EEA/DTL/R0/26/004 - SERVICES SUPPORTING THE OPERATION AND EVOLUTION OF THE COPERNICUS REFERENCE DATA ACCESS NODE (CORDA)

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published tender EEA/DTL/R0/26/004 for a framework service contract to operate, maintain and further develop the Copernicus Reference Data Access platform (CORDA). The procurement is estimated at €2,750,000 over a planned 48-month period (initial 12 months with up to three renewals) and follows an open eSubmission procedure via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Award criteria are weighted 70% quality and 30% price, and the submission deadline is 21 September 2026 at 14:00:59 (Europe/Copenhagen). Tender documentation including tender specifications, draft contract and mandatory templates are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal and bidders should review annexes and eligibility requirements before submitting.

What is funded

Scope

Framework service contract to operate, maintain and further develop the Copernicus Reference Data Access platform (CORDA) for the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Who can apply:Economic operators (companies or consortia) able to deliver IT operations, platform maintenance and software development for large geospatial data services; SME suitability flag: false.

1. 1Contracting authority: European Environment Agency (EEA).
2. 2Procurement type: services, open tender with eSubmission.
3. 3Planned contract period: initial 12 months, renewable up to 3 times; planned overall duration 48 months.
4. 4Estimated total procedure value: €2,750,000.

Award criteria are quality (70) and price (30). Interested bidders must consult the procurement documents and submit electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender dossier and supporting documents are available at the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page: ec.europa.eu

Basic opportunity data

Overview

Type:Tender. Contracting authority: European Environment Agency (EEA). Call identifier: EEA/2026/OP/0038. Subject: Establishment of a framework service contract to assist the EEA in operating, maintaining and further developing the Copernicus Reference Data Access platform (CORDA). Contract nature: services (framework agreement). Estimated total procedure value: €2,750,000. Planned duration: framework contract concluded for an initial period of 12 months, renewable up to 3 times (planned total period 48 months). Main CPV code: 72000000 (IT services: consulting, software development, etc.). Submission method: mandatory electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal (esubmission). Key dates: publication date 2026-07-30; deadline for submission/closing date 21 September 2026 at 14:00:59 (Europe/Copenhagen timezone). Open tender event (information session/clarification or opening): 22 September 2026 at 10:00 (local time). Additional information request cut-off: 11 September 2026.

Estimated contract value:The procurement indicates an estimated overall contract amount of €2,750,000 for the framework contract covering the full planned period of 48 months (initial 12-month period with up to three renewals). ¹

Scope of work:The contractor will operate, maintain, and develop the Copernicus Reference Data Access platform (CORDA). Tasks include day-to-day operation, system maintenance, software development and enhancements, IT architecture alignment with CLMS principles, data access and distribution services, support for Copernicus in-situ component strategy delivery, communications support for CLMS, and associated technical and project management activities. Tender documentation contains detailed technical specifications and Annexes describing architecture principles, in-situ strategy, communications strategy, reimbursement rules and templates.

Eligibility and applicants

Eligible applicants:economic operators capable of concluding a public contract with the EEA. This typically includes private companies (startups, SMEs, large enterprises), consortia of companies (joint ventures or consortium bids where allowed by the tender rules), research organisations and universities (if legally constituted as economic operators or in partnership with an economic operator), non-profit service providers and other legal entities established in eligible countries. The tender is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and follows EU procurement rules; therefore bidders normally must be established or legally represented in the EU/EEA or in countries permitted under the procurement rules. The contracting documents define precise selection and exclusion criteria and any nationality/establishment requirements.

Consortium requirement:The procurement foresees the award of a framework contract to a single economic operator. However, the documentation allows for consortium/joint tendering or subcontracting arrangements where legally permissible. Tenderers should consult the tender specifications and draft contract (Annex 3) for rules on subcontracting, joint bids, and requirements for lead partner responsibilities.

Geographic eligibility:Beneficiary scope: The procurement is managed by the European Environment Agency and published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Eligible tenderers are economic operators in line with EU public procurement rules; this normally includes entities established in EU Member States, EEA countries and possibly other countries listed in the procurement documents. Specific eligibility and nationality rules are defined in the tender specifications.

Eligible applicant types (summary):Likely eligible types include: startup, SME, large enterprise, university, research institute, nonprofit, government bodies (if economically active), public-private partnerships, and consortia. Individual natural persons are generally not eligible as economic operators for this type of service contract.

Financial and contractual details

Funding type:public procurement/service contract awarded by EEA. Nature of support: direct monetary payment to the contractor under a services framework contract (fee-for-service). Co-funding: no co-funding from the contractor is required; the contract is a paid services contract. SME suitability indicator in the procurement record is false (meaning the lot is not specifically tailored to SMEs). Contract award criteria: quality 70% and price 30% (weighting indicated in procurement metadata). The contract is a framework agreement with an initial 12-month term renewable up to three times; bidders should review the draft framework contract in Annex 3 for detailed terms, obligations, liabilities and renewal mechanics.

