The Mill

The Mill includes a huge range of datasets covering topics such as global trade, supply chain, social media, corporate and government operations, satellite imagery, maritime, geospatial, and much more. Many of our providers are already offering APIs on the Mill, with more being added each week. You can explore all available datasets directly through the Mill and select the ones that align with your mission needs.

What usually takes 12–18 months can now take just hours. Customers using APIs from the Mill can get new data instantly as new needs arise. Our pre-negotiated terms of use and streamlined contracting mean customers get critical data at mission speed.

The Mill offers several types of delivery methods, including data downloads, streaming, and APIs:

• Downloads: In a download delivery, datasets are transferred from provider to customer via the Mill. This option is typically used for large collections of files that are amassed and stored together in a single location. These datasets are downloaded directly from the Mill, or directly to your computer via the web interface. Grist Mill Exchange acts as a temporary pass-through to the transfer, so the provider and customer systems never interact directly. Delivery frequencies vary for downloads: some are one-time deliveries, or are on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual schedule.
• Streaming: Streaming deliveries work well for rapidly collected, time-sensitive data. With streaming deliveries, customers can continuously receive new data from a provider as it becomes available. Pricing is typically based on the amount of time the delivery stream is active or an agreed-upon volume of data.
• APIs: Many data providers give customers access to their datasets through an API. APIs enable maximum speed and flexibility, allowing customers to retrieve exactly the data they need. To protect privacy, data requests go through the Mill’s API proxy. This proxy acts as a secure pass-through between providers and customers, ensuring anonymity while simplifying access.

No. We act as a temporary pass-through for data deliveries: data flows from provider to government customer without the systems from each party ever directly interacting. All data is automatically deleted after customer receipt. This model minimizes risk and protects the privacy of both providers and customers.

Our onboarding process ensures we work exclusively with trusted providers. All data transfers take place via a secure, isolated environment where information is encrypted while in transit and at rest, ensuring the confidentiality of all parties to the delivery lifecycle.