Society for the Protection of Prespa

What Society for the Protection of Prespa does

Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) is a Greek non-profit environmental organization founded in 1991, headquartered in Laimos, Prespa, that focuses on conserving the biodiversity, habitats, and landscapes of the transboundary Prespa basin shared by Greece, Albania, and North Macedonia. Its work spans species protection (most notably the world's largest Dalmatian pelican colony, representing approximately 15% of the global breeding population), habitat and wetland management (including 49 mapped habitat types and 35 years of continuous fish monitoring), sustainable agriculture and community development in partnership with local farmers and stockbreeders, and transboundary conservation coordination through the PrespaNet network. The organization serves local communities, protected-area management authorities (notably the Management Unit of Prespes National Park), school and student groups, and conservation volunteers, with an 11–50 person team delivering field operations across three countries.

SPP's technology stack is built around conservation-monitoring systems rather than commercial software: it uses satellite transmitters and drone photography to track pelican populations across SE Europe and Turkey, maintains the Flora Prespae geospatially-referenced botanical database of 1,800+ plant species with a citizen-science mobile app, and co-developed the Transboundary Monitoring System (TMS) covering fish, birds, biodiversity, aquatic vegetation, forests, water quality, land use, and socio-economic indicators across the three Prespa countries. Public-facing digital products include the Follow the Pelican application (real-time pelican movement tracking), the PoliPrespa and Climate Prespa web platforms, and various SPP-branded educational apps. These tools combine scientific monitoring data with citizen-science contributions, enabling both research-grade outputs and broad public engagement.

SPP operates a grant-funded non-profit business model with no product pricing: 2024 total income was €1,105,952, of which foundation grants accounted for €1,068,953 (96.7%), public funding €31,350, and private donations plus trading income €5,649. The top four funders — Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT), Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and the Donors' Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems (DIMFE) — provided roughly 86% of 2024 income. SPP allocates funds across biodiversity protection and management (€658,721), sustainable development and community engagement (€172,062), administration (€140,934), fundraising (€50,748), and communications (€47,498). Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on direct relationships with farmers, stockbreeders, fishermen, local government, and protected-area authorities, complemented by environmental education programs, visitor information services, and a digital presence across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Name

Society for the Protection of Prespa

Legal name

Society for the Protection of Prespa

Website

https://spp.gr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SPP is a Greek non-profit conservation organization founded in 1991 that protects the transboundary Prespa basin's biodiversity through species monitoring, habitat management, and community programs across Greece, Albania, and North Macedonia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAHAHAD

Threatened & Endangered Species (TES) / Protected Species Surveys & Compliance

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Ecology, Biodiversity & Natural Resource Assessments

Keywords

• Wetland conservation
• Biodiversity monitoring
• Species protection
• Habitat management
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ágios Dimítrios

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Major funding from private foundations including Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust Fund (PONT) providing core support, Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and Donors' Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems (DIMFE). Total foundation income in 2024: €1,068,953
2. Public Funding: Funding from governmental sources including Green Fund and Interreg programs. Total public funding in 2024: €31,350
3. Private Donations and Trading Income: Small donations from corporations or private individuals, along with trading and earned income. Total other income in 2024: €5,649

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) is a non-profit environmental NGO that delivers wetland and biodiversity conservation in the transboundary Prespa basin shared by Greece, Albania, and North Macedonia. Its core offerings include species and habitat monitoring (notably for the world's largest Dalmatian pelican breeding colony), wetland and water-level management, sustainable development support for local farming and fishing communities, and environmental education delivered through visitor services, school programs, and a transboundary summer school. It underpins these activities with proprietary digital tools, including the Follow the Pelican application, the Flora Prespae georeferenced plant database, and a Transboundary Monitoring System covering fish, birds, biodiversity, water quality, land use, and socio-economic indicators across all three countries.

Product overview

The Society for the Protection of Prespa offers a portfolio of digital conservation tools centered on biodiversity monitoring and public engagement. The core offerings include the Follow the Pelican Application for real-time tracking of pelican migrations, the Flora Prespae Database containing comprehensive botanical records, and various SPP Apps for environmental education. These products work together to support transboundary conservation efforts across Greece, Albania, and North Macedonia, enabling both scientific research and public participation in protecting Prespa's unique ecosystems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PoliPrespa: A multi-stakeholder program (2018-2023) promoting sustainable development in Prespa through environmental, agricultural, cultural, and social activities.
• PrespaNet