Estimated duration and timing:Planned total duration for the procurement execution is 48 months (initial 12-month contract, renewable three times). The procurement publication date is 30 July 2026, with submission deadline 21 September 2026 14:00:59 (CET/CEST as specified) and an open tender event on 22 September 2026.

Application and evaluation

Application type and submission method:Open call for tenders (public procurement) via the Funding & Tenders Portal with mandatory electronic submission (eSubmission). Tenderers must register and submit proposals through the portal and follow the checklist for eSubmission (Annex 8). The procurement documents include an Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications (Annex I), Draft Contract, Financial Offer Template (Annex 1), and other supporting annexes (overview of experience, CLMS IT architecture principles, Copernicus In-Situ Component Strategy 2028-2034, CLMS communications strategy, reimbursement rules, checklist).

Application stages and evaluation process:The procurement follows standard EU tender evaluation: single-stage open tender submission followed by evaluation of eligibility, exclusion, selection and award criteria. The contracting metadata shows awarding criteria composed of quality (70) and price (30). Practically, applicants submit required documentation and the contracting authority evaluates based on the tender specifications and the award criteria. The procurement also provides an additional information request period ending 11 September 2026. The process therefore involves at least one submission and one evaluation stage; clarifications and potential negotiations or requests for additional information may occur, depending on the contracting authority's process.

Success rates:Not specified in the procurement documents. As a single-winner public tender the success rate depends on the number of valid bids; public tenders typically result in one award per lot. No historical success-rate data is provided in the documentation.

Assessment of project maturity and sectors

Project stage:Operational/maintenance and incremental development of an existing platform. The contract targets operation, maintenance, and further development of a mature production system (CORDA). Target sectors: ICT (IT operations, cloud/data services, software development), Earth observation and space data infrastructures (Copernicus), environmental information systems, data access and distribution services, and associated communications and strategy activities (Copernicus in-situ, CLMS communications).

Specific documentation and templates provided

The procurement package published on 30 July 2026 includes the following core documents and templates (all referenced as Annexes or formal procurement documents): Invitation to Tender (EN-Invitation to tender EEA2026OP0038 In Situ - CORDA 7.5.80_V1.pdf); Annex I Tender Specifications (detailed technical and contractual requirements); Annex 1 Financial offer template (Annex 1 to TS Financial offer template_V1.docx) — required for price submission; Annex 3 Draft contract (Annex 3 to TS_Draft contract_V1.pdf); Annex 2 Reimbursement rules; Annex 4 Overview of experience (excel template); Annex 5 CLMS IT architecture principles; Annex 6 Copernicus In-Situ Component Strategy 2028-2034; Annex 7 CLMS Communications Strategy 2023-2028; Annex 8 Checklist for eSubmission. Tenderers must use these templates where required (especially the financial offer template and experience overview) and follow the checklist for successful electronic submission.

1. 1Invitation to Tender (Annex: official invitation) — contains procurement context and submission instructions.
2. 2Tender Specifications (Annex I) — detailed technical, functional, organisational, legal and contractual requirements for CORDA services.
3. 3Financial Offer Template (Annex 1) — mandatory template to be completed for price offer.
4. 4Draft Contract (Annex 3) — proposed contract clauses, terms, renewals and obligations.
5. 5Reimbursement rules (Annex 2) — financial and cost reporting rules applicable to the contract.
6. 6Overview of Experience (Annex 4) — bidder experience matrix/template to demonstrate track record.
7. 7CLMS IT Architecture Principles (Annex 5) — architecture and interoperability constraints and guidelines.
8. 8Copernicus In-Situ Component Strategy 2028-2034 (Annex 6) — strategic context relevant for service evolution.
9. 9CLMS Communications Strategy 2023-2028 (Annex 7) — communications expectations and collaboration.
10. 10Checklist for eSubmission (Annex 8) — required checks to ensure successful electronic submission.

Evaluation and award criteria

Awarding criteria and weights indicated in the procurement metadata:quality 70% and price 30%. The procurement instructs bidders to consult the tender specifications for the full breakdown of quality sub-criteria, scoring methodology, pass/fail thresholds, selection criteria and required supporting evidence. The tendering terms also reference selection and exclusion criteria to be applied at the qualification stage.

Practical next steps for applicants

1) Register and log in to the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. 2) Download all procurement documents (Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Annexes 1-8, Draft Contract). 3) Complete the financial offer template (Annex 1) and the experience overview (Annex 4). 4) Prepare supporting documents demonstrating legal status, financial capacity, technical capacity, key personnel and previous relevant references against CLMS/Copernicus and IT operations. 5) Follow the eSubmission checklist (Annex 8) to compile and submit the tender before the deadline 21 September 2026 14:00:59 (CEST/CET as specified). 6) Use the additional information request period up to 11 September 2026 to request clarifications. 7) Attend or note the open tender event on 22 September 2026 if relevant.

Mentioned countries and geographic references

The contracting authority is the European Environment Agency (EEA). The procurement is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and therefore primarily targets economic operators established in the EU/EEA and territories eligible under EU procurement rules. The tender text also references EEA activities and Copernicus (an EU programme). Specific eligible countries are defined in the procurement documents; cooperating countries to the EEA (for example Ukraine) are mentioned in the agency context but bidders must verify nationality and establishment eligibility in the tender specifications.

