TEPSA - Trans European Policy Studies Association

What TEPSA - Trans European Policy Studies Association does

TEPSA (Trans European Policy Studies Association) is a non-profit international association under Belgian law (AISBL), founded in 1974, and registered on the EU Transparency Register. It operates the first European affairs research network, comprising 51 member institutes and associate members across 37 European countries, with a Secretariat of eight staff based in Brussels at 11 Rue d'Egmont. The organization provides policy Analysis, Assessment, and Advice to EU institutions and national governments through a decentralized network model, anchored by biannual Pre-Presidency Conferences held in capitals of EU Council Presidency holders, from which formal recommendations are presented to incoming Presidencies.

TEPSA's core products include the Pre-Presidency Conferences and their Recommendations to Rotating Presidencies, the Experts' Debrief publication series, and the annual "Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals" book series published via Springer/Palgrave. Multimedia engagement products comprise the Europe Speaks podcast, EuropeChats video series, and TEPSA Explainers. The organization's revenue is generated almost entirely through EU institutional funding: operating grants under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme (ExpressEU project, 2026-2028), Horizon Europe research grants, and Framework Contracts (2024-2029) with the European Parliament's Directorate-General for External Policies, where TEPSA holds multiple first-place rankings across lots covering foreign policy, enlargement, neighbourhood, sustainable development, and human rights. The technology base is minimal: there is no proprietary platform, no AI/ML capability, and the digital stack is limited to a WordPress website with Mailchimp for newsletter distribution and Google Analytics for traffic measurement.

The customer base consists of EU institutions (European Parliament, European Council, rotating Council Presidencies), the 51 member institutes that constitute the network's collaborative base, and civil-society audiences reached through publications and multimedia. The organization participates in several EU-funded consortia, including ChangingTIDE (disinformation and democratic resilience), InvigoratEU (Horizon Europe, 2023-2026, on enlargement and neighbourhood policy), and Nets4Dem (Network of Networks 4 Democracy). Governance rests with a General Assembly of members electing the Board every three years; current leadership comprises Secretary-General Jim Cloos, Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili, and Board Chairperson Lucia Mokrá.

Name

TEPSA - Trans European Policy Studies Association

Legal name

Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA)

Website

https://tepsa.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TEPSA is a Brussels-based, Belgian-law non-profit AISBL founded in 1974 that operates the first pan-European affairs research network of 51 member institutes across 37 countries, providing policy analysis and recommendations to EU institutions through biannual Pre-Presidency Conferences, EU-funded research projects, and European Parliament Framework Contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EU Funding and Operating Grants: TEPSA operates as a non-profit international association (AISBL) under Belgian law, funded primarily through EU grants and operating grants such as the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme operating grant (ExpressEU project 2026-2028). The organization also implements EU-funded projects including Horizon Europe initiatives.
2. Framework Contracts with European Parliament: TEPSA delivers studies through framework contracts with the European Parliament's Directorate-General for External Policies (DG EXPO), coordinating research outputs for parliamentary committees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TEPSA is a non-profit pan-European research network that produces policy analysis, assessment, and advice on EU affairs through its network of 51 member institutes in 37 countries. Its core offerings include biannual Pre-Presidency Conferences with recommendations to rotating Council Presidencies, the Experts' Debrief publication series, the annual 'Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals' book series, Europe Speaks podcast, EuropeChats video series, and EU-funded research projects delivered under framework contracts with the European Parliament and EU programmes (CERV, Horizon Europe).

Product overview

TEPSA (Trans European Policy Studies Association) operates as the first European affairs research network, offering a portfolio of research, analysis, and engagement products rather than a unified software platform. Core offerings include Pre-Presidency Conferences (held twice yearly), policy Recommendations to Rotating Presidencies, the Experts' Debrief publication series, and the annual Book on the Future of Europe series. Media and engagement products comprise the Europe Speaks Podcast, EuropeChats video series, and TEPSA Explainers. Projects include ExpressEU (operating grant 2026-2028), Expertise for the European Parliament Framework Contracts (2024-2029), ChangingTIDE, InvigoratEU, and Nets4Dem. Activities are funded primarily by EU programmes including Horizon Europe, CERV, and Framework Contracts with European Parliament.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EuropeChats: Video series featuring discussions on major current issues of EU affairs with leading experts and practitioners
• Europe Speaks
• TEPSA Experts' Debrief
• The Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals

Products and services

• Pre-Presidency Conferences (PPCs)

