Renewed Social Contract, the Ukraine Initiative, Balkan Journey, and Making Space Matter. Signature community platforms include the European Young Leaders (#EYL40) network and the Debating Europe citizen engagement portal (debatingeurope.eu), alongside a flagship Africa-Europe Foundation partnership and an associated Jacques Delors Friends of Europe Foundation.

The organization does not sell commercial products or services. Its revenue model is structured around institutional and individual membership, event participation, and partnerships, with disclosed pricing treated as non-public. Reach is concentrated in Europe, distributed through a multi-channel marketing stack that pairs organic social (LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky), audio-visual content (YouTube, SoundCloud), an email newsletter, the Debating Europe platform, and event programming aimed at EU policymakers and other European leaders. Friends of Europe employs 11-50 staff under its own governance, has no parent company or subsidiaries, and is in active operating status with a 2026 events calendar that signals ongoing organizational scaling.

Strategically, recent activity emphasizes expansion across new policy verticals (space policy, enlargement/Ukraine, Balkans) and channel diversification (citizen platforms, multimedia content), reinforcing its role as an independent convener of European policy debate rather than as a commercial technology or services vendor.

Name

Friends of Europe

Legal name

Friends of Europe asbl

Website

https://friendsofeurope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friends of Europe is a Brussels-based non-profit think tank founded in 1999 that convenes EU policymakers, political leaders, and citizens to debate European policy through summits, content, the #EYL40 network, and the Debating Europe platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Analysis

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Comparative Education Policy Organizations (EDADADAL)

Keywords

• Policy think tank
• European policy analysis
• Policy dialogue events
• Leadership programmes
• EU affairs research

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Friends of Europe is a non-profit European policy think tank that convenes EU policymakers, government officials, business leaders, and citizens to debate and shape EU policy. It delivers independent policy analysis and convening through insights and publications, events and summits, podcasts and videos, the Debating Europe citizen engagement platform, and curated leadership initiatives such as the European Young Leaders (#EYL40) programme, supported by a membership and newsletter infrastructure.

Product overview

Friends of Europe operates as a European think tank organization offering a portfolio of interconnected policy-focused initiatives, content formats, and engagement platforms. The core offerings include Insights/Publications (Frankly Speaking articles, #CriticalThinking series, news), Events & Summits (in-person and livestreamed conferences including Single Market Summit and State of Europe Festival), and multimedia content (Videos including Policy Voices series, Podcasts). These are complemented by signature initiatives such as the European Young Leaders (#EYL40) network, Debating Europe citizen engagement platform, and policy-specific initiatives covering Single Market, Democracy, Renewed Social Contract, Peace/Security & Defence, Global Europe, Climate/Energy/Natural Resources, Sustainable Livelihoods, Digital & Data Governance, Ukraine Initiative, Balkan Journey, and Making Space Matter. The organization also offers newsletter subscription and membership services for ongoing engagement. The overall architecture functions as an integrated platform for European policy dialogue, knowledge sharing, and network building across multiple thematic areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Debating Europe: A platform for discussing ideas with Europe's leaders
• European Young Leaders (#EYL40)
• Africa-Europe Foundation
• State of Europe
• Single Market
• Renewed Social Contract
• The Ukraine Initiative
• Balkan Journey
• #CriticalThinking

Products and services

• Events and Summits

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Jacques Delors Friends of Europe FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClosely associated foundation bearing the name of Jacques Delors, a founding figure in European integration. The foundation operates at jdfoefoundation.eu and shares the Jacques Delors legacy with Friends of Europe's mission.
• Africa-Europe FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship initiative collaboration focused on strengthening Africa-Europe relations. Features on the homepage as a key area of work alongside other major initiatives.
• Debating EuropeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic-facing debate platform (debatingeurope.eu) enabling citizens to discuss ideas with Europe's leaders. A flagship initiative for broad public engagement in European policy discourse.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Chatham House: London-based international affairs think tank (Royal Institute of International Affairs). Overlaps with Friends of Europe's Global Europe and security initiatives as a broader, established international affairs institution.
• German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF): Transatlantic policy think tank with a Brussels office. Comparable to Friends of Europe as a policy forum producing transatlantic analysis and convening leaders, though broader in geographic scope.
• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES): German political foundation affiliated with the SPD, active in EU policy dialogue from Brussels. Comparable to Friends of Europe as a foundation-driven policy forum engaging European policymakers and civil society.
• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS): German political foundation affiliated with the CDU, with a Brussels office active in EU policy debate. Comparable as a politically-aligned think tank engaging EU policymakers, similar to Friends of Europe's convening role.

Direct peers

• Carnegie Europe: Brussels outpost of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on European foreign and security policy. Comparable to Friends of Europe's Peace, Security & Defence and Global Europe areas.
• Bruegel: Leading Brussels-based European economic policy think tank. Directly comparable as a membership-funded think tank producing independent policy analysis and hosting high-profile events for EU policymakers, similar to Friends of Europe's core model.
• European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): Pan-European foreign policy think tank with pan-EU offices and a council-based governance model. Directly comparable to Friends of Europe as a Brussels-based, pan-European policy forum producing analysis and convening decision-makers.
• Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS): Brussels-based think tank producing EU policy research across economics, law, and politics. Closely comparable to Friends of Europe in scope, Brussels location, and EU policymaker audience.
• European Policy Centre (EPC): Brussels-based independent think tank focused on EU integration, economic, and social policy. Highly comparable as a membership-supported think tank convening EU leaders on European policy issues.

Others

• European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN): A network coordinating European policy research institutes delivering analysis to EU institutions. Comparable as an adjacent policy-research ecosystem player rather than a direct competitor to Friends of Europe's standalone model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4ZqjYsoK7D7I4UuaBATrBw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsofeurope
• Xx.com/FriendsofEurope
• Facebookfacebook.com/friendsofeurope.foe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friends of Europe