Acquisition, delivery, installation and maintenance of hardware and software of “HammerHAI” AI-optimised supercomputer for the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC)

The European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has released a tender, referenced as EUROHPC/2025/CD/0004, for procuring an AI-optimised supercomputer known as "HammerHAI." This call aims to enhance Europe’s supercomputing capabilities for scientific, industrial, and public sector users. The contract encompasses the acquisition, delivery, installation, and maintenance of the supercomputer, along with necessary hardware and software.

The estimated total value of this procurement opportunity is 55 million EUR, and the maximum duration of the contract is set at 72 months. The selection process follows a competitive dialogue format, and submissions must be made electronically. Interested parties must submit requests to participate by May 28, 2025, at 17:00 Europe/Luxembourg time.

Eligible applicants are defined as "economic operators," specifically contractors with proven experience in supercomputer projects. Only one contractor will be selected; however, subcontracting is allowed with the stipulation that the subcontractors do not exceed 15% of the contract’s value, and their experience cannot be used to meet selection criteria.

The tender does not specify particular countries but implies eligibility for entities within the European Union and associated countries due to its EuroHPC JU connection. The project stage focuses on deployment and operation, highlighting the need for a contractor capable of navigating complex installation and operational requirements.

Application criteria include suitability for professional activities, economic and financial standing, and technical ability. Details regarding these criteria will be found in the procurement documents. The project emphasizes the integration of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence technologies, supported by a CPV code that categorizes the items as supercomputers.

In addition to the technical aspects, the tender outlines specific documentation requirements for submissions and urges participants to ensure compliance with electronic submission standards. It has been noted that the submission system is multilingual and utilizes encryption for data integrity and confidentiality.

Overall, this tender represents a significant opportunity for qualified operators to contribute to advancing Europe's technological landscape through high-performance computing. Participants are encouraged to thoroughly review the tender documentation and ensure they meet all submission specifications to enhance their chances of success in this competitive process.

The European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has issued a call for tenders, reference number EUROHPC/2025/CD/0004, for the acquisition, delivery, installation, and maintenance of hardware and software for an AI-optimised supercomputer named "HammerHAI". This initiative aims to bolster Europe's supercomputing capabilities for scientific, industrial, and public users.

The procedure type is a competitive dialogue. The estimated total value of the tender is 55,000,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 14/04/2025. The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is 28/05/2025 at 17:00 Europe/Luxembourg time. The maximum contract duration is 72 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. There is no framework agreement associated with this tender.

The main classification CPV code is 30211100, which refers to a supercomputer. The nature of the contract is for supplies.

The purpose of this invitation to tender is to select a single economic operator (the "Contractor") responsible for the acquisition, delivery, assembly, and the installation and maintenance of both hardware and software components of an AI-optimised high-performance computing machine, also known as a "Supercomputer". This includes associated high-performance storage and networks. The EuroHPC JU will own the supercomputer, and the contractor will also provide supporting services.

The EuroHPC JU will enter into a single contract with the selected tenderer. This contract will cover the acquisition, delivery, installation, and maintenance of the AI-optimised supercomputer, which will be managed by a Hosting Entity. Therefore, potential contractors should demonstrate proven experience in providing, delivering, installing, and maintaining supercomputers in environments similar to those required by this procurement.

The EuroHPC JU aims to procure a world-class AI-optimised supercomputing infrastructure for European scientific, industrial, and public users, meeting their demanding application requirements.

Selection criteria include: Suitability to pursue the professional activity, Economic and financial standing, and Technical and professional ability. Detailed information on these criteria can be found in the procurement documents.

The following documents are available for download: ENEN-Annex-10D EN-EuroHPCJU-Questionnaire (Version 1, published on 14/04/2025), ENEN-Invitation Request participate (Version 2, published on 30/04/2025), and ENEuroHPC Descriptive Document HammerHAI (Version 2, published on 30/04/2025).

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic means to the address provided in the submission terms.

Several questions and answers related to the tender have been published:

Question: Can we assume that if we use subcontractors that have less than 15% of the contract or whose capacity is not relied upon, it is acceptable?
Answer: In the context of the tender Ref.EUROHPC/2025/CD/0004, if your subcontractors do not exceed 15% of the contract value, and their capacities are not relied upon, it is acceptable. Published on 22/05/2025.

Question: Among other things, the following two documents are required: The "Financial Identification Form" and the "Legal Entity Form".
Answer: The "IDENTIFICATION FORM" dated 10 April 2025 now replaces the previously separate "Financial Identification Form" and "Legal Entity Form." This consolidated version should be used. Published on 30/04/2025.

