FWC Legal and management support on the implementation of components of the European Space Programme

This is an open EU procurement (tender EC-DEFIS/2026/OP/0001) to award multiple framework contracts for ad hoc legal, programme and management support for components of the European Space Programme, with the European Commission DG DEFIS as lead contracting authority and EUSPA as a contracting party. The call is divided into three lots covering IRIS² management and legal support, Space Surveillance and Tracking/space traffic management support, and space economy analysis, with a planned contract duration of 48 months. The procedure reports an indicative total value of approximately €55 million (lot-level estimates: €20M, €20M, €15M) and will operate via call-offs under the framework agreements. Electronic submission is via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the published submission deadline is 29 September 2026 (Brussels time) per the tender notice.

What it funds

Scope summary

Framework contracts to provide ad hoc legal, programme and management support to EU Space Programme components, notably IRIS² (secure satellite connectivity), Space Surveillance and Tracking/Space Traffic Management, and space economy analysis and policy support.

Who can apply:Commercial companies and consortia able to supply professional services (legal, programme management, policy and technical advisory). Contracts are not SME-specific; applicants must meet the procurement selection and quality requirements set out in the tender documents ¹.

1. 1Procurement type: framework agreement for services (multiple lots).
2. 2Contract duration: planned 48 months (4 years) with activities covering development and deployment phases.
3. 3Submission: electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal; deadline 29 September 2026 (16:00 Brussels time).

Awarding will be based on quality (70) and price (30) criteria; tender documents, draft contract and annexes are published on the opportunity page ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender details and all procurement documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity EC-DEFIS/2026/OP/0001: ec.europa.eu

Basic facts and purpose

Tender reference EC-DEFIS/2026/OP/0001 published by European Commission DG DEFIS. Objective: set up framework contracts (multiple lots) to select companies able to provide ad hoc legal, programme and management support for the implementation of components of the EU Space Programme, specifically IRIS², Space Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST / Space Traffic Management related activities) and Space Economy analysis, for an initial period of 48 months with framework arrangements for tasking over the duration. Estimated total procedure value: €55,000,000. Submission method: electronic (eSubmission via the Funding & Tenders Portal). Deadlines: initial listed 2026-01-01 14:00:59Z (earlier system entry) and official closing date 29 September 2026, 16:00:59 (Brussels time). See contract notice and procurement documents for full details Contract notice and documents ¹.

Expected outcome

Selection of a set of companies through framework agreements, able to provide ad hoc legal, programme and management support on IRIS², Space Traffic Management / EU SST-related activities and Space Economy policy/analysis for the next 4 years (planned contract duration 48 months). Framework contracts will be used to issue specific tasks and service orders during the period.

Eligible Applicant Types:Applicants are service providers capable of delivering legal, managerial, programme and policy analysis support. Eligible types (based on standard public procurement practice and the tender documentation): large enterprises, SMEs (note: procurement states SME suitable indicator false for lots but SMEs may still tender as legal entities), consultancies, law firms, specialised space industry consultancies, research institutes and universities (as contractors or subcontractors), non-profit organisations, and public bodies where national law permits participation. Joint bids / consortia are permitted according to lot-specific selection criteria in the procurement documents; bidders must satisfy selection and exclusion criteria set out in the tender documents.

Funding Type:This is a public procurement tender to award framework service contracts (procurement), not a grant. The financial mechanism is procurement via Framework Agreement (FA) and subsequent call-offs / service orders.

Consortium Requirement:The procedure allows either single economic operators or consortia (joint bids). The tendering documents specify selection criteria and allow tenderers to propose consortium members and subcontractors. For specific lot requirements, consult the tender specifications and 'tenderer qualification request' sections.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):This contract is published by the European Commission and funded from EU budget lines; eligible bidders are those able to conclude contracts with the EU and meet exclusion and eligibility rules in EU procurement (typically entities established or able to contract under EU law and complying with required declarations on honour and administrative information). The tender does not limit participation to a single Member State; participation is therefore EU-wide (and generally open to economic operators from EU Member States and possibly EEA or associated countries if allowed by the procurement rules in the call documents).

Target Sector:Space sector and adjacent domains: secure satellite connectivity (IRIS²), space surveillance and tracking / space traffic management (EU SST), and space economy policy and market analysis. Cross-cutting legal, policy, procurement and programme management support also needed (legal, regulatory, security, procurement, programme management, financial, technical advisory).

