European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) - Global Data Service

CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) has published tender CINEA/2026/OP/0024 for the EMODnet Global Data Service with an estimated contract value of €12,000,000 and a planned duration of 42 months; submissions close 2 October 2026 (Brussels time). The contract requires a service provider to operate, safeguard and evolve EMODnet methodological frameworks and infrastructures to ensure resilient global in situ ocean data flows, metadata and products across the seven thematic areas while guaranteeing free and open access in line with FAIR principles. Evaluation is weighted 70% on quality and 30% on price, and bids must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission) with the required annexes and evidence of technical professional capacity.

Tender summary

What is funded

A service contract to operate, significantly evolve and safeguard global ocean data flows, datasets, metadata and resources using EMODnet methodological frameworks to ensure continued free and open access to global marine data.

Contracting authority:European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Full tender package and specifications available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender details ¹.

1. 1Type: Open tender for a services contract (EMODnet Global Data Service, LOT-0001).
2. 2Estimated total contract value: €12,000,000; planned duration: 42 months.

Who can apply:legal entities able to meet the procurement selection and technical capacity requirements specified in the tender documents (consortia and subcontracting allowed; SME suitability flagged as false). Submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal (esubmission).

Award criteria:quality (weight 70) and price (weight 30). Security and confidentiality requirements apply; consult Annexes and draft contract in the tender dossier.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender documents including Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Draft Contract and Financial Offer form are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page linked above.

Opportunity summary

This is a public tender (Call Identifier CINEA/2026/OP/0024) issued by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) to procure a service named EMODnet Global Data Service. The contract aims to utilise and significantly evolve EMODnet methodological frameworks, activities and processes to safeguard and ensure the resilience of global ocean data flows, data, metadata and resources, and to ensure continued free and open access to global marine data resources. The procurement is for services (CPV main code 73112000 and additional CPVs 73200000, 73300000, 73100000). The estimated overall contract value is €12,000,000 and the planned execution period is 42 months. The official procurement documents and annexes (tender specifications, draft contract, administrative and technical annexes and financial offer forms) have been published on the Funding & Tenders Portal. More details and documents are provided in the citation and tender documents list Tender details on Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Key dates:Publication date: 3 July 2026. Tender submission deadline (closing date): 2 October 2026, 17:00:59 (Europe/Brussels). Open tender event (planned): 5 October 2026 at 12:00 (CEST). Additional information request period end: 24 September 2026. Consider-changed-until date for published documents: 17 July 2026.

Structured categorisation and eligibility

Eligible Applicant Types

This is a public procurement which accepts tenders from legal entities able to meet the selection and qualification criteria set out in the procurement documents. Typical eligible applicant types include: large enterprises, SMEs (although the tender is marked not SME-suitable), research institutes, universities, public bodies, non-governmental organisations, consortia/associations of legal entities, and other organisations able to deliver complex data services. Natural persons/individuals are not the normal contracting counterpart for this type of multi-year EU agency service contract. The tender documentation includes selection and qualification forms and specific professional capacity annexes to demonstrate technical capacity.

Funding Type

Primary financial mechanism:public procurement / service contract. This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument; successful bidder(s) will receive contract payments under the terms of a direct service contract with CINEA.

Consortium Requirement

The procurement allows and anticipates tenders from groups of operators or consortia (group members, subcontractors and third parties are explicitly covered via annexes such as List of subcontractors and Commitment letters). The contract documents include Annex IV on group members and templates for subcontractor commitments. A single lead economic operator may also bid, but where tasks require specialist capacity bidders should include identified subcontractors or third parties as specified. The tender administrative annexes provide templates for listing subcontractors and commitment letters.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

The contracting authority is an EU executive agency (CINEA). The procurement is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and therefore is open to economic operators established in the EU and other countries eligible under EU procurement rules for this call. The tender text does not limit participation to a single Member State. Applicants should consult the procurement documents for any specific nationality or establishment requirements, but the contracting authority is the European Commission agency and the contract is EU-funded.

