Enhancing the integration of small-scale fisheries into marine governance through improved spatial data and indicators (1.3.13)

The European Environment Agency (EEA) intends to launch a negotiated low/middle value procurement (Procedure EEA/2026/LVP/0012-EXA) for a study to spatially define and assess small-scale fisheries (SSF) activity across EU seas using existing data and methods. The study will deliver spatial datasets, indicators and methodological documentation to improve coverage and estimates of SSF fishing effort to support assessments of human impacts, marine spatial planning, fisheries management and conservation. The maximum contract duration is nine months and the expression of interest period is indicated from 08/04/2026 to 23/04/2026 with submissions via EU Login on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The estimated contract value is not specified and final eligibility, evaluation criteria and budget will be provided in the subsequent negotiated procedure documents.

Opportunity type and contracting authority

Planned negotiated procedure (low/middle value) by the European Environment Agency

The EEA plans a study to spatially define and assess small-scale fisheries (SSF) activity across European seas using existing data and methods. Results will improve coverage and estimates of SSF fishing effort to inform impact assessment, marine spatial planning, fisheries management and conservation.

What it will fund:A research and consultancy service study to compile, harmonise and spatially analyse SSF data and develop indicators and maps of fishing effort and activity patterns.

Who can apply:Consultancies, research organisations or consortia with expertise in marine spatial data, fisheries science, GIS and indicator development; submissions require an EU Login account for electronic expression of interest.

1. 1Procedure identifier: EEA/2026/LVP/0012-EXA
2. 2Main CPV: 73200000 Research and development consultancy services

Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders portal; this publication is an advance notice of intent to launch a negotiated procedure rather than a call for tenders. EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Guidance on EU Login and electronic submission is available on the portal linked above.

Basic opportunity summary

Contracting authority:European Environment Agency (EEA). Procedure identifier: EEA/2026/LVP/0012-EXA. Procedure type: Planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract (publication of intent to launch a negotiated low or middle value procedure). Main classification (CPV): 73200000 Research and development consultancy services. Nature of contract: services. Maximum contract duration: 9 months. This is a planned call for tenders to conduct a study based on existing data and methods to spatially define and assess small-scale fisheries fishing activity across Europe’s seas and coastal areas. Outcomes will feed into assessments of human impacts, marine spatial planning, impact assessment, fisheries management and conservation measures.

Primary objective:Improve the current coverage and estimates of fishing effort associated with small-scale fisheries (SSF) in the EU by spatially defining and assessing SSF activity using existing data and methods. Results should enable better integration of SSF into marine governance, impact assessments and spatial planning ¹.

Key dates and milestones

This publication is an announcement of intent and not the final call for tenders. Important milestones listed by the EEA are: start date for expression of interest 08/04/2026 (Europe/Brussels); deadline for expression of interest 23/04/2026 00:59 (Europe/Copenhagen); indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure 23/04/2026 (Europe/Copenhagen). Electronic submission of expressions of interest requires an EU Login account.

Scope of the study and expected deliverables

Scope:A study using existing data and methods to spatially define small-scale fisheries fishing activity in coastal and marine areas across Europe’s seas. The study should improve coverage and estimates of SSF fishing effort in the EU and deliver spatially explicit outputs and indicators appropriate for: assessing impacts of human activities and their combined effects on marine ecosystems; underpinning marine spatial planning and impact assessments; informing fisheries management; and supporting conservation measures. Deliverables are expected to include spatial datasets, indicators, methodological documentation, assessment of uncertainties and recommendations for integration into EEA products and policy processes.

Eligible applicant types

As a public procurement for services under a negotiated procedure by the European Environment Agency, eligible applicants are legal entities able to contract with the EEA and fulfilling procurement participation rules. Typical eligible applicant types include but are not limited to: research institutes, universities, consultancy firms (individual or consortia), environmental NGOs with formal contracting capacity, SMEs and larger enterprises providing research and development or consultancy services. Public bodies may also bid if permitted by procurement rules. Individuals are generally not eligible as prime contractors unless legally constituted as a contracting entity. Exact eligibility and required documents will be specified in the forthcoming negotiated procedure documents.

Funding type and contract modality

This opportunity is a public procurement for a services contract, not a grant. The primary financial mechanism is a middle/low value service contract awarded after a negotiated procedure. The EEA intends to award a contract for service delivery for up to 9 months. Estimated total contract value is not specified in the announcement; it will be set in the subsequent negotiated procedure documentation.

Consortium requirement and collaboration

Consortiums are allowed and commonly used for multidisciplinary studies combining spatial data science, fisheries expertise, statistics, GIS and policy analysis. The announcement does not mandate either single applicants or consortia; the negotiated procedure documentation will specify whether consortia or subcontracting are permitted and any requirements for composition, CVs, or demonstration of relevant capacity. Given the multidisciplinary scope, partnerships of research organisations, consultancies and technical data providers are likely to be competitive.

