EU access to space - Mapping of key ground infrastructures

The European Commission, specifically DG DEFIS (Defence Industry and Space), has issued a call for tenders identified as EC-DEFIS/2025/OP/0027. This opportunity is focused on conducting a study that aims to map key ground infrastructures crucial for ensuring continuity in access to space operations. The initiative is part of a pilot project funded by the European Parliament aimed at developing a new vision for space access.

The total estimated value of this procurement contract is 250,000 EUR. The contract is classified under services and has a maximum duration of 6 months. The procedure for this tender is open and requires electronic submission, with the deadline for receipt of tenders set for September 15, 2025, at 16:00 CET. Questions submitted after September 5, 2025, at 05:00 CET will not receive responses from the contracting authority.

Eligible applicants are largely defined as large enterprises, research institutes, and other specialized service providers since the tender indicates that SMEs are not the primary targets. The procurement contract follows a competitive tender process, emphasizing quality (70%) and price (30%) as the criteria for awarding the contract.

Geographic eligibility appears to be open within EU member states, aligning with typical EU public procurement standards. The focus is on the space sector, as indicated by the main CPV code (73200000), which corresponds to research and development consultancy services. Notably, there are no specific countries mentioned, suggesting the opportunity is primarily for entities operating within the EU.

The tender does not stipulate any consortium requirements, indicating that a single applicant may satisfy the project's demands. The nature of the support will be monetary, with contract payments outlined for the services provided.

Furthermore, the application process will consist of one stage, and there is no information available regarding applicant success rates or co-funding requirements.

In summary, this call for tenders seeks to engage qualified entities to provide a comprehensive study of existing ground infrastructures in space access operations. Interested applicants must ensure compliance with submission guidelines, which include the necessity of obtaining a Personal Identification Code (PIC) for participation, whether as sole candidates or as part of a consortium.

The European Commission, DG DEFIS Defence Industry and Space, has published a call for tenders, EC-DEFIS/2025/OP/0027, regarding EU access to space, specifically the mapping of key ground infrastructures. This is an open procedure with electronic submission. The TED reference is 133/2025 462487-2025.

The tender aims to conduct a study addressing existing ground infrastructures and provide an overview and assessment of their importance to the continuity of access to space operations. This initiative stems from a pilot project financed by the European Parliament on access to space and falls within the scope of a pilot project aimed at developing a new vision for space access.

The estimated total value of the contract is 250,000 EUR. The nature of the contract is for services, with a maximum duration of 6 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. No framework agreement is specified.

Key milestones include a TED publication date of 15/07/2025, a date and time of public opening on 16/09/2025 at 14:00 Europe/Brussels time, and a deadline for receipt of tenders on 15/09/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels time. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 05/09/2025 at 05:00 Europe/Brussels time.

The main classification (CPV) code is 73200000, which corresponds to research and development consultancy services.

The following documents are available for download:

1.  ENITT EC-DEFIS 2025 OP 0027 Invitation letter, published on 15/07/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
2.  ENSpecifications Mapping of ground infrastructure REV3 Clean Tender specifications, published on 15/07/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
3.  ENAnnex 2 specification DoH Declaration on honour (tender), published on 15/07/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
4.  ENDraft contract EC-DEFIS-2025-OP-0027 Draft contract, published on 15/07/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
5.  ENContract Appendix 2 Draft contract annex, published on 15/07/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
6.  ENContract Annex III-VAT share Draft contract annex, published on 15/07/2025, Version 1, no translations available.
7.  ENContract Annex IV Draft contract annex, published on 15/07/2025, Version 1, no translations available.

Submissions must be sent exclusively via electronic submission.

A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in this call for tenders, either as a sole candidate/tenderer or as part of a group (consortium). Subcontractors may also require a PIC.

The eSubmission system supports the latest versions of Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages, with a character set encoding of UTF-8. The system encrypts all uploaded documents using an asymmetric key to ensure integrity and confidentiality.

Attachments for tender submissions must be less than 50 MB in size. The maximum number of documents allowed per tender is 200 files. The naming of attachments must follow the System Requirements.

Until the submission deadline, draft submissions can be edited, viewed, and deleted.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents?
Please make sure you use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, try the following steps: 1. Clear the cache and cookies on the Internet browser. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52

Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support?
Please use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements. You can access this link. Published on 13/02/2025 20:52

Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline?
The content of the submission is not accessible after submitting the tender as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload. Thus, the system will not allow decryption after the upload. Published on 13/02/2025 20:50

Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal?
Depending on the type or step of procedure, you can find the submissions in one of these sections: In ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to . Published on 17/10/2024 20:40

Which size should attachments have?
For attaching files to your tender submission, eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Any larger sizes will not be accepted by the system. For the latest informa. Published on 17/10/2024 20:36

How should I name attachments in eSubmision?
In eSubmission, you must name the attachments for your tender draft following the System Requirements. With regards to all attachment names, please see the following conditions: The . Published on 03/10/2024 16:39

