D4.3: Mapping of citizen science funding models

This deliverable presents a comprehensive mapping of citizen science funding models across Europe, addressing a fundamental challenge: how to sustain citizen science initiatives beyond their initial funding periods. The analysis draws on systematic review of 30 literature sources spanning academic literature, EU project deliverables, and policy documents, complemented by primary data collection including ten expert interviews, two practitioner surveys (n=42 combined), and mapping of 487 citizen science projects across the five Horizon Europe Missions. Key findings reveal a landscape dominated by short-term public grant funding, with +50% of projects relying primarily on EU or national grants. This concentration creates structural vulnerability: the WP2 mapping found 40% of projects show no evidence of continuation and nearly 50% have durations shorter than five years. The fundamental mismatch between short funding cycles (typically 1–3 years) and the long-term requirements of citizen science (continuous monitoring, community building, sustained data collection) represents the central sustainability challenge. Alternative funding models remain underutilised despite evidence of their potential. Private sector engagement accounts for only 6–8% of projects; philanthropic funding is rare in the European context; and hybrid/diversified models – identified as most sustainable in the literature – characterise only 8% of mapped initiatives. Accessibility barriers compound these challenges: funding structures designed for research institutions systematically exclude grassroots initiatives, which represent only 4% of mapped projects despite citizen science’s emphasis on public participation. The mapping identifies promising pathways including cascading funding mechanisms (FSTP), policy integration through citizen-generated data frameworks, membership models for established communities, and carefully structured private sector partnerships. These findings directly inform the Protocol for mobilising funding and ensuring sustainability (D4.4), which will be developed in a later stage within CROPS.