This page describes ECMWF previous pricing system, which was valid until 30 June 2022. Starting from 01 July 2022, a new Service Charge model for ECMWF real-time data licences has been put into place (please see this page).
The main differences when comparing the old and new ECMWF pricing models are:
- the information cost component (EPU rate) still applies, but the fee for handling charges does not apply anymore (it was calculated at 20% of the unreduced information cost in the old pricing model),
- two new fee components are introduced, whose sum gives the 'Service Charge' fee: a cumulative volume per year fee (Volume Band fee) and the Service Pack fee.
To find more information about the new service charge model, please visit the following pages:
Please note: every licence renewed or created after 01 July 2022, will be under the new service model.
The following tables describe the licences available to get ECMWF forecast products in the old pricing system:
Real-time data licences - user categories
Real-time pricing could be calculated using the ECMWF Product Requirements Catalogue.
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OLD PRICING MODEL (valid for licences started or renewed before 01 July 2022) |
DESCRIPTION |
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Commercial licences for Service Providers and Broadcasters - Standard commercial licence |
Standard commercial licences provide specific datasets at a fixed cost. |
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Cost is calculated as the sum of the following elements:
Amendments to the data requirements during the licence is calculated pro-rata. For existing contracts, you can have up to 4 amendments per year at no charge. For each subsequent amendment, there is a charge of 1,000 EUR. Volume limit: The maximum volume is 600GB per day. Delivery service: see table below |
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Commercial licences for Service Providers and Broadcasters - European Cut-out licence |
The European cut-out package is a pre-defined package of real-time products with fixed annual information cost. The package includes up to 15 parameters from the real-time catalogue for the area 25°N-84°N, 74°W-45°E. You receive these parameters with the highest spatial and temporal resolution. You can choose to include high-frequency products. Small Business discount is not applicable to European Cut-out licence. The package does not include access to the Meteorological Archival and Retrieval System (MARS) or ecCharts. |
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Cost - this licence has fixed information cost and handling charge fee. The total cost is calculated as the sum of the following elements:
Amendments: This package cannot be amended. It is not possible to add additional data or change the selected parameters during the duration of the contract. Delivery service: see table below |
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Commercial licences for Service Providers and Broadcasters - Reduced fees for small businesses |
Customers may be eligible for a small business discount of 50% applied to information cost on real-time data. This discount is applied to 'micro' businesses (according to the classification of businesses of the European Commission), i.e. companies with less than 10 staff headcount, and an annual turnover or balance sheet of no more than 2 million euros. The discount is at the licensor discretion and your licensor may request proof of income or proof of incorporation before applying the discount. Companies applying for this 'micro' business discount need to provide self-certification declaring their business status and are obliged to notify the licensor of any changes in its status. For example, if a company becomes a 'small' business. ECMWF reserves the right to validate such a certificate. This discount is not applied to maximum charge or European-cut out licences. |
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Cost is calculated as the sum of the following elements:
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| Maximum charge licence | Users with a Maximum Charge licence pay a fixed annual information cost (additional fees apply if high frequency products are requested). |
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Cost - this licence has fixed information cost and handling charge fee. The total cost is calculated as the sum of the following elements:
Until 01 July 2022, a Maximum Charge licence included:
Volume limit: Maximum Charge licensees may receive up to 100GB per day without any additional charges. Appropriate handling charges apply if the licensee regularly exceeds the 100GB limit. All daily fields contribute to this 100GB volume limit, including the high frequency Products. Seasonal and ENS-extended data does not apply to the volume limit. A single licence can receive up to 600GB per day in volume, with each additional 10GB over 100GB/day costing 2,000 EUR (per year). For example, annual volume charges to receive 500GB/day extra data would be 100,000 EUR. Volume charges are calculated quarterly in arrears and users can request a summary of their current applicable volume at any time by contacting ECMWF through the support portal or your licensor. Delivery service: see table below |
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| Full NMHS Non-commercial Licence |
