What RISE Foundation does

RISE Foundation (Rural Investment for a Sustainable Europe Foundation) is an independent, non-profit public utility foundation established in Brussels in 2006 by former EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler and Corrado Pirzio-Biroli, with the European Landowners' Organization and Friends of the Countryside as co-founders. It operates as a think tank producing policy-oriented research on the transition to sustainable European agriculture, the circular economy, soil health, crop protection, livestock systems, nutrient management, and the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Its outputs are human-authored research reports, policy recommendations, events, and participation as a work-package lead or partner in EU-funded consortia.

The foundation's core products are its thematic report series (Public Goods 2009, CAP 2017, Livestock 2018, Crop Protection 2020, Sustainable Agricultural Soil Management 2022) and its role in Horizon 2020 / Horizon Europe projects such as Circular Agronomics (carbon/nitrogen/phosphorus cycling), SYSTEMIC (biowaste valorisation), BESTMAP (rural policy impact modelling), and NutriBudget (nutrient management platform prototype). Each project is governed by a multi-skilled advisory committee, and the foundation's impartiality is anchored by its independent Board. Governance and thought leadership are concentrated in former EU Commissioner Janez Potočnik (Chairman since 2015) and Prof. Allan Buckwell (Director of RISE Reports since 2012).

RISE does not sell products or services. Revenue is derived from financial support and donations from public authorities, foundations, NGOs, corporates, individuals, and member organizations, supplemented by EU research-grant disbursements. Its customers are segmented into EU Policy Makers (primary, government) and Agricultural Sector Stakeholders (farmers, agribusiness, rural communities), reached through direct engagement, report launches, events (including co-organized events with MEPs and participation in the Forum for the Future of Agriculture), newsletters, and social channels. The organization is a member of the Belgian Federation of Philanthropic Foundations since 2020 and operates with a small core team of approximately 10 staff supplemented by academic and research contributors.

Name

RISE Foundation

Legal name

RISE Foundation

Website

https://risefoundation.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RISE Foundation is an independent Brussels-based non-profit think tank, founded in 2006, that produces policy research and participates in EU-funded consortia on sustainable European agriculture, the circular economy, soil health, and CAP reform, serving EU policymakers and agricultural sector stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

Keywords

• Agricultural policy research
• Sustainability think tank
• Circular economy research
• EU agricultural policy
• Environmental research publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

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. Donations and Financial Support: As an independent non-profit organization, RISE Foundation welcomes financial support from public authorities, foundations, NGOs, companies, individuals and membership organisations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RISE Foundation is an independent, non-profit think tank that produces high-quality accessible research reports and policy recommendations on sustainable European agriculture, the circular economy, and environmental-climate-agricultural challenges. It convenes multi-disciplinary experts and stakeholders, engages with EU policy makers, and participates in EU-funded research projects (Horizon 2020 / Horizon Europe) as a consortium partner. Its deliverables include flagship reports on soil management, crop protection, livestock, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and public goods from private land.