Question: Could you please provide Document 10D as an Excel file? It is required to be submitted digitally in Excel format.
Answer: The annexes are described in the Descriptive Document, with the respective templates provided where available. The same applies to Annex 10D, which is available as a separate document. Published on 30/04/2025.

Question: Could you please clarify the definition of “similar environments” on page 41 of the “Descriptive Document” with respect to the use of aggregated performance?
Answer: Aggregated performance is not calculated across multiple IPARFs. It refers to the total performance of all compute partitions within a single system described in one IPARF. Published on 25/04/2025.

Regarding the eSubmission system, the following information is available:

If the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents, use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Clear the cache and cookies if the issue persists.

eSubmission supports the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Refer to the System Requirements link for the most up-to-date technical recommendations.

The content of the submission is not accessible after the deadline, as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload.

Submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’ for open calls for tenders, or in ‘My Request(s) to Participate’ for restricted calls.

Attachments should be less than 50 MB in size.

Attachment names in eSubmission must follow the System Requirements.

You can check the System Requirements of eSubmission to see if video submissions are supported and which formats are supported.

Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation in the F&T Portal, under “My Invitations”.

A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium).

When uploading a file in eSubmission, ensure it follows the technical requirements of the system.

The maximum number of documents that can be uploaded per tender is 200 files.

It is mandatory to register for a PIC if you intend to submit a tender or a request to participate. Only one PIC per organisation must be used.

To register your organisation and get a Participant Identification Code (PIC), first check if the organisation is already registered using the Search PIC tool under 'How to Participate' > Participant Register.

A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time.

The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages.

The character set encoding is UTF-8.

The system uses encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism.

The supported file types depend on the type of submission you want to make. The allowed file types are specified within the system requirements linked to the procedure in question.

Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted.

If "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed in the submission report, it is just a display issue and not blocking for submission.

An automatic email informing you that the deadline for the reception of submissions had been reached does not mean that your submission was not correctly sent. It is an auto-generated notification.

In summary, this tender is an invitation for economic operators to bid for a contract to supply, install, and maintain a cutting-edge, AI-optimised supercomputer for the EuroHPC JU. The goal is to provide European researchers, industries, and public entities with a world-class computing infrastructure. The tender involves a competitive dialogue procedure, with the winner being selected based on the best price-quality ratio. The project has a substantial budget of 55 million EUR and a maximum duration of 72 months, highlighting its significance for advancing Europe's high-performance computing capabilities. Interested parties must submit their requests to participate electronically by the specified deadline and ensure they meet the technical and administrative requirements outlined in the tender documents. A key requirement is having proven experience in similar supercomputer projects.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type is an economic operator, referred to as a "Contractor," with proven experience in providing, delivering, installing, and maintaining Supercomputers in similar environments.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity.

Consortium Requirement: The tender aims to select one economic operator, implying a single applicant is required. However, subcontractors are allowed, provided they do not exceed 15% of the contract value and their capacities are not relied upon to meet the selection criteria.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but given that it is a EuroHPC JU tender, it is likely open to entities established in the EU and associated countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is ICT, specifically high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI).

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the European Union is implied through the mention of the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU).

Project Stage: The project stage is deployment and operation, focusing on the acquisition, delivery, installation, and maintenance of a supercomputer.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 55,000,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders, with a competitive dialogue procedure.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for the acquisition, delivery, assembly, hardware and software installation and maintenance of an AI-optimised high-performance computing machine.

Application Stages: The application process appears to involve multiple stages, including submitting a request to participate and potentially further stages within the competitive dialogue procedure. The selection criteria include suitability to pursue the professional activity, economic and financial standing, and technical and professional ability.

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly mentioned, but given the competitive nature of the tender and the high value of the contract, it is likely to be below 10%.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly mentioned.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders by the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) to procure an AI-optimised supercomputer, named "HammerHAI," for European scientific, industrial, and public users. The tender, reference number EUROHPC/2025/CD/0004, seeks a single economic operator (Contractor) responsible for the acquisition, delivery, assembly, hardware and software installation, and maintenance of the supercomputer, including associated storage and networks. The estimated total value of the contract is 55,000,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 72 months. The procedure type is a competitive dialogue, and submissions must be electronic. The deadline for receipt of requests to participate is May 28, 2025, at 17:00 Europe/Luxembourg time. The selected Contractor must have proven experience in providing, delivering, installing, and maintaining Supercomputers in similar environments. Subcontractors are permitted, but their contribution must not exceed 15% of the contract value, and their capacities cannot be relied upon to meet the selection criteria. The eSubmission system supports various file types and has specific requirements for attachment names and sizes (less than 50 MB, with a maximum of 200 files per submission). The system also supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the information. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation.