EUDOR – Long-term digital preservation service

The Publications Office of the European Union has published a tender (EC‑OP/2026/OP/0021) to replace FWC 10804 for the EUDOR long‑term digital preservation service covering hosting, operation, migration, preservation actions and handover. The procurement foresees up to two framework contractors in cascade, an estimated framework ceiling of €6,600,000 and a maximum duration up to 78 months (72 months if no takeover). Award will be on the best price‑quality ratio (quality 70%, price 30%) with strict EU‑only data hosting, security, technical and takeover/handover requirements defined in the tender dossier. Electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal is mandatory and the deadline for receipt of tenders is 09/12/2026 10:00 Europe/Luxembourg; bidders must use the mandatory annexes and templates in the procurement documents.

Tender (EC-OP/2026/OP/0021) — Publications Office of the European Union

Opportunity summary

Provision of long-term digital preservation services for the Publications Office (EUDOR). The contractor will host, maintain and run the EUDOR system (IT infrastructure, customised RODA software and archival storage), perform daily operation, storage extensions, takeover and handover, and ad hoc preservation services as required. The procedure foresees a multiple framework agreement in cascade (up to two contractors) with specific contracts awarded against it.

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender dossier, specifications, draft framework contract and submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal: F&T Portal – EUDOR tender.

Opportunity at a glance

Procurement (call for tenders) launched by the Publications Office of the European Union on behalf of the European Commission for the award of up to two framework contracts (FWC number 12065) for the provision of long-term digital preservation services for EUDOR (replacement of FWC 10804). Main objective: host, maintain and run the Publications Office long-term digital preservation system EUDOR and execute preservation actions and operations defined by the contracting authority.

Deadlines and key procedure dates

Who is the contracting authority and where will work be performed?

Eligible applicants and how to apply

Participation is open to natural and legal persons established in scope of the EU Treaties, including joint tenders and international organisations. Third-country applicants may participate only where special public procurement agreements allow access to procurement. Tenderers may submit as sole tenderer or as a group of economic operators (joint tender). Subcontracting and freelancing are permitted; subcontractors must be identified in the tender forms.

Electronic submission only via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system; EU Login account and registration in the Participant Register (PIC) required. Tenders must include all mandatory administrative, selection and award documents described in the Tender Specifications and Annexes. See Annex 1 list of documents and annexes to the tender specifications for exact forms and templates to use (Annex 3A, €3B, 4A, €4B, 6, 7A/€7B, 10 PARF, 12/13 CV forms, 14 Technical tender form, Annex 15 Timesheet, Price Schedule Excel and PDF).

Eligible applicant types

Funding / Contract type

Consortium requirement and participation modes

Tenders may be submitted by a single economic operator or by a group of economic operators (joint tender). Contractors can rely on capacities of other entities (subcontractors or entities whose capacities are being relied upon) using the appropriate commitment letters (Annex 7A/€7B). Joint tenders require an Agreement/Power of Attorney (Annex €4B) and joint and several liability. Subcontracting proportion must be indicated in Annex 4A.

Beneficiary Scope (geographic eligibility)

Applicants must be legal or natural persons within the scope of the EU Treaties. Hosting and processing of EUDOR data and core services must be executed on EU territory only. The tender allows participation from third countries only when procurement agreements permit; data and compute must remain in EU for EUDOR content. Place of performance: EU only (data centres and backups inside EU).

Target sectors and technologies

Project stage and expected maturity

This is a service contract for operational and long-term maintenance/operation of an existing production service (EUDOR v3). Expected maturity: operational daily operation, maintenance, extensions, takeover (migration from outgoing contractor), handover. Work includes system operation, incremental development, data migration, quality assurance, security compliance, business continuity and disaster recovery, and periodic migration and refresh activities.

Services requested (high-level summary)

Selection and award criteria (summary)

The award is made to the tender(s) offering the best price–quality ratio (quality 70% / price 30%). Evaluation is staged: administrative checks, exclusion checks, selection criteria (economic/financial capacity and professional/technical capacity), compliance with minimum requirements, technical tender scoring (100 points, pass mark 65, pass marks per criterion), then financial evaluation and price-quality ratio calculation. Up to two contractors will be awarded and ranked in cascade.