Quantifiable outcome

• 51 member institutes and associate members in 37 European countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-organizer of Irish Pre-Presidency Conference (June 2026) alongside TEPSA, facilitating dialogue between Irish policymakers and European researchers.
• InvigoratEU Consortium (18 partners)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Horizon Europe-funded project (2023-2026) investigating EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy reform; 7 of 18 consortium members are from Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Western Balkans, with civil society network of 9 representatives.
• Egmont InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-organizer of Belgian Pre-Presidency Conference (November 2023) on EU Strategic Agenda, bringing together academics and policymakers.
• Elcano Royal InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Spanish member institute co-organizer of Spanish Pre-Presidency Conference (June 2023) with TEPSA.
• Dublin City University (DCU)/EDMO IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in the ChangingTIDE project addressing democratic threats of disinformation, focusing on media literacy education, youth empowerment, and participatory dialogue across Europe.
• International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in the ChangingTIDE project, contributing expertise on security and defence aspects of disinformation challenges.
• Österreichische Gesellschaft für Europapolitik (ÖGFE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian partner in the ChangingTIDE consortium, providing expertise on European affairs and disinformation in the Austrian context.
• Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in ChangingTIDE project, contributing to pan-European efforts on media literacy and disinformation.
• IPRI-NOVAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese International Relations institute partner in the ChangingTIDE consortium.
• Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCroatian partner in ChangingTIDE consortium, contributing expertise on democratic resilience and civil society engagement.
• Centro de Estudos Sociais (CES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding participant in Nets4Dem (Network of Networks 4 Democracy) project, bringing expertise in social sciences and democratic innovation across Europe.
• Democracy Reporting International (DRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinator of Nets4Dem project; leads initiative building infrastructure for democratic innovation across Europe, linking to democracy work in 130 countries.
• EurocitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Nets4Dem participant bringing together over 200 European cities to strengthen urban democracy and civic participation.
• European Partnership for Democracy (EPD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Nets4Dem participant contributing expertise in democratic governance and civil society support.
• Egmont Institute - Royal Institute for International RelationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian founding participant in Nets4Dem, bringing expertise in international relations and European affairs to the democratic innovation network.
• Democratic Society (DemSoc)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Nets4Dem participant focused on participatory democracy and citizen engagement across Europe.
• Demos HelsinkicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish founding participant in Nets4Dem, contributing expertise in democratic innovation from the Nordic context.
• People PoweredcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Nets4Dem participant specializing in participatory and deliberative democracy practices globally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jacques Delors Centre (Bertelsmann Stiftung): Berlin-based think tank focused on European integration and EU reform. Comparable to TEPSA in producing policy briefs and recommendations targeting EU and member-state audiences.
• European Policy Centre (EPC): Brussels-based think tank focused on EU integration, social policy, and economic affairs. Comparable to TEPSA in serving EU institutional clients with policy analysis and competing for similar framework contracts.
• Bruegel: European economics think tank based in Brussels producing policy analysis for EU institutions. Comparable in funding profile (EU grants, framework contracts) and policy-research delivery model.
• Carnegie Europe: Brussels-based arm of Carnegie Endowment producing research on EU integration, foreign policy, and democracy. Comparable to TEPSA in policy research scope and engagement with EU institutions and member states.
• Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS): Brussels-based think tank producing independent policy research for EU institutions. Directly comparable to TEPSA as a pan-European policy research organization competing for EP framework contracts and CERV/Horizon Europe funding.
• Centre for European Reform (CER): London-based think tank focused on EU affairs and UK-European relations. Comparable as a research-driven organization producing policy analysis and recommendations for European decision-makers.
• German Marshall Fund (GMF): US-based transatlantic policy organization with offices across Europe. Comparable to TEPSA in producing EU-focused policy analysis and convening policymakers through conferences and publications.
• European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): Pan-European foreign policy think tank with a network of national offices across EU member states. Closely mirrors TEPSA's decentralized network model and mandate in EU external policy, enlargement, and neighbourhood research.
• Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies: Brussels-based European political foundation and think tank. Comparable to TEPSA as a membership-based, pan-European policy organization producing research and analysis on EU affairs.

Broad incumbents

• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): London-based international affairs think tank with global remit. Overlaps with TEPSA on EU foreign policy, enlargement, and neighbourhood analysis but operates at broader geographic scope and scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/tepsaeu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUPee8M4FILItxfhsEDhUDg
• Facebookfacebook.com/tepsa.eu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tepsabrussels
• Instagraminstagram.com/tepsaeu

Compliance2 records

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 TEPSA - Trans European Policy Studies Association