Products and services

• Follow the Pelican Application An innovative digital tool that brings the public closer to pelican life by allowing real-time monitoring of Dalmatian pelican movements across the Balkans and connecting tracking data with SPP's conservation work.
• Flora Prespae Database A geospatially-referenced database of all flora species recorded in the Prespa National Park, built to national and international standards, supporting plant conservation, ecosystem management, and citizen-science data contribution via a companion mobile app.
• SPP Mobile Applications A suite of mobile applications developed by SPP for environmental education, species monitoring, and public engagement with conservation efforts in the Prespa region.
• Transboundary Monitoring System (TMS) A collaboratively developed monitoring system addressing fish, birds, biodiversity, aquatic vegetation, forest and terrestrial ecosystems, water quality, land use, and socio-economic aspects across Greece, Albania, and North Macedonia sharing the Prespa basin.
• Environmental Education Programs (incl. Transboundary Summer School) School and youth environmental education programs, including the Transboundary Summer School and on-site learning activities at Prespa, engaging students and teachers from across Greece, Albania, and North Macedonia.
• Visitor Information Centre and Guided Tour Services Visitor information services and guided tours delivering nature interpretation and conservation awareness to visitors of Prespa National Park, operated historically by SPP and now supported through the Management Body.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wet meadows tripled from 35 ha in 2000 to 100 ha in 2007 through reedbed management
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic, research and local.

• PrespaNet NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Transboundary NGO network established in 2013 comprising SPP, Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), and Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) for strengthening conservation collaboration across the Prespa basin. Produces the Transboundary Strategic Framework for conservation.
• WWF GreececoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember and permanent observer organization, collaborating on conservation initiatives and funding for Mediterranean wetland protection.
• Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner for ornithological research and conservation, co-producer of Global Action Plan for the Dalmatian Pelican. SPP supports the coordinator of IUCN SSC-WI International Pelican Specialist Group.
• Frankfurt Zoological SocietystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational conservation partner collaborating on the Transboundary Strategic Framework and PrespaNet activities.
• EuroNaturstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean nature conservation foundation supporting transboundary Prespa conservation projects and PrespaNet initiatives.
• SAVE FoundationstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for biodiversity conservation, particularly supporting Prespa dwarf cattle breed protection and genetic preservation efforts.
• BirdLife InternationalstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal bird conservation organization collaborating on wetland and waterbird protection initiatives.
• IUCN SSC Pelican Specialist GroupstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPP supports the coordinator of this international specialist group focused on pelican conservation globally.
• Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR)researchTechnology or IntegrationScientific research partner conducting genetic research on Prespa's greylag geese and fish populations.
• National Observatory of AthensresearchTechnology or IntegrationCollaborating on climate change studies in Prespa, assessing vulnerability of Lesser Prespa Lake and developing risk warning systems.
• Municipality of PrespacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey local government partner for sustainable development initiatives including the PoliPrespa project, eco-tourism development, and community programs.
• Management Unit of Prespes National ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body responsible for protected area management, working closely with SPP on wetland management, species monitoring, and conservation activities.
• Agricultural Cooperative of Bean Producers of the Prespa National Park 'Pelekanos'localStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cooperative partner for sustainable agriculture initiatives promoting Prespa's famous organic beans.
• Wetlands InternationalstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal wetland conservation organization supporting transboundary wetland management in Prespa.
• ArcturoslocalStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek wildlife conservation organization, member and observer in SPP's network.
• Groupe Mammalogique BretonresearchTechnology or IntegrationFrench bat research organization that collaborated with SPP on voluntary bat research missions across all three Prespa basin countries.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EuroNatur Foundation: European transboundary conservation foundation; directly comparable as an SPP strategic partner supporting PrespaNet and transboundary Balkan conservation projects.
• Tour du Valat: Mediterranean wetland research and conservation center in the Camargue; comparable as a regional research-and-management operator focused on Mediterranean wetlands and bird species.
• Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA): Albanian counterpart NGO and co-founder of PrespaNet; operates on the same transboundary ecosystem and shares the Dalmatian pelican conservation mandate, making it the closest functional peer to SPP.
• Arcturos: Greek NGO focused on wildlife conservation (notably large carnivores) and protected-area management; fellow member of SPP's transboundary network with overlapping national-park stewardship work.
• Macedonian Ecological Society (MES): North Macedonian conservation NGO and PrespaNet co-founder; shares mandate of transboundary monitoring, species and habitat protection in the same Prespa basin as SPP.
• Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS/BirdLife Greece): Greece's leading bird-conservation NGO; long-standing SPP partner and co-producer of the Global Action Plan for the Dalmatian Pelican, directly comparable in ornithological research and wetland advocacy work.

Broad incumbents

• WWF Greece: Larger Greek environmental NGO with a much broader portfolio; directly comparable as a Mediterranean wetland-conservation peer and observer in SPP's PrespaNet network.
• Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS): International conservation NGO supporting SPP through the PrespaNet Strategic Framework; comparable as a wetland and protected-species funder/operator across the Balkans and beyond.
• Wetlands International: Global wetland-conservation NGO and SPP strategic partner; directly comparable as a transboundary wetland management advocate with Mediterranean basin programs.
• BirdLife International: Global bird-conservation umbrella; SPP strategic partner and natural parent-network of HOS, with overlapping Dalmatian pelican and waterbird protection work across SPP's geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvPiB8S5WDbjMLLUeIKTqqA
• Facebookfacebook.com/spp.prespa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spp-prespa
• Instagraminstagram.com/spp_prespa

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 Society for the Protection of Prespa