Geographic eligibility and beneficiary scope

Geographic scope of the study:EU marine waters across Europe’s seas and coastal areas. As an EEA procurement, eligible bidders will typically include organisations from EEA member countries and cooperating countries; bidders from EU Member States and EEA states are normally eligible. Specific participation rules and any restrictions for non-EEA bidders will be clarified in the tender documents. The activity focuses on EU waters but data sources may include international or third-country datasets where relevant.

Target sectors and thematic areas

Primary thematic targets:fisheries (small-scale fisheries), marine environment, marine governance, marine spatial planning, environmental impact assessment, conservation policy. Technical domains: spatial data analysis, GIS, marine spatial modelling, indicators development, environmental assessment, fisheries science, data integration and uncertainty analysis.

Expected project maturity and activities

Project stage expected:research, development and validation of spatial assessments and indicators using existing datasets and methods. Activities: data compilation and quality assessment, spatial mapping of SSF activity, development/refinement of indicators of fishing effort, uncertainty and gap analysis, methodological documentation, stakeholder engagement and recommendations for operational integration into EEA products and policy advice. The contract duration is short (maximum 9 months), indicating a targeted study to produce operational outputs rather than long-term field data collection.

Funding amount and scale

The announcement does not specify an exact estimated total value for the contract. It is published as a planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contracts. Bidders should expect a contract sized accordingly to short-term consultancy/research studies commissioned by the EEA; the forthcoming tender documents will state the contract budget and payment schedule.

Application and submission method

Application type:Expression of interest stage is an open electronic submission by the dates given, using EU Login to access the EEA procurement portal. Submissions must be sent exclusively to the address for submission given in the portal. The procedure to follow after expression of interest is a negotiated procedure; the formal tender documents will be published and will specify submission requirements, formats, templates, and whether electronic tendering tools will be used.

Nature of support to beneficiaries

Beneficiaries will receive a service contract remunerated by the EEA. This is monetary support under a procurement contract in exchange for delivering the study and specified deliverables. No non-monetary services or capacity-building grants are indicated in the announcement itself, although deliverables may include knowledge products, datasets and methodological guidance for wider use.

Application stages and selection process

Number of application stages indicated by the announcement:at least two. 1) Expression of interest: electronic submission by the stated deadline. 2) Launch of negotiated procedure: invited participants (or selected bidders) will be asked to submit full proposals as per negotiated procedure rules. The negotiated procedure may include further stages such as clarifications, negotiations and final offer submission. Final selection criteria and possible evaluation stages will be provided in the tender documentation.

Success rates and competition

The announcement does not publish historical success rates. As a negotiated procurement for middle/low value contracts by the EEA, the number of bidders invited to negotiate may be limited, potentially improving probability of award for shortlisted participants. Final success rates will depend on the number of eligible expressions of interest and the EEA evaluation process for the negotiated tender.

Co-funding requirements

The announcement does not indicate any requirement for co-funding from bidders. As a service procurement, the EEA will pay the contract price for deliverables; bidders should price their offers to cover costs. If consortium arrangements or subcontracting are used, internal co-funding arrangements between partners are a commercial matter for bidders and not specified by the EEA in this notice.

Templates and application structure guidance

The publication does not include tender templates. It notes that the formal negotiated procedure documents will be published subsequently and will contain full application templates and submission requirements. Typical procurement submissions for studies of this type commonly require: 1) a technical proposal describing methodology, work plan, data sources, deliverables, quality assurance and risk management; 2) an explanation of team composition, roles and CVs demonstrating relevant experience in fisheries science, spatial analysis, GIS and indicators work; 3) an estimated budget and pricing schedule; 4) legal and financial capacity documents; and 5) references or relevant past project summaries. Bidders should prepare these sections in anticipation of the negotiated tender.

1. 1Prepare legally constituted bidding entity with public procurement experience (research institute, consultancy, or consortium).
2. 2Assemble multidisciplinary team: fisheries scientists, GIS/spatial analysts, statisticians, marine policy experts and data managers.
3. 3Compile evidence of prior projects mapping SSF or similar spatial fisheries work and producing indicators.
4. 4Prepare methodological outline for spatially defining SSF effort using existing datasets, including uncertainty assessment.
5. 5Ensure EU Login account and readiness to submit electronic expression of interest by 23/04/2026.

Mentioned countries and region

The announcement focuses on EU marine waters across Europe’s seas. The contracting authority is the European Environment Agency (EEA), which works with EEA member and cooperating countries; the notice references EU/Europe time zones for dates. No specific Member States are named in the publication. Bidders from EU and EEA countries are typically eligible under EEA procurement rules; cooperating countries such as Moldova are part of the EEA/Eionet network, but exact bidder eligibility will be provided in the procurement documentation.