Can I submit a video in eSbmission? Which formats are supported?
You can check the System Requirements of eSubmission: Published on 03/10/2024 16:37

I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents.
Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation. Go to F&T Portal, “My Invitations”. Click on “Select Organisation” from the “Action”. Published on 03/10/2024 16:37

Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission?
The 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). For subcontractors PIC i. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36

I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do?
When uploading a file in eSubmission, you must first make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system, which are as shown below. A)For procurement procedures: B)For req. Published on 03/10/2024 16:36

How many attachments can I upload per submission?
The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is 200 files. You are able to check the eSubmission System Requirements in the documentation by clicking. Published on 03/10/2024 16:35

Why do tenderers need a PIC?
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. Therefore, if your organisation alread. Published on 23/04/2024 17:14

How do I register my 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. If your organisation is a bigger. Published on 23/04/2024 16:07

What is the validity period of a PIC?
A PIC is unique and its validity is not limited in time. Published on 22/04/2024 22:55

How many languages does the system support?
The system is multilingual and supports all 24 official EU languages. Published on 01/04/2024 19:56

Which is the character set encoding in the system?
The character set encoding is UTF-8. Published on 22/02/2024 23:58

Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information?
Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism. Published on 22/02/2024 23:57

Which file types does the system support?
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. M. Published on 21/02/2024 23:55

Can I view and edit my draft submission?
Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted. Published on 24/03/2023 21:32

In the submission report, under the name of our entity, "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed while in the system, our legal form was correctly displayed. Is this a problem for the submission?
No, it is just a display issue. This is not blocking for you: you can submit. Published on 03/08/2021 22:07

I sent my submission on time and a few days later, I received an automatic email informing me that the deadline for the reception of submissions had been reached. Does this mean that my submission was not correctly sent?
No, this is an auto-generated notification sent when the time limit of receipt defined for the call for tenders has been reached. Until then, you had the possibility of withdrawing. Published on 03/08/2021 22:05

In summary, this is a call for tenders by the European Commission, DG DEFIS, seeking a study to map key ground infrastructures related to EU access to space. The study aims to provide an overview and assessment of these infrastructures' importance for the continuity of space operations. The project is valued at 250,000 EUR and has a duration of 6 months. Interested parties must submit their tenders electronically by 15/09/2025, following specific guidelines for file size, format, and naming conventions. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation. The tender will be awarded based on the best price-quality ratio.

Eligible Applicant Types: The content does not explicitly specify eligible applicant types. However, given the nature of the call for tenders and the reference to a Personal Identification Code (PIC) being mandatory, it can be inferred that eligible applicants are organizations, which could include SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, or other types of organizations capable of conducting research and development consultancy services.

Funding Type: Procurement. The opportunity is explicitly described as a "Call for tenders" and involves a "contract" with a maximum duration, indicating a procurement process. The "Nature of the contract" is specified as "services".

Consortium Requirement: The content mentions that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium), indicating that both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The content does not explicitly define geographic eligibility. However, given that it is an EU funding opportunity managed by the European Commission, it is highly likely that the geographic eligibility includes EU member states and potentially other countries associated with EU programs.

Target Sector: The program targets the space sector, specifically focusing on EU access to space and the mapping of key ground infrastructures. The main classification (CPV) code provided, 73200000, corresponds to "Research and development consultancy services," indicating that the program also targets this sector.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned. The opportunity is an EU initiative, so it implicitly involves EU member states.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on conducting a study and assessment of existing ground infrastructures, suggesting a development or validation stage. The goal is to provide an overview and assessment of the importance of these infrastructures to the continuity of access to space operations, which aligns with a project in the development or validation phase.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the tender is 250,000 EUR.

Application Type: Open call. The procedure type is explicitly stated as an "Open procedure."

Nature of Support: Money. The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services delivered.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there are multiple stages involved in the tender process, including submission of the tender, evaluation, and contract award.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided content.

Co-funding Requirement: The content does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This is a call for tenders (EC-DEFIS/2025/OP/0027) issued by the European Commission, DG DEFIS (Defence Industry and Space), with TED reference 133/2025 462487-2025. The tender is for a study addressing existing ground infrastructures related to EU access to space. The study should provide an overview and assessment of their importance to the continuity of access to space operations. This initiative falls under a pilot project aimed at developing a new vision for space access. The estimated total value of the tender is 250,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 6 months. The submission method is electronic, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is 15/09/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. The contracting authority may not reply to questions submitted after 05/09/2025 05:00 Europe/Brussels. The tender requires a Personal Identification Code (PIC) for participation, whether as a sole candidate or as part of a consortium. The tender documents include an invitation letter, specifications for mapping ground infrastructure, a declaration on honor, a draft contract, and contract annexes. The eSubmission system supports various file types and has specific requirements for attachment sizes and naming conventions. The system also supports all 24 official EU languages and uses encryption to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the information.