Co-funding and financial participation

Co-funding:Not required. This is a fee-for-service public procurement where the awarded contractor receives payment under the contract. The procurement includes reimbursement rules (Annex 2) and invoicing/payment procedures in the draft contract; bidders should review those carefully for cost eligibility and invoicing requirements.

Success factors and bidder requirements

Key success factors:demonstrated experience operating and developing large-scale Earth observation data access platforms or similar reference data access systems; strong IT operations and software development capabilities; clear understanding of Copernicus/CORDA requirements and CLMS IT architecture principles; staffing capacity for operations, development and support; strong project and contract management; competitive and well-justified pricing in line with the financial offer template. Tenderers must satisfy exclusion and selection criteria and provide required certificates and evidence as described in the tender specifications.

Summary and recommended action

This procurement seeks a qualified economic operator to provide comprehensive services for the operation, maintenance and evolution of CORDA, the Copernicus Reference Data Access platform. It is a public services framework contract published by the EEA with an estimated total value of €2.75 million over the planned term. The tender is an open call requiring electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Bidders must download and complete the tender specification, the mandatory financial offer template and annexes, demonstrate relevant technical experience, and submit before the 21 September 2026 deadline. The award will be based primarily on quality (70%) and price (30%). Interested bidders should prioritise obtaining the full tender dossier, clarifying any questions during the information period ending 11 September 2026, and ensuring compliance with the eSubmission checklist and draft contract conditions.

For authoritative full details and to download the procurement dossier and templates consult the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender page and the documents attached to this call Tender details on Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement record metadata lists an estimated overall contract amount of €2,750,000 and provides the tender dossier (Invitation to tender, Tender Specifications, Draft Contract and Annexes). See the official tender publication on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the full package and any updates.

The supplied notice describes this as a framework service contract with an economic operator to help the European Environment Agency operate, maintain, and further develop CORDA, the restricted access reference data gateway used by Copernicus services.[2][4] Public procurement snippets show an estimated value of €125,000 excluding VAT and a schedule of 5 April 2026 for opening and 27 April 2026 for closing, so the opportunity appears to be closed and the dates in the supplied metadata should be rechecked against the live notice.[4]

What CORDA is

CORDA is a single entry point for relevant national and regional geospatial reference data and services across Europe, and access is restricted to authorised Copernicus service providers and related users.[1][2] The platform is managed by the European Environment Agency and serves as a gateway to authoritative in situ reference data for Copernicus.[2][8][9]

Public Copernicus material says CORDA provides access to more than 1800 datasets from nearly 300 data providers and supports more than 300 active users.[8] The platform is especially relevant to Copernicus mapping and security services.[12][16]

Who should be interested

The notice is aimed at an economic operator able to deliver technical services for a restricted geospatial data platform, so the most relevant bidders are likely IT, GIS, and geospatial data service firms with experience in platform operations, metadata management, and data integration.[4][14] The notice materials do not show grant-style eligibility rules, which indicates this is a procurement for a service supplier rather than a funding call.[4]

• Experience with geospatial reference data portals and catalogue systems is likely important because CORDA is a search and access gateway for national and regional datasets.[2][9]
• Knowledge of Copernicus service workflows is relevant because CORDA is used by Copernicus service providers and supports the Copernicus in situ component.[1][8][12]
• Capability to work in restricted access environments matters because CORDA is not open to the public.[1][2]
• Technical support for operating, maintaining, and evolving an existing platform is central to the contract based on the tender description.[4]

Access to CORDA for bidders and the future contractor

Tenderers may request time-limited access to CORDA before the submission deadline by citing the call reference, and once the contract is signed the contractor gets access for the full duration of the production contract, including restricted data.[6][19][21] This is important because the work depends on using the platform itself, not only public documentation.[6][19]

Commercial and strategic relevance

The procurement supports an established Copernicus infrastructure rather than a new pilot, and the available background shows CORDA has been in operation for years and has received dedicated EEA funding in previous periods.[8][10] That makes this opportunity attractive for suppliers that already know the Copernicus data ecosystem and can demonstrate continuity, reliability, and secure handling of authorised data.[8][9][16]

Key diligence points for applicants

1. 1Verify the live portal status and submission deadline because the public snippet shows a closing date of 27 April 2026, which conflicts with the dates in the supplied metadata.[4]
2. 2Request time-limited CORDA access early if your bid depends on platform inspection, data discovery, or validation of technical assumptions.[6][19][21]
3. 3Prepare evidence of operational, maintenance, and development capability for a restricted geospatial platform used in the Copernicus environment.[2][4][8]
4. 4Assess whether your team has both IT and GIS skills, since earlier EEA CORDA support procurement was explicitly framed as IT and GIS consultancy services.[14]

If you are screening this as a business opportunity, the main signal is that the EEA is looking for a technically capable supplier to keep a specialised Copernicus data access node running and evolving, rather than for a research consortium or grant recipient.[4][8][9]