Framework service contract for operating the "Hydrological Forecast Centre - Analytics and Dissemination" in support to the Copernicus Emergency Manag...

The European Commission Joint Research Centre (DG JRC) has published a tender (EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/1752) for a framework service contract to operate the Copernicus Emergency Management Service Hydrological Forecast Centre - Analytics and Dissemination (DISS). The contract is estimated at €4,550,000 with an initial duration of 24 months, renewable twice for a maximum total of 72 months. Core tasks include daily analysis of EFAS and GloFAS flood forecasts, user notifications, and user management, and bidders must submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 30 July 2026. Awarding criteria are quality (60%) and price (40%).

What it funds

Scope summary

Operation of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service DISS:daily analysis of EFAS and GloFAS flood forecasts, user information, user management and support for the flood early warning and monitoring component.

Who runs the procurement:European Commission, Joint Research Centre (DG JRC) on behalf of CEMS (inter-service with DG DEFIS and DG ECHO); electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal Tender Details. ¹

Procedure type:open tender for a framework service contract (services). Submission required via eSubmission; selection based on quality (60) and price (40).

Who can apply:Organisations capable of operating operational hydrological forecasting and dissemination services (single legal entities or consortia meeting the tender selection criteria in the procurement documents).

1. 1Estimated total contract value: €4,550,000 (estimated overall contract amount).
2. 2Contract duration: initial 24 months, renewable up to 2 times (total up to 72 months).
3. 3Key dates: submission deadline 30 July 2026 16:00:59 (CEST); open tender event 31 July 2026 10:00 (CEST).
4. 4Application method: eSubmission via the Funding & Tenders Portal; consult tender specifications, draft contract and financial offer form in the procurement documents.

Lead contracting authority:European Commission, DG JRC. Consult the procurement documents (invitation, tender specifications, draft contract, annexes and financial offer form) for full eligibility, selection and submission instructions. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender page and documents: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity summary

What the contract is for

The European Commission Joint Research Centre (DG JRC) invites tenders for a framework service contract to operate the Copernicus Emergency Management Service CEMS Hydrological Forecast Centre Analytics and Dissemination DISS. The DISS role is to analyse daily flood forecasts provided by EFAS and GloFAS, inform relevant users, and provide overall user management and support for the flood early warning and monitoring component of CEMS. The CEMS implementation is coordinated between DG JRC, DG DEFIS and DG ECHO, with JRC preparing and implementing work programmes, managing budgets and supervising service tasks.

Call identifier and contracting authority:Call identifier EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/1752. Lead contracting authority European Commission, DG JRC Joint Research Centre.

Opportunity type and procedure:This is a public procurement tender to establish a framework service contract for services. The procedure uses electronic submission via the Funding and Tenders Portal and is managed as an open tender with a planned open tender event. The contract is offered as a framework agreement with a duration and renewal options described in the procurement documents.

Estimated contract value and duration:Estimated overall contract amount €4,550,000. Planned contract period 72 months total. The framework contract initial duration is 24 months, renewable two times as indicated in the draft contract, giving a total possible duration of up to 72 months.

Key dates and deadlines:Call publication date 22 June 2026. Submission deadline 30 July 2026 at 16:00:59 Europe Rome timezone. Additional information request period closes 22 July 2026. An open tender event is scheduled for 31 July 2026 at 10:00:00. There is an earlier consider-changed-until marker of 6 July 2026 for published procurement documents.

Scope of work and service requirements:Operate the Hydrological Forecast Centre Analytics and Dissemination DISS service to support CEMS flood early warning and monitoring. Core tasks include daily analysis of EFAS and GloFAS flood forecasts, producing analytics and derived products, dissemination to relevant user communities, user management and support, implementation of security requirements, meeting acceptance criteria and following procedures in the draft contract and technical specifications. Tender documents include detailed technical specifications and administrative requirements which must be followed exactly.

Main CPV and procurement classification:Main CPV code 71351612. Additional CPV codes present include 71351600, 71351900, 72316000 and 80510000. The procurement type is services and contract nature is a framework agreement.

Eligibility and applicant requirements

Eligible applicant types

Eligible applicants typically include private sector service providers and consortia able to deliver operational hydrological forecasting services. This will include large enterprises, SMEs, research institutes, universities, nonprofit organisations or public bodies if they meet the procurement selection and exclusion criteria. The procurement documents specify selection criteria and tenderer qualification requests and must be consulted for exact eligibility. Participation is subject to the requirements and exclusions defined in the tender specifications and draft contract.

Consortium requirement:The tender allows submissions by a single tenderer or by a consortium of economic operators as set out in the procurement documents. The tenderer qualification section contains specific tenderer requirements and instructions for consortium submissions. Applicants should consult the administrative tender specifications for rules on subcontracting, lead partner roles and proof of establishment.

Geographic eligibility and beneficiary scope:This is an EU procurement managed by the European Commission JRC. Eligible bidders must comply with the procurement rules applicable to EU public tenders. While the call is published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal and addresses suppliers able to contract with the European Commission, specific nationality or establishment requirements and exclusions are detailed in the procurement documents. The service supports EU-level CEMS operations and expects service provision compatible with EU operational needs.

Target sectors and technical domains:The contract targets hydrology, flood forecasting and emergency management sectors, including geospatial analytics, earth observation data processing, operational forecasting services, downstream dissemination platforms and user support. Related technology areas include hydrological modelling, near real time data processing, product visualisation and dissemination systems, data security and user management services.

Required competencies and technical capacities:Bidders must demonstrate operational experience in hydrological forecasting systems, experience processing EFAS and GloFAS outputs or equivalent global/regional flood forecasting models, capacity for daily operational analysis and dissemination, IT infrastructure for near real time processing, continuity of service and disaster preparedness, and compliance with the security requirements annex. Specific minimum professional and technical evidence and proof of track record are provided in the technical and administrative tender specifications.

Financial and contractual details

Funding type and payment modality:This is a public procurement service contract. The contract will remunerate the contractor for services delivered under the framework terms. The tender includes a financial offer form that must be completed and submitted with the technical proposal. Payments and invoicing conditions are defined in the draft contract and annexes, including VAT shares and acceptance forms.

Estimated funding amount:Estimated overall contract amount €4,550,000 for the full framework period if all options are used. The draft contract defines allocation and annual budgets per task or call-offs under the framework agreement.

Co-funding and eligibility of costs:As a procurement contract funded by the European Commission, there is no co-funding requirement from applicants beyond the bid preparation costs. All pricing must be provided in the financial offer form. The draft contract and annexes specify cost acceptance, VAT treatment and reimbursements.

Success rate and competition:Exact success rates are not provided. This is a competitive open tender; one or more contractors may be awarded framework agreements and subsequent call-offs will be managed under the framework. Awarding criteria are quality 60 and price 40 as indicated in the procurement summary; precise evaluation methodology is detailed in the tender specifications.

Application and evaluation

Application method and submission:Submission is electronic only via the Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission facility. The eforms extension and the Financial Offer form must be used. Required documents include the Invitation to Tender, Declaration on honour, Tender specifications Part 1 Administrative, Tender specifications Part 2 Technical, Draft contract and annexes, Financial Offer form and other supporting documents published with the call. See the procurement documents section for download links and filenames.

Number of application stages:The procurement follows a single-stage tendering process for submission of selection, technical and financial offers in one package. After evaluation, an award decision will be made and the draft contract executed. There are post-award procedures for signature and implementation. The process includes an initial open tender event and may include clarifications during evaluation.

Evaluation criteria and weighting:Awarding criteria are split between quality and price with weights 60 for quality and 40 for price. Detailed sub-criteria, thresholds and scoring rules are in the tender specifications and will govern technical evaluation, risk assessment, capacity and past performance evaluation, and compliance with security and acceptance requirements.