Mentioned Countries:No specific Member States are singled out in the main summary; the contracting authority is the European Commission (DG DEFIS). The opportunity is EU-level; referenced EU regulations and Commission communications are mentioned but no explicit list of countries. Geographic region: European Union (EU).

Project Stage:The required support spans programme phases from supply-chain consolidation and development to deployment (Phases 1 to 3) and preparatory activities for operations. Expected project maturity ranges from development, validation and demonstration (design, industrialisation and launch readiness) to operational programme oversight and policy analysis. Bidders should be prepared to engage at both policy/strategy level and technical/implementation oversight level.

Funding Amount:Estimated total procedure value: €55,000,000 across all lots and the whole duration of the framework. Lot-level estimated overall contract amounts: Lot 1 (IRIS² management and legal support) €20,000,000; Lot 2 (SSA / EU SST management support) €20,000,000; Lot 3 (Space economy analysis support) €15,000,000. These figures are estimates to guide tendering and do not guarantee minimum volumes per tenderer.

1. 1Lot 1: Management and legal support to IRIS² implementation activities — estimated €20,000,000, duration 48 months.
2. 2Lot 2: Management support to SSA implementation activities (EU SST / Space Traffic Management) — estimated €20,000,000, duration 48 months.
3. 3Lot 3: Support to space economy analysis — estimated €15,000,000, duration 48 months.

Application Type:Open competitive procurement via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Submission is electronic (eSubmission). The tender documents include an Invitation to Tender (ITT) and tender specifications; the open tender event (opening) is scheduled for 30 September 2026 at 10:00 (Brussels time).

Nature of Support:Contractual financial consideration for services (money paid under service contract call-offs). The framework contracts will remunerate contractors for delivered services under service orders. Non-monetary services (e.g., access to Commission contacts or restricted datasets) may be part of implementation but the primary support is paid services.

Application Stages:Single-stage tender submission (electronic submission of the tender dossier). After contract award, the framework agreement procedure continues with iterative tasking/call-offs. The procurement documentation indicates the standard evaluation and award steps (administrative compliance, exclusion/selection check, qualitative and price evaluation).

Success Rates:Not specified in the call. As a public procurement for framework agreements with multiple winners expected, success rate depends on the number of framework slots per lot; procurement documents or contracting authority clarifications will specify the number of suppliers to be selected per lot. Historically competition for EC DG DEFIS space tenders is high; bidders should assume strong competition.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding from applicants is required. This is a fee-for-service public procurement: contractors will be paid for services delivered under the contract at prices and rates defined in their tender and in accordance with contract rules and EU financial regulations.

Templates and application structure:The procurement documents published with the call include: Invitation to Tender (ITT), Tender Specifications per lot, Draft Service Contract (All Lots Draft Service FWC), Annexes including Declaration on Honour (tender), Contract Appendices covering security requirements, IPR statements, VAT share and other standard EU procurement annexes. Tenderers must complete administrative compliance forms, selection and exclusion documentation (including the Declaration on Honour), technical offer (methodology, staffing, relevant experience, workplan, quality assurance and security arrangements), and financial offer (pricing schedules). The awarding criteria are quality (70 weight) and price (30 weight); bidders must follow the tender specifications for the exact scoring and evaluation sub-criteria. Tenderers should consult the individual lot tender specifications (EN_TENDER_SPECIFICATIONS_EC-DEFIS2026OP0001_FWC Legalmanagement support EU Space Lot 1_V1.pdf, Lot 2_V1.pdf, Lot 3_V1.pdf) and the All Lots annexes referenced in the call documentation.

Procurement codes and CPV:main CPV indicated 79000000 (Services related to sport, recreation and culture and other unspecified services) with additional CPV codes relevant to consultancy, legal and audit services (e.g., 73200000, 71600000, 72224000, 72246000, 79415000, 32533000, 35631100). Tender validity period is six months for submitted offers; contracting system type: framework agreement for work and related services. The open tender event and key dates (deadline for questions: 22 September 2026; tender submission deadline: 29 September 2026, 16:00:59; opening event 30 September 2026) are published in the tendering process section.