Financial tender and price schedule

The tender requires the completed Price Schedule and Case Study form (Excel + PDF). Prices must be in euro, decimals not allowed, all-inclusive (no VAT). The Price Schedule covers monthly S1 fee (initial 200 TB), extensions per 25 TB monthly fee, day rates for profiles (ANA-DEV and OPER), takeover fixed-price max 3x monthly S1 fee, handover fixed-price max 1.5x monthly S1 fee. Prices are net of tax. The financial tender must not contain any price indications inside technical tender documents.

Procurement process and evaluation stages

Application stages, timelines and success rates

Co-funding, fees and financial obligations

Co-funding from applicants is not required. All costs for preparation and submission of tenders are borne by tenderers. Payments are made according to contract (monthly fees, specific contract payments). The contracting authority may offset overdue debts to the Union against payments. No pre-financing is specified for this FWC; payment of balance follows acceptance of monthly reports, deliverables and any requested supporting documents.

Security, data protection and legal constraints

Strict security and data protection requirements apply. Contractor must comply with security appendices: Appendix 2 (Security requirements), Appendix 3 (Security baseline for external connections) and commissioning authority rules. All data and backup copies must be within EU territory. Contractor must comply with eIDAS/EUDI electronic archiving trust services requirements (CEN/TS/18170:2025). QEASP certification expected or to be acquired within the first three years (company-level accreditation). Personal data processing must comply with Regulation (EU)2018/1725 and be kept within the EU; transfers to third countries require compliance with Chapter V of Regulation (EU)2018/1725 and prior authorisation.

Key technical and operational requirements (selected highlights)

Compliance, templates and mandatory documents

Tenderers must submit documents listed in Annex 1 and other annexes. Mandatory templates and forms include: Annex 3A Form for identification, Annex €3BPersons designated, Annex 4A Questionnaire for joint tenders/subcontracting/freelancing, Annex €4BPower of attorney (joint tenders), Annex 6 Declaration on honour on exclusion and selection criteria, Annex 7A/B commitment letters, Annex 10 PARF reference form, Annex 11 profile requirements, Annex 12/13 CV forms, Annex 14 Technical tender form (mandatory structure), Annex 15 Timesheet template, Price Schedule and Case Study Excel and PDF (Annex 4). Draft FWC and FWC appendices (security) included in procurement documents and are binding if awarded. Technical annexes (TA1–TA8) provide detailed technical specifications, dataflows, statistics, conversion docs, risk management templates, baseline SW delivery requirements and tracking system rules.

Mandatory selection and exclusion notes

Key performance indicators and contractual sanctions

The procurement defines a list of KPIs (see point 4.8 in tender specifications). Liquidated damages are defined in the draft FWC for KPI breaches (amounts per KPI defined in FWC special conditions I.15.1); overall liquidated damages capped (see FWC) and may trigger termination or cancellation of specific contracts for repeated or major breaches. Liquidated damages examples: ingestion performance, availability, remediation times, resolution times, disaster recovery exercise results, report delivery deadlines, rejections of deliverables/CVs, etc. See FWC Article I.15 and II.15-II.16 for liquidated damages and price reduction procedures.

Data and IP ownership

Contracting authority retains ownership of EUDOR data; contractor executes preservation actions. Intellectual property rules: for IT supplies and services (Article I.14 & II.13) the general principle is that the Union acquires ownership of results created for the Union; pre-existing rights are licensed to the Union on a royalty-free, non-exclusive and irrevocable basis subject to the contract rules. Commission requires source code delivery for commissioned software unless otherwise agreed; cloud services arrangements and licensing rules are specified. See FWC Article I.14 and II.13 for detailed IPR clauses and obligations to provide lists and evidence of pre-existing rights (Annexes and contract clauses require thorough compliance).

