What PAQ Research does

PAQ Research, z. ú. is a Prague-based, privately held nonprofit (zapsaný ústav) founded in 2019 by sociologist Daniel Prokop to conduct rigorous, data-driven public policy research focused on Czech Republic. The organization produces policy briefs, longitudinal studies, interactive data tools, and region-specific reports covering educational inequality, household financial vulnerability, mental health, refugee integration, and tax policy. Core products include DataPAQ (an interactive browser with 400+ indicators across all 6,258 Czech municipalities, 206 ORP microregions, 76 districts, and 14 regions), Mapa vzdělávání (an education-outcomes mapping platform), 206 analytical EDU reports covering every Czech microregion, Dobrá praxe (a good-practice catalog), Desegregace.cz, and Chytřejší daně (an interactive tax-reform simulator developed with IDEA at CERGE-EI and Centrum veřejných financí). Major research series include Život k nezaplacení, a longitudinal household panel run jointly with Český rozhlas since 2020 across 58+ waves, and Hlas Ukrajinců, a refugee panel conducted with the National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ) and the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Underlying technology is built around classical statistical and computational methods rather than AI/ML: representative sample surveys (1,600-1,800 respondents per wave), validated psychometric instruments (PHQ-8, GAD-7), a proprietary R package (paqr) for data processing and automated report generation, and a Gale-Shapley algorithm for simulating kindergarten placement gaps. Distribution is entirely free and content-led through the PAQ Research website (paqresearch.cz), two monthly newsletters (PAQletter and EDUletter), social media, earned media coverage, and a structural weekly partnership with Czech Radio.

The business model is philanthropic and grant-based, not commercial. PAQ operates as a Czech public-benefit organization (IČ 14035766) funded by institutional grants and project-based contracts from Czech and international foundations (RSJ Foundation, Prague Community Foundation, Czech Savings Bank Foundation, 3W Foundation), government contracts, and individual donations via the Darujme.cz platform. No commercial products, pricing tiers, or paid services are offered, and no revenue is disclosed. Customer segments are public-sector bodies (Czech ministries, NERV, municipalities), media organizations, education sector actors, NGOs, and refugee-support organizations — all of which consume PAQ outputs as a public good rather than as paying customers.

Name

PAQ Research

Legal name

PAQ Research, z. ú.

Website

https://paqresearch.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PAQ Research is a Prague-based nonprofit founded in 2019 by sociologist Daniel Prokop that produces data-driven public policy research and interactive data tools (DataPAQ, Mapa vzdělávání, Chytřejší daně) for Czech government bodies, media, educators, and NGOs, funded entirely by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Education policy analysis
• Data visualization tools
• Social policy research
• Longitudinal survey research

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Grants and Project Funding: PAQ Research is funded primarily through institutional grants, project-based funding from foundations (RSJ Foundation, Prague Community Foundation, Czech Savings Bank Foundation, 3W Foundation), and government contracts. The organization explicitly states reliance on donors and public support.
2. Donor/Philanthropic Support: PAQ Research operates as a z. ú. (public benefit organization) that solicits individual donations through the Darujme.cz platform and institutional support. The website includes a 'Podpořte nás' (Support Us) section.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PAQ Research is a Czech nonprofit public-interest research organization (z. ú.) that produces data-driven policy analysis on education, social welfare, taxation, household finances, and refugee integration. It develops proprietary interactive data tools (DataPAQ, Mapa vzdělávání, Chytřejší daně simulator), conducts longitudinal representative surveys (Život k nezaplacení, Hlas Ukrajinců), and publishes analytical EDU reports for all 206 Czech microregions.

Product overview

PAQ Research is a Czech public policy research organization offering a portfolio of data-driven products and research services. The core offerings include DataPAQ (a data visualization platform with 400+ indicators), Mapa vzdělávání (interactive education mapping), and EDU reporty (regional analytical reports). Supporting products include Chytřejší daně (tax reform simulator), Dobrá praxe (good practice catalog), and research series like Život k nezaplacení (household monitoring with Czech Radio) and Hlas Ukrajinců (Ukrainian refugee panel). The organization distributes content through newsletters PAQletter and EDUletter. All products are research-focused analytical tools rather than SaaS platforms with API integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DataPAQ: A data browser and visualization tool offering over 400 indicators about Czech society, including education, taxes, social conditions, demographics, and more.
• Mapa vzdělávání
• Chytřejší daně
• Život k nezaplacení
• Hlas Ukrajinců
• Dobrá praxe

