Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area

What Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area does

PRIMA's customer base consists of researchers, academic institutions, SMEs, NGOs, and public research bodies submitting proposals to competitive calls — over 14,000 entities have applied and 1,183 have become project beneficiaries. It does not sell products or services; its "business model" is multilateral public-good research funding rather than commercial revenue generation, with go-to-market executed through annual calls, Info Days, National Contact Points, a Find Partners Portal, and a multi-channel digital presence. Leadership is provided by a Chair (Italy, Angelo Riccaboni), Co-Chair (Egypt, Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry), Director of the Secretariat (Octavi Quintana Trias), and Deputy Director (Omar Amawi), overseeing a Secretariat staff of approximately 15–20.

Name

Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area

Legal name

Fundación PRIMA

Website

https://prima-med.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PRIMA (Fundación PRIMA) is a Barcelona-based non-profit foundation coordinating a EUR 494M+ Article 185 TFEU research funding programme for integrated water management, sustainable farming, agri-food value chains, and the WEFE Nexus across 20 Euro-Mediterranean countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research Funding and Innovation Coordination

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs (BPADAOAL), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funds (FSANAJAE), Water & Waste / Circular Economy Funds (FSANAJAF)

Keywords

• Research funding programmes
• Mediterranean cooperation
• Water management research
• Sustainable agriculture innovation
• Agri-food value chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EU Horizon 2020 Contribution: EUR 220 million contribution from the European Union through Horizon 2020 (2014-2020)
2. PRIMA Participating States Funding: EUR 274 million committed from 20 PRIMA Participating States for co-funding research activities
3. Horizon Europe Extension: EUR 105 million additional contribution from the European Union under Horizon Europe for the period 2025-2027, matched by Participating States
4. Section 3 National Activities: Activities organized, managed and funded by PRIMA Participating States, with total budget commitment of 120 M€ over 3 years (2018: 42 M€, 2019: 56 M€, 2020: 31 M€)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PRIMA funds collaborative research and innovation projects addressing water management, farming systems, agri-food value chains and the WEFE Nexus in the Mediterranean. It allocates grants through three funding Sections (EU-funded, nationally co-funded, and nationally managed) following annual competitive calls, and operates the MEL platform plus recurring recognition awards for researchers, young innovators and women leaders.

Product overview

PRIMA (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area) is a research funding program operating under Article 185 of the Treaty of the Functioning the European Union. The program offers a unified platform for funding research and innovation through three funding Sections: Section 1 (EU-funded activities managed by PRIMA), Section 2 (activities funded by Participating States with PRIMA coordination), and Section 3 (activities organized and funded directly by Participating States). Within this structure, PRIMA funds projects across four interconnected thematic areas: Water Management, Farming Systems, Agri-Food Value Chain, and the cross-cutting WEFE Nexus. The program also administers award programs including the WEFE Nexus Award, PRIMA Young Innovators Award, and the Women Greening Food Systems Award. Project monitoring and knowledge management is facilitated through the MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning) platform. Funding is provided through competitive calls for proposals across 20 participating Euro-Mediterranean countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Section 1 - EU-Funded Activities Indirect actions funded by the PRIMA Implementation Structure (PRIMA-IS) using the EU contribution through transnational calls, centrally managed by PRIMA-IS and evaluated under Horizon Europe Rules for Participation. Includes Innovation Actions, Coordination and Support Actions, and Research and Innovation Actions for Mediterranean research and innovation beneficiaries.
• Section 2 - Participating State Co-Funded Activities Indirect actions funded by PRIMA Participating States following transnational calls organized by PRIMA-IS and evaluated based on Horizon Europe Rules for Participation. Includes Research and Innovation Activities (RIA) across Technology Readiness Levels 3-7, with funding disbursed by national funding bodies.
• Section 3 - National Activities