Product overview

RISE Foundation operates as a think tank producing high-quality research reports and participating in EU-funded research projects. Their portfolio includes landmark publications on sustainable agricultural soil management, crop protection, livestock, Common Agricultural Policy reform, nutrient recovery and reuse, sustainable intensification, and public goods. They actively participate in Horizon 2020 projects including Circular Agronomics (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus cycling), SYSTEMIC (biowaste valorisation), BESTMAP (policy impact tools), and NutriBudget (nutrient management platform). The Foundation also hosts events and workshops to disseminate findings and engage stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RISE Reports A series of high-quality, accessible research reports with clear policy recommendations on environmental-climate-agricultural challenges in Europe, aimed at EU policy makers and agricultural stakeholders.
• Sustainable Agricultural Soil Management Report Report combining an extensive literature review on soil health and sustainable management with a policy review and interviews of over 30 private soil management initiatives across Europe.
• Crop Protection Report Report reviewing crop protection methods, the policy that guides and regulates them, and proposing the way forward for the European Union.
• Livestock Report Report providing a comprehensive overview of the benefits and impacts of livestock on the environment and human health, calling for policy support for the sector's transition.
• CAP Report Report directed by Allan Buckwell analysing how the current Common Agricultural Policy does not make best use of resources deployed to support land managers through the necessary transition.
• Public Goods Report Task Force Report on Public Goods from Private Land, among the first to promote the public goods concept for European agriculture.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reports with thousands of views and downloads demonstrating significant reach and impact on policy discussions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Circular Agronomics ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018Horizon 2020 funded project (Grant Agreement No. 773649) addressing sustainable circular management of Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus in European agriculture. RISE leads Work Package on synthesis and policy recommendations.
• SYSTEMIC Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Horizon 2020 funded project (Grant Agreement No. 730400) demonstrating new approaches for valorisation of biowaste into green energy, mineral resources, fertilisers and organic soil improvers at five large-scale biogas plants throughout Europe.
• European Landowners' Organization (ELO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Co-founder of RISE Foundation along with Friends of the Countryside. The aim was to inject new ideas and innovation into agricultural and rural development policy.
• Friends of the Countryside (FCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Co-founder of RISE Foundation along with European Landowners' Organization. Supported the establishment of the foundation to improve European agriculture, environment, and future prospects of rural areas.
• NutriBudget Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon Europe project to develop and implement a prototype of an integrated nutrient management platform (NutriPlatform) as a decision-support tool for farmers, advisors, European policy makers and regional authorities. RISE leads Work Package 6 on Communication and Dissemination.
• BESTMAP Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon 2020 project kicked off in September 2019 to develop improved tools for European policy-makers to predict the impacts of future policies on rural areas. Four-year project duration.
• Forum for the Future of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE Foundation is a partner in the Forum for the Future of Agriculture, engaging over 150 high-level stakeholders in annual debates on key topics for European agriculture.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BirdLife Europe & Central Asia: Brussels-based branch of the BirdLife International network advocating for biodiversity-friendly agriculture in EU policy. A broader advocacy and research organization that overlaps with RISE on biodiversity and sustainable land use policy.
• European Environment Bureau (EEB): Largest network of environmental citizens' organizations in Europe, headquartered in Brussels and active across EU sustainability policy. A broader incumbent that overlaps with RISE on agricultural sustainability topics but operates as a federation rather than a focused think tank.
• Wageningen University & Research: Major European agricultural and environmental research institution frequently partnering with RISE in Horizon 2020 consortia. A much larger, broader incumbent producing the underlying science that informs much of RISE's policy synthesis work.

Emerging players

• EAT Foundation: Global non-profit focused on transforming food systems through science-based targets and policy engagement. An emerging player with overlapping mission on sustainable food and agriculture, though with a more global scope than RISE's European focus.

Direct peers

• Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP): Brussels-based environmental policy think tank producing independent research for EU decision-makers. Directly comparable to RISE in mission and output, and notably Allan Buckwell serves as Senior Research Fellow at IEEP in parallel to his RISE role.
• Farm Europe: Brussels-based think tank focused on European agricultural policy and sustainable farming. Directly comparable to RISE in targeting EU policy makers and producing policy-oriented analysis on sustainable agriculture.
• Friends of the Countryside (FCS): Co-founder of RISE Foundation in 2006 alongside European Landowners' Organization. A close historical partner sharing RISE's mission of supporting European rural development and sustainable land management.
• European Landowners' Organization (ELO): Co-founder of RISE Foundation in 2006 and an EU-level advocate for sustainable land management and rural economies. Closely tied to RISE through founding partnership and overlapping agricultural policy agenda.

Others

• International Resource Panel (UNEP): UN Environment-hosted scientific panel co-chaired by Janez Potocnik providing independent assessments on natural resource use. An enabling ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but closely tied to RISE leadership.
• Forum for the Future of Agriculture: Annual Brussels-based policy forum convening 150+ stakeholders on European agricultural sustainability, chaired by Janez Potocnik. RISE is a partner; an enabling platform rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RISE_Fnd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rise-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about RISE Foundation