Products and services

• DataPAQ Interactive data browser and visualization tool offering 400+ indicators about Czech society, including maps, graphs, and tables covering education, poverty, demographics, labor market, elections, and local government data at regional, district, ORP, and municipal levels. Free public access for policymakers, researchers, media, and citizens.
• Mapa vzdělávání (Education Map) Interactive map showing educational outcomes and disparities across Czech regions, demonstrating how factors like poverty and social conditions affect educational success, with data on school completion rates, regional differences, and a catalog of good practices.
• EDU Reports for each ORP (Microregion) Analytical reports for each of 206 Czech microregions (ORP) providing detailed education data, including strengths, weaknesses, and realistic aspirations for each area's educational system. Designed for municipal and regional education authorities.
• Dobrá praxe (Good Practice Catalog) Catalog of inspirational education stories from across the Czech Republic, documenting successful practices in schools and municipalities to enable mutual learning and inspiration among educators and policymakers.
• Chytřejší daně (Smarter Taxes) Comprehensive tax reform proposal developed with Centrum veřejných financí and IDEA at CERGE-EI, featuring an interactive web simulator allowing users to customize their own tax reform scenarios. Aimed at policymakers and the public.
• Život k nezaplacení (Life Beyond Price) Longitudinal research project conducted with Czech Radio monitoring Czech households' financial situations, mental health, housing, and political preferences over time. Results published as data dashboards and radio segments.
• Hlas Ukrajinců (Voice of Ukrainians) Research series monitoring Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic covering education, housing, employment, poverty, and mental health with representative panel surveys. Conducted in partnership with Sociologický ústav AV ČR and NUDZ.
• Desegregace.cz Online catalog of interventions to help achieve better education for all children, providing methodologies and evidence-based practices for school desegregation in Czech Republic.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46,000 CZK net annual public budget gain per additional kindergarten-enrolled child (through higher tax contributions and avoided benefit costs)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Český rozhlas (Czech Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing joint project 'Život k nezaplacení' (Life Beyond Price) — a longitudinal representative survey tracking Czech households' financial situation, mental health, and social conditions since 2020. Conducted in waves of 1,600–1,800 respondents, with results published as data dashboards and radio segments. Czech Radio broadcasts findings weekly, with Daniel Prokop appearing on Radiožurnál every Wednesday.
• Národní ústav duševního zdraví (NUDZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on mental health research within the 'Hlas Ukrajinců' (Voice of Ukrainians) series, providing validated psychological screening data (PHQ-8, GAD-7) on depression and anxiety among Ukrainian refugees. NUDZ contributed clinical expertise and implements psychosocial support projects for Ukrainian refugees.
• Sociologický ústav AV ČR (SOÚ AV ČR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner for the 'Hlas Ukrajinců' refugee panel survey series. SOÚ AV ČR manages the online panel of Ukrainian refugees recruited through the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs census, providing the sampling infrastructure for PAQ's representative research on refugee integration in Czech Republic.
• IDEA při CERGE-EIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on economic analysis including the 'Chytřejší daně' (Smarter Taxes) comprehensive tax reform proposal and studies on education economics (return on investment in early childhood care, cost of educational inequality). IDEA contributed economic modeling and CERGE-EI provided academic rigor to joint publications exceeding 200 pages.
• Konsorcium dluhových poraden, RUBIKON Centrum, Institut prevence a řešení předlužení, MPSVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned PAQ to conduct research on barriers to entry into the debt relief (oddlužení) system. Findings are used by debt advisory organizations to design better outreach strategies for over-indebted populations.
• Centrum veřejných financí (CVF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the 'Chytřejší daně' (Smarter Taxes) comprehensive tax reform proposal, combining PAQ's policy analysis with CVF's fiscal modeling expertise.
• Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAQ Research references and synthesizes EEF's evidence-based teaching and learning toolkit in its education policy analysis, particularly for evaluations of grade repetition and early childhood interventions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Pew Research Center: US-based nonpartisan research organization conducting public opinion polling and social trend research with longitudinal methodology. While much larger and US-focused, PAQ's Život k nezaplacení panel follows a Pew-style approach to tracking household attitudes over time.
• IZA (Institute of Labor Economics): International economics research organization focused on labor markets, education, and social policy. Comparable in producing applied economic research with policy implications across European contexts, including education economics and household wellbeing research that overlaps with PAQ's domains.
• Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS): UK economic and fiscal policy research institute producing rigorous, independent analysis for government and public debate. Closely comparable methodology to PAQ's IDEA/CERGE-EI collaborations on tax reform and public finance, though operating at much larger scale in the UK.

Direct peers

• EDUin: Czech education-focused NGO that produces policy analysis and advocacy on educational inequalities, desegregation, and teacher issues. Overlaps directly with PAQ's education policy work and competes for similar foundation funding and media attention in Czech education debates.
• EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy: Czech think tank producing policy research on EU affairs, democracy, and economic issues, often with similar foundation and grant funding sources. Comparable in scale and positioning as a non-partisan Czech policy research organization engaging government and civil society.
• Centrum veřejných financí (CVF): Czech fiscal policy think tank that co-developed the Chytřejší daně tax reform with PAQ and IDEA. Operates in the same policy research space with government ministries and similar donor-funded research model focused on public finance reform.
• Centrum pro společenské otázky - SPOT: Czech think tank focused on social policy, inequality, and public-interest research, with a similar small-team model and foundation funding approach. Produces applied policy analysis for Czech civil society and government stakeholders.
• Sociologický ústav AV ČR (Czech Academy of Sciences): The Czech Academy of Sciences' sociology institute is both PAQ's partner on the Hlas Ukrajinců panel and a direct peer in applied social research for Czech public policy. It conducts representative surveys and sociological research with similar audiences, including government, media, and academia.
• IDEA at CERGE-EI: Czech economic policy research institute that is PAQ's closest collaborator and operates the most directly comparable policy research model. Both organizations produce applied economic analysis for Czech policy and government ministries, and IDEA/CERGE-EI jointly authored the Chytřejší daně tax reform study with PAQ.

Regional players

• Nadace Forum 2000: Czech foundation organizing high-profile policy dialogue and producing research on democratic governance. Comparable in operating within Czech civil society with foundation backing and engaging government and media audiences, though more focused on convening and democratic discourse than data analytics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/paq.research
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paqresearch
• Instagraminstagram.com/paq_research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 PAQ Research