Templates and application forms (structure summary)

Mandatory templates and forms are provided in the procurement documentation and must be used when indicated. Notable templates: Annex 10 PARF (project/activity reference form) – mandatory format and reference letter; Annex 14 Form for the technical tender – structure equals technical award criteria and must be respected (Documents 1–5: governance & service management, EUDOR system, draft RMP/ITSEC/BCP/TEST plan, technical case study: media refresh, environmental impact measures). Annex 4A questionnaire for joint tenders/subcontracting and Annex 7A/€7Bcommitment letters for subcontractors or entities whose capacities are relied upon. Annex 4 Price Schedule and Case Study (Excel V2) must be completed electronically and submitted as PDF + Excel. Annex 15 Timesheet template for time & means specific contracts. Draft FWC and appendices (security requirements and baseline) must be carefully reviewed.

Application type and method of submission

Nature of support and contract model

Risks, takeover and handover

Other important practical notes

Brief checklist for applicants (practical, immediate actions)

Templates and mandatory annexes referenced in the procurement documents

This summary extracts the most important information from the procurement record and associated tender specifications, draft framework contract and annexes published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants must consult the full set of procurement documents on the Portal and use the mandatory templates and forms attached — all statements in this document are summaries and do not replace nor override the legal procurement documents published by the Publications Office. For full legal and contractual details, tenderers must read the Invitation to Tender, the Tender Specifications and the Draft FWC with all appendices and annexes available at the F&T Portal link for this call for tenders.

General summary: what is this opportunity about?

The Publications Office of the European Union is procuring a comprehensive long-term digital preservation service (EUDOR) through a multiple framework agreement (up to two contractors) for a period up to 72 months (78 months if takeover included). The service covers daily operation and maintenance of the EUDOR preservation platform (based on RODA and E-ARK standards), storage hosting (EU-only), data migration and takeover from the current provider, capacity extensions, ad hoc development and other preservation-related services, and an exit/handover procedure. The procurement uses an open procedure with electronic submission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and evaluates tenders on a 70:30 quality:price ratio. Technical requirements are detailed and prescriptive: the contracting authority requires very specific evidence of past experience (PARFs), CVs for key profiles, ISO/IT security and data sovereignty in the EU, and compliance with archival standards (E-ARK, OAIS) and eIDAS/EUDI archiving trust services. The estimated ceiling is €6.6 million; individual specific contracts will define the actual work ordered and invoiced. Tenderers must follow the exact templates and submission rules provided on the Portal and be ready to perform a substantial takeover and migration work if appointed first in cascade.

Where to find the official procurement documents

All procurement documents, annexes and templates are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page for EC-OP/2026/OP/0021 (EUDOR). Tenderers must download and use the documents published there: Invitation to tender, Tender specifications V2, Draft FWC V1, Appendix 2 and 3 (security), Price Schedule and Case Study (Excel V2), Annexes 1–15, Technical Annexes TA1–TA8. The eSubmission system is used for formal submission.

Executive summary

EUDOR is a European Union procurement opportunity for a long term digital preservation service. It is identified as a tender rather than a grant and is intended to replace the existing FWC 10804 framework contract. The opportunity should therefore be assessed as a public procurement competition for the delivery of services, not as grant funding for an applicant project.

The authoritative record is the European Commission Funding and Tenders Portal tender page 1. The available metadata does not provide the estimated contract value, maximum framework value, contract duration, procurement procedure, award criteria, technical specifications, minimum financial or technical capacity requirements, or the full set of contractual documents. Those matters must be confirmed in the Contract Notice, Invitation to Tender, tender specifications and draft contract available through the official record.

Opportunity identification

Field

Information

Opportunity title

EUDOR Long term digital preservation service

Opportunity type

Tender and public procurement opportunity

Purpose

Replacement of the current FWC 10804 framework contract

Contracting source

European Commission Funding and Tenders Portal

Recorded dates

1 January 2026 at 09:00:59 UTC and 9 December 2026 at 10:00:59 UTC

Official record

European Commission tender record 1

What the procurement is about

The procurement concerns the provision of a service for preserving digital information over the long term. In practical terms, a successful contractor would be expected to provide an operational capability that supports the continued accessibility, integrity, authenticity, usability and controlled management of digital records or other digital assets over time.