Technical and scientific requirements (expected and recommended)

Based on the study scope, the tender will expect methodological expertise in:spatial data integration across heterogeneous sources (e.g., logbooks, surveys, local registries, VMS/positional data where applicable), GIS mapping and spatial modelling, estimation of fishing effort for small-scale fisheries (gear- and vessel-type specific methodologies), indicators development for effort and pressure, uncertainty quantification and communication, interoperability and metadata standards (e.g., INSPIRE), and knowledge of EU fisheries and marine policy contexts (MSFD, CFP, maritime spatial planning). Demonstrable capacity to produce reproducible methods, documented code or workflows, and machine-readable spatial outputs is likely to be valued.

How this study will be used by the EEA

Expected uses:integration of improved SSF spatial data and indicators into EEA assessments of human pressures on marine ecosystems; supporting marine spatial planning and impact assessments; informing fisheries management and conservation measures; contributing to EEA knowledge products and policy support for EU institutions and member countries. The outputs should be suitable for operational use and for informing combined effect assessments in marine environments.

Where to find further information and official documents:Primary announcement and planned tender reference are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at the tender detail page Tender details ¹.

Comprehensive summary and recommendation

This procurement announcement by the European Environment Agency seeks to commission a short-term study (up to 9 months) to spatially define and assess small-scale fisheries activity across Europe’s seas using existing data and methods. The primary outcome is to improve coverage and estimation of SSF fishing effort in the EU to better account for SSF in assessments of human impacts, marine spatial planning, fisheries management and conservation. The announcement is an intent to launch a negotiated middle/low value procedure; interested bidders must submit an electronic expression of interest via EU Login between 08/04/2026 and 23/04/2026. The final negotiated tender will specify budget, detailed eligibility, evaluation criteria and submission templates.

Recommended actions for prospective bidders:ensure legal contracting capacity, assemble a multidisciplinary team with demonstrated experience in SSF, spatial analysis and indicators, prepare a methodological approach that leverages existing datasets and ensures reproducibility and uncertainty analysis, and register an EU Login account in advance. Expect the negotiated procedure to request detailed technical and financial proposals and provide supporting documentation for legal, financial and technical capacity.

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender page on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity Overview

This is a planned call for tenders by the European Environment Agency (EEA) for a study to spatially define and assess small-scale fisheries (SSF) fishing activity in coastal and marine areas across Europes seas. The study will use existing data and methods to improve coverage and estimates of SSF fishing effort in the EU, contributing to assessments of human impacts on marine ecosystems, marine spatial planning, impact assessments, fisheries management, and conservation measures.

Procedure identifier:EEA/2026/LVP/0012-EXA. This is not a current call for tenders but a publication announcing the contracting authoritys intention to launch a future negotiated low or middle value procedure.

Key Details and Timeline

Procedure Type:Planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract.

Nature of Contract:Services, classified under CPV 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services.

Maximum Contract Duration:9 months.

Milestones:Start date for expression of interest: 08/04/2026 (Europe/Brussels). Deadline for expression of interest: 23/04/2026 00:59 (Europe/Copenhagen). Indicative date of launch of negotiated procedure: 23/04/2026 (Europe/Copenhagen).

Eligibility and Application Process

This is a negotiated procedure for low/middle value contracts, typically open to economic operators expressing interest. An EU Login account is required for electronic submission of expressions of interest via the Express interest function on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submissions must be sent exclusively through the designated electronic address.

Eligible applicants are likely research consultancies, environmental experts, or organizations with expertise in spatial data analysis, fisheries mapping, and marine governance, given the CPV classification and study focus. Detailed eligibility criteria will be provided in the future tender documents.

Contracting Authority and Scope

Lead contracting authority:European Environment Agency (EEA), responsible for providing knowledge and data for sustainability in Europe, including marine ecosystems. The study focuses on SSF, which often lack comprehensive spatial data due to vessels under 12-€15Mnot requiring VMS/AIS tracking¹.

Funding and Value

Estimated total value:Not specified in the announcement (listed as blank). As a middle/low value negotiated procedure, it falls below standard open tender thresholds, typically under €221,000 for services.

Relevant Context from Research

SSF governance benefits from nested spatial scales, co-management, fisher participation in monitoring, and secure access rights like individual quotas, which promote sustainability when effectively implemented². Spatial modeling and high-resolution data improve effort estimates and support marine protected areas and ecosystem-based management³.

• Challenges in SSF include data gaps for small vessels, addressed by alternative methods like GPS trackers or modeling¹.
• Outcomes align with broader EU goals in marine spatial planning and assessing cumulative human impacts on ecosystems.
• Related efforts emphasize participatory management and integration of SSF into policymaking via Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF)⁴.

Applicants should monitor the portal for tender launch and prepare expertise in geospatial analysis of existing datasets for SSF across EU seas.

Footnotes

1. 1Workshop on Geo-Spatial Data for Small-Scale Fisheries highlights VMS/AIS limitations for SSF and need for alternative high-resolution data.
2. 2Governance threshold study identifies key elements for SSF sustainability.
3. 3Spatial distribution modeling informs SSF management in MPAs; workshop ToRs for R-scripts and best practices.
4. 4FAO guidelines on integrating SSF in policymaking via participatory EAF.