Target Sector

Thematic/industry sectors targeted by the procurement:marine and maritime data infrastructure, environmental data management, ocean observation, geospatial data services, data interoperability and metadata, data curation and distribution, ICT and software services for data platforms, cybersecurity/security baseline for data services. The CPV codes reflect ICT and information services related to data management and consultancy for data systems.

Mentioned Countries

No specific countries are singled out in the summary text. The contracting authority is an EU agency (CINEA) and the region of operation is the European Union. Therefore the relevant geographic mention is EU (European Union).

Project Stage

Expected maturity:operational delivery and scale/maintenance. The service requires significant evolution and safeguarding of existing operational EMODnet frameworks and activities, indicating the contract will support mature, operational systems (validation, demonstration, integration and long-term operational maintenance and evolution).

Funding Amount

Estimated overall contract amount:€12,000,000 (total estimated value for the procurement). The planned duration is 42 months. The procurement documents include a financial tender form (Annex 6 - Financial tender - TASKS in native XLSX format) for bidders to complete.

Application Type and Submission Method

Application method:open public tender via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submission method: electronic submission (ESUBMISSION) through the portal; tenderers must upload administrative, technical and financial offers and use the provided annex templates. The portal link and tender documentation must be used; the call is not rolling and has fixed deadlines.

Nature of Support

Beneficiaries will receive monetary remuneration under a service contract (contract payments) in exchange for delivering the specified services. The contract also includes non-financial contractual obligations such as security requirements, deliverables, open access and data licensing obligations.

Application Stages

The procurement process follows standard EU tender stages:1) publication and submission of tenders, 2) administrative and selection checks (qualification), 3) evaluation of technical and financial offers against awarding criteria (quality 70 / price 30), 4) contract award and standstill (if applicable), and 5) signature and contract execution. Therefore applicants will typically pass through 3 to 4 formal stages from submission to contract signature.

Success Rates

No explicit success rate is provided in the tender documents. As a single-award public procurement, the success rate depends on the number of compliant bids submitted. Public procurement competitions often result in one winner from a limited number of qualified tenders; historic success rates vary by market and complexity but cannot be inferred from the available information.

Co-funding Requirement

No co-funding or own funding requirement is indicated in the procurement summary. This is a fee-for-service contract where the contractor is remunerated under the contract; tenderers should check the tender specifications and draft contract for invoicing, payment schedule, cost eligibility rules and any financial guarantees or pre-financing arrangements.

Technical, contractual and submission details

The tender includes a full set of documents:Invitation to Tender (request for offer), Tender Specifications (technical and administrative parts), Draft direct service contract, Annexes covering administrative requirements (declaration on honour, power of attorney), technical-professional capacity template (Annex 2.1), list of documents (Annex 1), subcontractor lists and commitment letters (Annex 4, Annex 5.1, Annex 5.2), financial tender form (Annex 6 - TASKS), draft contract annexes (Annex III, Annex IV), and security appendices (Appendix 2 - Security requirements and Appendix 3 - Security baseline). Bidders must consult the Tender Specifications for detailed task descriptions, deliverables, timelines, reporting, KPIs and data licensing/usage provisions.

Awarding criteria and weighting:Evaluation split: quality 70% and price 30% (sub-criteria and detailed scoring are provided in the procurement documents; tenderers must follow the instructions in the Tender Specifications and fill in the technical and financial evaluation templates).

The Tender Specifications will include the scope of work, technical tasks (including evolving EMODnet methodologies, safeguarding data flows, metadata management, interoperability, open access distribution), security and baseline requirements, project governance, reporting obligations and contractual terms. The Draft Contract provides the legal basis and conditions for contract execution, including intellectual property and pre-existing rights declarations (Annex III).

1. 1Procurement ID: CINEA/2026/OP/0024
2. 2Estimated overall contract amount: €12,000,000
3. 3Planned duration: 42 months
4. 4Submission deadline: 2 October 2026, 17:00:59 (Brussels time)
5. 5Submission method: electronic (EU Funding & Tenders Portal)
6. 6Award criteria: Quality 70% / Price 30%
7. 7Main CPV: 73112000 (information systems services) and related CPVs

Templates and application guidance

The tender provides native template files and annexes that bidders must complete and submit. Key templates include: Annex 2.1 Technical Professional capacity (DOCX) to list qualifications, experience and references; Annex 4 List of subcontractors (DOCX) and Annex 5.1/5.2 commitment letters for identified subcontractors and third parties; Annex 2 Declaration on honour (DOCX); Annex 6 Financial tender - TASKS (XLSX) where the bidder's price by task and budget breakdown is entered. The Invitation to Tender contains submission instructions, required supporting documents, and the ordering of administrative, technical and financial envelopes within the portal. Bidders must follow the ESUBMISSION rules on the Funding & Tenders Portal and ensure all annexes are correctly signed and uploaded before the deadline. The draft contract and its annexes set out reporting cadence, invoicing, IP clauses, data access and security requirements which bidders must accept or flag exceptions as part of their offer.

What the contracting authority expects in technical terms

The contractor must demonstrate capability to:operate and evolve EMODnet methodological frameworks; ingest, curate and serve global marine data and metadata; secure and ensure resilience of data flows and services; guarantee free and open access to marine data resources; implement interoperability standards and data quality control; manage large-scale distributed data infrastructure and ensure compliance with the security baseline. The technical offer should detail governance, consortium structure (where applicable), resource allocation by task, data management plan, system architecture, cybersecurity measures referencing Appendix 2 and Appendix 3, quality assurance procedures, user support, outreach and sustainability measures, and measurable KPIs tied to deliverables.

Tenderers should consult the Tender Specifications for the full task list, deliverables, timelines and performance indicators. Annexes provide the required evidence formats to demonstrate past performance and capacity.

How to apply and where to find the documents

All tender documentation is available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender page for reference 07cb9812-5373. Submission must be electronic via the portal (ESUBMISSION). The lead contracting authority is CINEA. Bidders should download and complete all annex templates, prepare technical and financial offers according to the instructions in the Invitation to Tender and Tender Specifications, and upload their submissions before the deadline.

Reference links and procurement documents:Primary procurement page and documents: Invitation to tender, Tender Specifications (including administrative and technical parts), Draft Contract, Annexes (Annex 1 to Annex 6), Appendices on security – accessible via the Funding & Tenders Portal tender page for this opportunity Tender details on Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Note on procurement specifics:the tendering process indicates a nine-month tender validity period and a single lot (LOT-0001). The award mechanism is a direct service contract under EU procurement rules administered by CINEA. The award split 70/30 quality/price indicates a strong emphasis on technical quality and experience; price remains significant but secondary to quality.

Summary: What is this opportunity about and how to interpret it

This opportunity is a public procurement to contract an experienced operator (single entity or consortium) to run and evolve a Global Data Service aligned with the European Marine Observation and Data Network. The selected contractor will be responsible for ensuring resilience of global ocean data and metadata flows, providing sustained free and open access to marine data, implementing interoperability and quality standards, and operating technical infrastructure in line with security requirements. The contract is EU-funded, issued by CINEA, has an estimated value of €12 million over 42 months, and requires electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal by 2 October 2026. Bidders must complete provided administrative, technical and financial templates and demonstrate substantial operational experience in large-scale marine or environmental data services. The evaluation will prioritise quality (70%) over price (30%), and bidders should prepare a comprehensive technical proposal, consortium structure (if applicable), data management and security approach, and detailed financial bid using the Annex 6 template. Interested parties should download and carefully follow the Tender Specifications, Draft Contract and Annexes on the Funding & Tenders Portal to ensure compliance with all submission, eligibility and technical requirements.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender documents and the official opportunity page are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at ec.europa.eu. Key published document filenames include Tender Specifications-EMODnet Global Data Service_V1.pdf, Invitation_to_tender_CINEA 2026 OP 0024_EMODnet Global Data Service_V1.pdf, Draft Contract-direct-service-2024 FR Recast- December 2024 CINEA 2026 OP0024_V1.pdf, Annex 6-Financial tender-TASKS - CINEA 2026 OP 0024_V1.xlsx and related annexes listed in the call publication.

Tender Key Details

This tender, identified as CINEA/2026/OP/0024, seeks a service provider to safeguard and evolve the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) to ensure resilient global ocean data flows and free open access ¹. The estimated overall contract amount is €12,000,000, covering a planned period of 42 months (9 months tender validity + 42 months service duration) ².

Contract Value:€12,000,000 (estimated overall contract amount) ³.

Deadline Date:October 2, 2026 at 17:00:59 (Europe/Brussels time) ⁴.

Who Should Apply

Eligible applicants are organisations with strong technical and professional capacity in marine data management, FAIR data principles, and interoperable service infrastructure, including research institutions, data service providers, and specialized consulting firms ⁵. The tender is not suitable for SMEs as indicated by the SME suitability flag, suggesting a requirement for large-scale operational capacity ⁶.

1. 1Technical capacity in marine data aggregation and processing
2. 2Experience with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data standards
3. 3Ability to maintain and evolve EMODnet thematic portals (bathymetry, biology, chemistry, geology, human activities, physics, seabed habitats)
4. 4Capacity to ensure global data resilience and open access compliance

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

Selection is based on two main awarding criteria:Quality (weighted at 70%) and Price (weighted at 30%), meaning technical excellence and service evolution capabilities are prioritized over cost ⁷. Tenderers must submit a Declaration on Honour, a list of subcontractors (if applicable), and proof of technical professional capacity as per Annex 2.1 of the tender specifications ⁸.

Scope of Service

The service provider must utilize and significantly evolve EMODnet's methodological frameworks to safeguard global ocean data flows, metadata, and resources while ensuring continued free and open access ⁹. This includes maintaining the seven thematic areas (bathymetry, biology, chemistry, geology, human activities, physics, seabed habitats) and expanding EMODnet as the European focal point for in situ data and services for the Ocean and land-sea interface ¹⁰.

Key Themes Covered:Bathymetry, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Human Activities, Physics, Seabed Habitats ¹¹.

Contracting Authority & Submission

The contracting authority is CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency), formerly INEA ¹². Submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal using the ESUBMISSION method, with no physical copies accepted ¹³. All procurement documents, including Tender Specifications and Draft Contract, are available in the portal under document publication ID 090166e52fd91a7c ¹⁴.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender Description: CINEA/2026/OP/0024 - EMODnet Global Data Service, EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
2. 2Planned Period: 42 months duration, Tender Validity: 9 months, EU Funding & Tenders Portal Lot Details.
3. 3Estimated Overall Contract Amount: €12,000,000, EU Funding & Tenders Portal Procurement Project.
4. 4Submission Deadline: 2026-10-02T17:00:59+02:00, EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tendering Process.
5. 5EMODnet Scope: FAIR data layers, in situ marine data, and interoperable services, Blue-Cloud 2026 Documentation.
6. 6SME Suitability: False (not suitable for SMEs), EU Funding & Tenders Portal Procurement Project.
7. 7Awarding Criteria: Quality 70%, Price 30%, EU Funding & Tenders Portal Awarding Terms.
8. 8Required Annexes: Declaration on Honour, Subcontractors List, Technical Professional Capacity (Annex 2.1), Tender Specifications.
9. 9Service Objective: Safeguard global ocean data flows and ensure free open access, Tender Description.
10. 10EMODnet Evolution: Expanding as focal point for in situ data, IENWG14 2024 Call to Action.
11. 11Seven Thematic Areas: Bathymetry, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Human Activities, Physics, Seabed Habitats, EMODnet Portal Overview.
12. 12Contracting Authority: CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency), EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
13. 13Submission Method: ESUBMISSION (electronic only), EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tendering Process.
14. 14Procurement Documents: Tender Specifications (PDF), Draft Contract (PDF), available via document publication ID 090166e52fd91a7c, EU Funding & Tenders Portal.