Templates and application structure:Procurement documents provided with the call include mandatory templates and forms that bidders must complete. Key templates include Invitation to Tender, Declaration on honour, Tender Specifications Part 1 Administrative, Tender Specifications Part 2 Technical Specifications, Draft Service Framework Contract Part III, Annexes including Security requirements Appendix 1, Acceptance form Annex IV, VAT shares Annex V and IPR statements Annex VI, and the Financial Offer form in XLSX format. Bidders must follow the structure and complete all requested fields in these documents.

1. 101 Invitation_to_tender EC-JRCIPR2026OP1752_V1.pdf
2. 202 TENDER_SPECIFICATIONS Part 1 Admin EC-JRCIPR2026OP1752_V1.pdf
3. 303 TENDER SPECIFICATION Part 2 Technical specifications_V1.pdf
4. 404 Draft_Service_FWC_EC-JRCIPR2026OP1752_V1.pdf
5. 504.1 Draft Contract - Part III_V1.pdf
6. 604.2 Appendix 1 Security requirements en 2025_V1.pdf
7. 705 Annex IV Acceptance form_V1.pdf
8. 806 Financial Offer form_DISS_V1.xlsx
9. 907 Annex V VAT shares_V1.pdf
10. 1008 Annex VI statements-ipr-en_V1.pdf
11. 1102.1 Declaration on honour_EC-JRCIPR2026OP1752_V1.docx

Risk, compliance and contract management

Security and acceptance:The draft contract includes explicit security requirements and an acceptance procedure. Bidders must comply with the security requirements annex and meet acceptance criteria in the Annex IV Acceptance form. Evidence of compliance, operational continuity plans and capacity to provide secure services are required in the technical offer.

Post-award and contracting model:The framework agreement is expected to be concluded for 24 months initially and renewable twice. Under the framework, specific tasks may be issued as call-offs or work orders. The procurement system indicates use of electronic ordering and payment. Contract execution and reporting obligations are defined in the draft contract and annexes.

Operational and technical expectations

Daily operational tasks:Daily analysis of flood forecasts from EFAS and GloFAS, preparation of analytics and derived products, dissemination to user communities, run-time monitoring, issue management, user support and user management. The technical specifications detail required service levels, data interfaces, formats, timeliness, quality controls and metadata standards.

Data sources and integrations:Services must ingest and use EFAS and GloFAS outputs and possibly other CEMS data streams and Copernicus assets. Integrations with CEMS infrastructure and compliance with data handling and IPR clauses in Annex VI are required.

Administrative metadata and references

Portal link and reference:Official tender page and procurement documents are published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal and must be used for submission and downloads CEMS DISS Tender on Funding and Tenders Portal. ¹

Mentioned countries and regions:No specific countries are listed for service delivery. The call is EU level and published by the European Commission JRC and thus targets suppliers able to contract with the European Commission and provide services supporting EU CEMS operations.

Procurement codes and classification:Main CPV 71351612 with additional CPV codes 71351600, 71351900, 72316000 and 80510000. Procedure type and contract type codes are recorded in the portal metadata and correspond to services and framework-agreement contracting systems.

• Estimated overall contract amount €4,550,000
• Main CPV 71351612 and related CPVs
• Award weighting Quality 60 Price 40
• Framework initial duration 24 months, renewable twice

How to prepare a compliant tender

Download and read all procurement documents including Invitation to Tender, Administrative and Technical specifications, the Draft Service Framework Contract and all annexes. Complete and sign the Declaration on Honour, prepare the technical offer addressing all technical specifications and security requirements, fill the Financial Offer form and ensure electronic submission via the Funding and Tenders Portal before the submission deadline. Provide documented evidence of operational experience, staffing, infrastructure, continuity plans and compliance with acceptance and security requirements. Follow the exact templates and structure provided in the call documents.