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 180 million people affected by water shortages in Mediterranean basin addressed through funded research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• European UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder through Horizon 2020 (EUR 220 million) and Horizon Europe (EUR 105 million additional for 2025-2027). EU participates under Article 185 TFEU framework.
• Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in WEFE Nexus initiatives and regional strategy development for Mediterranean cooperation in research and innovation.
• ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning) platform adoption and implementation for PRIMA project portfolio management.
• EU Science Hub (European Commission)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Commission research and innovation information platform providing scientific support and visibility to PRIMA activities.
• IEMED (European Institute of the Mediterranean)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMediterranean think-tank providing expertise and networking for Euro-Mediterranean research cooperation.
• Water JPI (Water Joint Programming Initiative)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean partnership on water research contributing to alignment of water management research agendas with PRIMA objectives.
• The Cyprus InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCyprus-based research institution participating in PRIMA activities and hosting regional conferences.
• Global Water PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network supporting integrated water resources management, contributing to PRIMA's water management objectives.
• National Funding Agencies (22 agencies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor22 National Funding Agencies from participating states manage Section 2 and Section 3 funding, providing National Contact Points (NCPs) for applicant support. Includes agencies from: Algeria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, and Türkiye.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CGIAR System Organization: CGIAR is the world's largest global agricultural research funding and coordination partnership, pooling donor funding to support international research centers. It is directly comparable to PRIMA in funding model (pooled multi-donor grants), thematic overlap (farming systems, food security, water for agriculture), and structure (consortium of research institutions across geographies).
• Water JPI (Water Joint Programming Initiative): Water JPI is a European joint programming initiative aligning national water research programmes across member states through coordinated calls. It is a direct peer of PRIMA in structure (multi-country co-funding model), thematic focus (water management), and operating logic (national funding agency coordination). PRIMA is explicitly a strategic partner.
• Global Water Partnership: Global Water Partnership is an international network supporting integrated water resources management across 13 regions. It is directly comparable to PRIMA in thematic focus (water management, WEFE Nexus), partner network (Mediterranean and developing country presence), and MEL-style coordination role. PRIMA is an active strategic partner.
• Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR): FFAR is a US-based non-profit research funding foundation leveraging public and private dollars for food and agriculture research. It is directly comparable to PRIMA as a grantmaking foundation funding competitive research with measurable outcomes in farming systems, food security, and agricultural innovation.
• Belmont Forum: Belmont Forum is an international partnership of research funders that coordinates global environmental change research through joint calls. It is directly comparable to PRIMA in operating model (multi-country co-funding, joint calls for proposals), thematic overlap (sustainability, climate, water), and MEL-style portfolio coordination.
• FACCE-JPI (Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change): FACCE-JPI is a European joint programming initiative coordinating national research on agriculture, food security, and climate change. It is a direct peer of PRIMA in structure (multi-country co-funding via national agencies), thematic overlap (farming systems, agri-food, climate adaptation), and joint calls model.

Emerging players

• EUREKA Network: EUREKA is a pan-European intergovernmental network for R&D funding involving over 45 countries, supporting market-oriented innovation projects. It is comparable to PRIMA in facilitating cross-border research consortia, with overlapping SME engagement use cases though more industry-applied focus.

Broad incumbents

• International Development Research Centre (IDRC): IDRC is a Canadian Crown corporation funding research in developing countries to support sustainable and inclusive growth. It is comparable to PRIMA as a public-good research funder focused on water, food systems, and development challenges in emerging economies, with similar grantmaking and MEL capabilities.
• COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology): COST is an EU-funded framework supporting transnational research networking across all scientific domains. It is comparable to PRIMA as an EU-coordinated mechanism for cross-border research collaboration and networking, though COST is broader in scope and not focused on Mediterranean water/agriculture themes.
• EIT (European Institute of Innovation & Technology): EIT is the EU's dedicated innovation body funding knowledge and innovation communities (KICs) across Europe. It is comparable to PRIMA as an EU-level public funding and coordination mechanism for cross-border research and innovation, though it operates more broadly across sectors rather than focused on Mediterranean-specific water/agriculture themes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PrimaProgram
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNcuC_u3eASq71zmlu7S5mw
• Facebookfacebook.com/PrimaProgram
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prima-program
• Instagraminstagram.com/prima_foundation_med

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area