Research body launches tender for climate scenarios framework
New climate scenarios framework tender aims to standardise risk information and support adaptation planning for decision-makers and institutions.
New climate scenarios framework tender aims to standardise risk information and support adaptation planning for decision-makers and institutions.
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The European Climate Scenarios Framework is a new project from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to create a shared reference for climate scenarios, improving how climate risk information is generated and used to support EU policy and adaptation planning.
Published on 29th June 2026, the contract notice sets out a clear aim: to develop a European reference framework for climate scenarios. The work is intended to improve both the consistency and the usability of climate risk information across Europe.
The project description points to two main strands of activity. First, it calls for methodological principles that can underpin climate scenarios used in different settings. Second, it emphasises stakeholder engagement, signalling that the framework is expected to reflect the needs of those who rely on this information.
According to the notice, the framework is designed to support EU policy and adaptation planning. That places it at the interface between scientific analysis and policy use, where questions of method, transparency and comparability often become critical.
While the technical detail is not set out in the summary, the core tasks are clear:
For consultants and research organisations working in climate risk, this points to a contract that combines climate science, risk analysis, methodology development and facilitation of diverse user groups.
The ECMWF tender sits within a wider run of public procurements seeking structured analysis and frameworks for climate and environmental policy.
In March 2026, the European Committee of the Regions launched a framework contract for environmental studies, seeking scientific, legal, documentary, and editorial assistance on natural resources, climate change, environment and energy policies. That notice underlined the need for ongoing analytical support to help local and regional authorities navigate climate and environmental questions.
In April 2026, Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection issued a contract notice on further developing the EU climate protection framework after 2030. The work addresses topics such as national climate targets, international credits and the role of natural and technical sinks in achieving climate neutrality, while also supporting implementation of the existing 2030 framework.
Also in April 2026, Sweden's Klimatpolitiska radet invited suppliers to provide analysis and investigation services focused on the climate transition, covering technology, market behaviours and policy evaluation. This points to demand for independent, structured assessments of how climate policies are working in practice.
In May 2026, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre published a call for services to support economic modelling of climate change and energy policies, including non-CO2 greenhouse gases, air pollutants and land-use, land-use change and forestry offsets. The aim is to enhance modelling capabilities that support the objectives of the European Green Deal.
Taken together, these notices show EU institutions and national bodies commissioning layers of analytical infrastructure: policy frameworks, economic models, and evaluation services. ECMWF's climate scenarios framework fits into this landscape by focusing on how the underlying climate information is structured and shared.
The ECMWF project is explicitly linked to adaptation planning, reflecting a growing focus on how climate risk plays out in places and sectors, and how this is communicated.
In April 2026, Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf launched a contract for model projects in ecological climate protection planning across three regions in Germany. The projects will evaluate climate change impacts on natural areas and develop suitable adaptation measures, without creating full landscape framework plans. This is a direct example of planning responses to projected climate impacts.
In March 2026, Dutch company Stadswerk072 sought a framework agreement for advice and environmental soil and pavement research. Although focused on local infrastructure, such studies are closely linked to understanding environmental conditions under changing climate, and to planning resilient streets and public spaces.
Communication appears as a recurring theme. In February 2026, the Municipality of Breda in the Netherlands went to market for communication activities related to water and climate adaptation, covering various projects and periodic reports. The contract focuses on helping residents and stakeholders understand and respond to local water and climate challenges.
In June 2026, the University of Edinburgh awarded a contract for a project on communicating the impacts of climate change on Scotland to the public, aiming at a report and practical recommendations. Here, specialist support is being used to translate climate science into messages that resonate with different audiences.
By comparison, the ECMWF framework focuses on the upstream question of how scenarios and climate risk information are defined. Yet the notice is explicit that stakeholder engagement is part of the project. That suggests the framework is expected not only to be technically robust, but also to be shaped by the needs and experience of those who will use it, from policymakers to practitioners working on adaptation.
Recent procurements also show public bodies looking at their own emissions and sector-specific climate measures alongside system-wide frameworks.
In May 2026, the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology published a contract notice for carbon credits linked to ECMWF's new headquarters. The tender seeks credits to offset approximately 5,165 tonnes of carbon emissions associated with constructing a net zero headquarters building. This is a concrete example of an institution procuring services to manage the climate impact of its own capital projects.
In April 2026, German highway company Die Autobahn GmbH des Bundes issued a notice for a framework on climate protection contributions for local projects and federal highway operations, with project-specific offers to be competed through mini-competitions. This links climate protection directly to infrastructure planning and operation.
In June 2026, Austria's federal government, represented by the Minister for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure, went to market for survey, analysis and research services related to the Climate Ticket Austria. The contract focuses on understanding and evaluating a specific climate-related transport measure.
These examples underline that climate-related consulting and research services are being procured at many levels: from the high-level frameworks that guide EU policy, through national and regional planning, to project-level carbon management and sectoral initiatives in transport.
The ECMWF European Climate Scenarios Framework could become an important reference point for public bodies and institutions that depend on climate risk information. Its focus on methodological principles and stakeholder engagement suggests that both the technical content and its practical use will be in scope.
Alongside other recent contracts for climate policy studies, modelling, adaptation planning, communication and emissions management, it points to sustained demand for specialist climate and sustainability expertise in the public sector. How the new framework is defined, and how widely it is taken up once the contract is awarded, will be key developments to watch.
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