Summary explanation:This procurement seeks a contractor to operate the CEMS Hydrological Forecast Centre Analytics and Dissemination DISS service to support EU flood early warning operations. It is a framework service contract managed by DG JRC with an estimated value of €4,550,000 and a possible total duration of up to 72 months via renewals. The tender is an electronic open submission using the Funding and Tenders Portal. Bidders must follow the provided administrative and technical tender specifications, comply with security and acceptance requirements, complete mandatory templates including the financial offer form and Declaration on Honour, and demonstrate operational experience with hydrological forecasting systems, EFAS and GloFAS outputs, and user dissemination and support. Award will be based on a quality and price split of 60 to 40 and successful bidders will enter a framework agreement from which call-offs will be issued.

Footnotes

1. 1Official procurement documents and submission are available on the Funding and Tenders Portal call page. Use the published files and templates for bid preparation.

Opportunity Summary and Strategic Value

This tender seeks a framework service contract to operate the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) 'Hydrological Forecast Centre - Analytics and Dissemination' (DISS), a critical component supporting flood early warning and monitoring for Europe and the globe ¹. The DISS service performs daily analysis of flood forecasts from the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) and Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS), informing relevant users and managing user support ².

The contract is valued at an estimated €4,550,000 and is managed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (DG JRC) in coordination with DG DEFIS and DG ECHO ³. This opportunity is essential for organizations with expertise in hydrological modeling, data analytics, and emergency management communication systems ⁴.

Key Contract Details

Who Should Apply and Eligibility Requirements

Ideal Applicant Profile:Organizations with proven experience in operating hydrological forecast centers, managing EFAS/GloFAS data streams, and providing user support for emergency management services ⁵.

1. 1Expertise in hydrological modeling and flood forecasting (EFAS/GloFAS)
2. 2Capability to perform daily data analytics and dissemination
3. 3Experience in user management and technical support for emergency services
4. 4Compliance with strict security requirements (Appendix 1 Security requirements en 2025)
5. 5Ability to operate under a framework contract with potential specific assignments

The tender is not suitable for SMEs (SME suitable indicator:false), indicating a preference for larger, established entities with robust operational capacity ⁶. Applicants must submit an electronic tender via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and adhere to the submission method code ESUBMISSION ⁷.

Technical Scope and Deliverables

The primary role of DISS is to analyze EFAS and GloFAS flood forecasts daily, inform relevant users (e.g., civil protection agencies), and provide overall user management and support ⁸. The service operates as a full operational service under Article 51(1.b) of Regulation (EU) 2021/696 (Union Space Program) ⁹.

Key deliverables include daily analysis reports, user notifications, and maintenance of the user management system. The contract includes specific security requirements and acceptance forms as detailed in the draft contract annexes ¹⁰.

Application Process and Documentation

Interested parties must access the official tender documents via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/1752 Tender Details. Essential documents include the Tender Specifications (Part 1 Admin and Part 2 Technical), Draft Service FWC, Financial Offer Form, and Security Requirements ¹¹.

Tenders must be submitted electronically before the deadline of 30 July 2026. The evaluation will prioritize quality (60%) over price (40%), emphasizing the need for a technically robust proposal ¹².

Footnotes

1. 1Official Call for Tender published on 22 June 2026, available at EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/1752 Tender Details.
2. 2DISS role defined in the tender description: daily analysis of EFAS and GloFAS forecasts, user notification, and support ¹.
3. 3Estimated overall contract amount is €4,550,000, managed by DG JRC ¹.
4. 4Ideal applicants require expertise in hydrological modeling and emergency management communication ¹.
5. 5Proven experience in operating hydrological forecast centers and managing EFAS/GloFAS data is required ¹.
6. 6SME suitable indicator is false, indicating preference for larger entities ¹.
7. 7Submission method is ESUBMISSION via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.
8. 8DISS provides daily analysis of EFAS and GloFAS hydrological predictions ²⁵.
9. 9Service operates under Article 51(1.b) of Regulation (EU) 2021/696 ¹.
10. 10Draft contract annexes include Security requirements (Appendix 1) and Acceptance form (Annex IV) ¹.
11. 11Key documents: Tender Specifications, Draft Service FWC, Financial Offer Form, Security Requirements ¹.
12. 12Award criteria: Quality (60%) and Price (40%) ¹.