Call for Proposals: Regional Impact-Based Forecast Tools for Early Warning

Deadline: 30-Sep-2026

The Strengthening Early Warning in Africa (SEWA) Grants support African-European consortia to develop regional pilot projects using impact-based forecast tools and services to strengthen early warning systems across Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative focuses on improving preparedness for extreme weather events by combining African and European expertise, data, and space-based technologies. The grants support the co-development and demonstration of impact-based forecasting services addressing regionally relevant hazards such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, dust storms, thunderstorms, and tropical cyclones.

About the Strengthening Early Warning in Africa Initiative

The Strengthening Early Warning in Africa initiative is part of the Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme (AESPP). AESPP promotes strategic cooperation between Africa and Europe in the use of space-based technologies and services for early warning systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative is financed by the European Union through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI–Global Europe).

SEWA is jointly implemented by:

- The African Union Commission. - The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). - The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). What Does SEWA Support? The initiative supports the development and uptake of impact-based forecast (IbF) demonstration services and tools. Impact-based forecasting goes beyond predicting weather conditions by helping users understand the potential impacts of hazards on people, infrastructure, communities, and other vulnerable systems. Funded regional pilots are expected to demonstrate how forecasting tools and services can strengthen early warning and early action across African regions. Key Objectives

The SEWA initiative aims to:

- Strengthen early warning systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. - Improve the development and use of impact-based forecasting tools. - Support regional demonstration pilots. - Address the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. - Connect African and European technical expertise. - Make better use of African and European data resources. - Strengthen regional capacity for early warning. - Promote long-term African-European cooperation. - Support knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer learning. Regional Hazards Supported Regional pilots must focus on hazards that are relevant to their respective African regions.

Potential hazards include:

- Floods. - Droughts. - Heatwaves. - Dust storms. - Thunderstorms. - Tropical cyclones. - Cascading hazards. - Compound hazards. Applicants should select hazards according to the specific needs, geographic characteristics, and climate risks of their target region. Regional Pilot Projects The grants are intended to support regional pilots rather than isolated activities. Proposals should demonstrate how selected hazards can be addressed through co-developed tools and services. Applicants should consider differences between African regions and explain how their proposed solutions respond to regional and geographic conditions. Projects should demonstrate practical value for strengthening early warning systems and improving the ability of relevant stakeholders to anticipate and respond to extreme weather events. African-European Collaboration A central feature of the program is balanced collaboration between African and European partners. Consortia are expected to establish genuine peer-to-peer African-European cooperation, rather than placing responsibility for project development or implementation primarily with one side.

Proposals should demonstrate:

- Balanced collaboration. - Knowledge exchange. - Technical cooperation. - Capacity strengthening. - Long-term partnership development. - Shared development of tools and services. - Sustained cooperation beyond the immediate pilot. Who Can Apply? Applications must be submitted by a consortium of African and European entities. The consortium must include specific required partners.

It must include:

- At least one legal entity established in a European country. - One of the four relevant Regional Climate Centres in Sub-Saharan Africa. - The African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD). The appropriate Regional Climate Centre must be included according to the region addressed by the proposed pilot. Regional Climate Centres The required Regional Climate Centre must be one of the following: - AGRHYMET. - CAPC-AC. - ICPAC. - SADC-CSC. The selected centre should correspond to the relevant African region covered by the proposed project. Role of ACMAD The African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) is a required member of the consortium. Its inclusion helps connect regional pilot activities with broader African meteorological expertise and early warning capabilities. Applicants should therefore ensure that the consortium structure meets the mandatory participation requirements before submitting a proposal. Consortium Requirements The consortium should be structured to promote meaningful and balanced cooperation between African and European partners.

Proposals should clearly demonstrate:

- African-European peer-to-peer collaboration. - Defined roles for consortium members. - Joint development of forecast tools and services. - Knowledge-sharing mechanisms. - Capacity-building activities. - Regional expertise. - Access to relevant data and technical resources. - A commitment to sustained cooperation. Space-Based Technologies and Data SEWA builds on the Africa-EU partnership in the use of space-based technologies and services for early warning. Projects can leverage relevant African and European expertise and data resources to improve forecasting and early warning capabilities. The initiative builds on previous EU-funded efforts and seeks to strengthen the practical use of existing knowledge, techno