• Key procurement documents to download and complete: Invitation to Tender (ITT), Tender Specifications per lot, Draft Contract and Annexes (security, IPR, VAT share), Declaration on Honour template, pricing schedules.
• Evaluation weights: Quality 70%, Price 30% (detailed sub-criteria in tender specs).
• Submission: electronic via Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission) — follow portal instructions and attach required annexes and forms.

Practical and technical requirements highlighted in the tender specifications:ability to provide legal advice on EU space regulations and concession contracts, programme management and oversight expertise for large satellite programmes (IRIS² scale: multi-hundred satellite constellation and ground segment), security clearance and handling of sensitive information (security requirements annex included), economic and market analysis capability for space economy studies, expertise on space safety and sustainability (EU Space Act and SST-related services). The Commission expects contractors to demonstrate relevant experience, key personnel CVs, methodology and quality assurance, conflict-of-interest mitigation, and compliance with EU legal and financial rules.

How to prepare a compliant bid:carefully read the lot-specific tender specification PDF; complete administrative and exclusion/selection evidence (Declaration on Honour and requested certificates); structure technical offer around the award criteria (detail methodologies, personnel, past performance and references on similar programmes); provide a clear pricing schedule consistent with the draft contract; ensure all required annexes are attached and security arrangements are described. Respect the portal submission deadlines and file formats specified in the procurement documents.

Contact and publication:the contracting authority is European Commission, DG DEFIS - Defence Industry and Space. All formal clarifications, corrigenda, and published documents appear on the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page. Tenderers must monitor the portal for corrigenda and consider-changed-until dates for amended documents.

Summary explanation:This procurement establishes framework service contracts to supply legal, programme management and policy/market analysis support for major EU space initiatives: the IRIS² secure connectivity concession and deployment programme, EU Space Surveillance & Tracking / Space Traffic Management activities, and analytical support to shape the EU Space Economy vision. The Commission expects experienced companies or consortia with legal, technical, programme management and economic analysis capabilities to deliver flexible, ad hoc services over a 48-month period under tasking orders. Bidders must submit electronic tenders via the Funding & Tenders Portal by 29 September 2026 and comply with the detailed tender specifications, draft contract and annexes provided in the call documents. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full opportunity and all procurement documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender details page: ec.europa.eu (see publications 23 July 2026 and subsequent corrigenda).

This is an EU open procurement procedure for a framework contract to provide ad hoc legal, programmatic and managerial support for the implementation of European Space Programme components. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG DEFIS, and EUSPA is also named among the buyers in secondary procurement summaries. [1][5]

Procedure type:Open procedure under Article 167(1)(a) of the Financial Regulation, leading to multiple framework contracts in cascade with a maximum of 2 contractors. [1]

Contract duration:48 months. [1][5]

Scope and lot structure

The official tender specifications state that the call is divided into 3 lots. The extract available here explicitly shows Lot 1 for Management and legal support to Iris² and Lot 2 for Management support to SSA, while the third lot is not visible in the provided extract. The opportunity description supplied with the request describes support for IRIS², Space Traffic Management and Space Economy. [1]

Who can apply

Participation is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons within the scope of the Treaties, as well as to international organisations. The official specifications also require financial evidence from each concerned involved entity, including profit and loss accounts and balance sheets for the last two closed financial years, or bank statements if accounts are unavailable; the most recent year must have been closed within the last 18 months. [1]

• Eligible bidders include natural and legal persons within the scope of the Treaties.
• International organisations may also participate.
• Recent financial statements or equivalent bank statements are required.
• The most recent closed year must fall within the last 18 months.

Value and commercial scale

The official extract gives an indicative Lot 3 order volume of €15 million, while secondary sources report different overall estimates, including €55 million and €60 million, for the wider procedure. Because those figures do not fully align, the safest interpretation is that the total contract value remains indicative until confirmed in the live tender notice and full procurement documents. ¹ [1][2][5]

Timeline and deadline notes

A secondary source reports a deadline for receipt of tenders of 15 September 2026, but the official extract available here does not show the deadline itself, so the submission date should be verified directly in the live portal notice before relying on it. [5][1]

Footnotes

1. 1Secondary market trackers report an overall value of €55 million and a forecast budget of €60 million, but the official snippet available here only explicitly states an indicative €15 million for Lot 3. The final value should be checked against the live tender notice and full procurement documents. [2][5]