Cost - this licence has no information cost. The total cost is calculated as the sum of the following elements:
Volume limit: up to 100GB per day without any additional charges. Appropriate handling charges apply if the licensee regularly exceeds the 100GB limit. All daily fields contribute to this 100GB volume limit, including the High Frequency Products. Seasonal and ENS-extended data does not apply to the volume limit. A single licence can receive up to 600GB per day in volume, with each additional 10GB over 100GB/day costing 2,000 EUR (per year). For example, annual volume charges to receive 500GB/day extra data would be 100,000 EUR. Volume charges are calculated quarterly in arrears and users can request a summary of their current applicable volume at any time by contacting ECMWF through the support portal or your licensor. Delivery service: see table below |
| NMHS Standard Non-commercial Licence |
Cost - this licence has no information cost. The total cost is calculated as the sum of the following elements:
A Full NMHS Non-commercial licence is the equivalent of a Maximum Charge licence (described above) but at a reduced cost. Delivery service: see table below |
| Research |
Research licences are available for time-limited research projects, which fit with the following definition: "Any time bound** project organised for non-commercial research purposes only, where an ongoing/continuous service based on ECMWF Products is not permitted without written consent from the Licensor. A necessary condition for the recognition of non-commercial purposes is that all the results obtained are openly available at delivery costs only, without any delay linked to commercial objectives, and that the research itself is submitted for open publication." ** Research licences cannot be longer than the duration of the project itself and up to a maximum of 3 years, whichever is shorter. A research licence may be renewed for research projects lasting longer than 3 years. |
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Cost - this licence has no information cost. The total cost is calculated as the sum of the following elements:
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For the satellite data providers licence, space agencies and other satellite data producers in exchange for satellite observations. This is arranged in bilateral agreements. Licensees can use forecast products for satellite data processing only. |
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Subject to approval by management, UN Agencies can request access to ECMWF real-time products as part of their wider mission, provided that this is not general public service provision or for commercial use. |
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An NHMS licence is available for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) who are a member of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) but are outside the ECMWF Member and Co-operating States. Licensees can use the forecast products to fulfil national governmental obligations related to the protection of life and property, or for research projects and educational use, provided that any such activity is carried out strictly on a non-commercial basis. |
Delivery services (data delivered by ECMWF) for standard, Maximum Charge & non-commercial licences (applicable to existing users with contract start dates before 01 July 2022)
For data delivered by ECMWF, licence holders were entitled to a set number of ECPDS destinations as part of the handling charges.
| Max Charge & Full NMHS Non-commercial | Standard Commercial & European Cut-out | Standard NMHS Non-Commercial | Research* | |
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ECPDS destinations included in handling charges Additional ECPDS destinations (up to 10 ECPDS destinations in total) can be purchased by contacting the licensor. |
2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Each additional configurable ECPDS destination |
14,000 EUR 14,800 EUR if including HFP |
100% of contractual handling charge per additional destination | 100% of contractual handling charge per additional destination | 100% of contractual handling charge per additional destination |
| Each additional alias ECPDS destination |
7,000 EUR or 7,400 EUR if including HFP |
50% of contractual handling charge per alias | 50% of contractual handling charge per alias | 50% of contractual handling charge per alias |
* fees may be waived at ECMWF discretion
Archive
Access to the MARS Archive is subject to handling charges to be determined by the Licensor. For ECMWF, access for commercial users currently costs 6,000 EUR per year.
Reduced fees for small businesses: from 01 January 2022, a 50% discount is applied to archive orders for 'micro' businesses. This means the annual fee becomes 3,000 EUR. 'Micro' businesses are defined as companies with less than 10 staff headcount, and an annual turnover or balance sheet of no more than 2 million euros.
The fee may be waived at ECMWF discretion for researchers wishing to access the archive for research purposes.
Commercial Web Products licence for end user (ecCharts)
The ECMWF's web products are available as a whole on an "as is" basis at a price of 6,000 EUR per year for all commercial users. Cost to access ecCharts remains unchanged also after ECMWF new Service Charge model takes effect.
For NMHS of WMO countries, the licence is 1,000 EUR per year.