The reference to replacement of FWC 10804 indicates that the procurement is intended to succeed an existing framework arrangement. The precise service boundaries cannot be established from the available metadata alone. Applicants should review the official technical specifications for the required preservation model, supported formats, hosting arrangements, service levels, security controls, migration obligations, metadata requirements, retention rules, interoperability requirements, reporting duties and exit or transition provisions.

Who can apply

This is a procurement procedure, so participation is generally open to economic operators that satisfy the conditions in the Contract Notice and tender documents. Potential participants may include specialised digital preservation providers, information management and archival technology companies, cloud or managed service providers, systems integrators, and consortia combining these capabilities.

The available record does not confirm whether participation is limited to particular countries, whether subcontracting is permitted or restricted, whether economic operators must submit as a single entity or consortium, or whether specific professional registrations or certifications are mandatory. These points must be checked in the official procurement documents before forming a bid team.

Likely applicant capabilities

A credible bidder would normally need to demonstrate experience in long term digital preservation, secure information technology operations, data integrity management, digital records or archival systems, service continuity, and large scale data handling. These are analytical expectations based on the subject matter and are not confirmed eligibility criteria for this specific tender.

Applicants should not rely on the general description alone to establish eligibility. The tender documents may specify minimum references, turnover thresholds, staff qualifications, quality standards, information security certifications, technical infrastructure requirements, insurance levels, exclusion criteria and evidence formats.

Financial model and funding

This opportunity does not appear to offer grant funding. A successful tenderer would be paid under a procurement contract or framework contract in return for delivering the required services. Consequently, concepts such as grant funding rate, eligible project costs, co financing percentage and grant pre financing are not expected to apply unless expressly stated in the procurement documents.

No contract value, framework ceiling, unit prices, budget allocation, payment schedule or pricing structure is available in the supplied metadata. Applicants must obtain these details from the official Contract Notice and tender dossier. Any financial estimate made without those documents would be unreliable.

Duration and framework structure

The metadata describes the opportunity as replacing an existing FWC, which suggests that the new procurement may involve a framework contract or a comparable multi stage purchasing arrangement. The available information does not confirm the framework duration, possible extensions, number of contractors, ranking mechanism, reopening of competition, specific contracts, minimum purchase commitments or maximum duration permitted under the tender.

The duration of individual services, implementation, transition, operation, support, maintenance, renewal and exit activities should be taken from the draft contract and technical specifications. These provisions are particularly important for a digital preservation service because continuity and controlled transfer of preserved information may extend beyond the initial implementation period.

Requirements applicants should investigate

The bid team should examine the following matters in the official tender documentation:

Submission and procedural considerations

The European Commission states that calls for tender and related procurement opportunities are made available through the Funding and Tenders Portal. The portal is used to access procurement information, while the applicable notice and tender documents determine the formal submission route and requirements 2.

The recorded dates should be interpreted carefully. The supplied metadata contains two timestamps but does not label them as publication, opening, submission, clarification or closing dates. The later timestamp of 9 December 2026 at 10:00:59 UTC may represent the submission deadline, but this cannot be confirmed from the available record. The earlier timestamp of 1 January 2026 at 09:00:59 UTC may represent an opening or publication related event, but its meaning is also unconfirmed.

Before submitting, bidders should verify the live portal status, the exact closing time and time zone, whether the tender remains open, the applicable electronic submission system, the permitted file formats, the maximum upload sizes, the deadline for questions, the language of the offer, and the rules for late submissions. Procurement deadlines are normally strict, and technical or administrative non compliance can result in exclusion.

Evaluation considerations

The evaluation method is not provided in the supplied metadata. Bidders should expect the tender documents to define formal exclusion and selection stages followed by an award evaluation. Depending on the procedure, the award may assess price, quality, technical approach, service levels, implementation methodology, security, resilience, sustainability, team expertise and relevant experience.

A strong response should connect every proposed capability to a stated requirement, provide measurable service commitments, explain the transition from the current arrangement, identify operational and security risks, demonstrate preservation expertise with relevant references, and present a transparent and internally consistent pricing model.

Recommended bid preparation