Information system on commercial designations for fishery and aquaculture products

The European Commission DG MARE (call EC-MARE/2026/OP/0010) invites tenders for the running and maintenance of the Information System on Commercial Designations for Fishery and Aquaculture Products, a multilingual database and expert system aggregating national commercial designation lists. The contract is a services tender with an estimated overall value of €1,060,000 for the planned period (initial and renewable phases) covering operation, technical maintenance, data curation, expert-system consistency checks, multilingual publication and required security measures. Awarding criteria are quality 70 percent and price 30 percent, and applicants must demonstrate experience in multilingual information systems, public sector data integration, cybersecurity and compliance with EU regulatory requirements. Electronic submissions must be made via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal and the submission deadline is 14 September 2026 at 10:00:59 Brussels time.

Opportunity type

EU tender (DG MARE)

Procurement to run and maintain the Information System on Commercial Designations for Fishery and Aquaculture Products (FAPs). The service includes database operation, expert-system analysis of data consistency and multilingual data extraction; outputs are published by the European Commission for public access.

Who can apply:Legal entities and consortia able to deliver IT services and maintenance for public-sector information systems, meeting the tender selection criteria set by the contracting authority (European Commission, DG MARE). Submit via the Funding & Tenders Portal Tender page.

1. 1Estimated total contract value about €1 060 000
2. 2Planned duration 48 months (initial 12 months, renewable up to 3 times)
3. 3Submission deadline main: 2026-09-14 10:00:59 (Brussels time); additional date listed: 2026-01-01 08:00:59

Key procurement documents (invitation to tender, tender specifications, draft contract, financial form and annexes) were published on 2026-06-15 and must be consulted for detailed eligibility, award criteria (quality 70 / price 30) and security/IP requirements.

Opportunity summary

The European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) invites tenders for the running and maintenance of the Information System on Commercial Designations for Fishery and Aquaculture Products (FAPs). The system is a public database and expert system that contains all information related to commercial designations of fishery and aquaculture products, supports consistency analysis of the dataset and enables extraction of data in all EU languages. Outputs are published on a dedicated European Commission web page to provide transparency to consumers and stakeholders across the supply chain and to support responsible and sustainable fisheries and consumption.

Call identifier and contracting authority:Call ID EC-MARE/2026/OP/0010. Lead Contracting Authority: European Commission, DG MARE - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Tender portal details and procurement documents are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender notice. ¹

Subject of the contract:Running and maintenance of the Information System on Commercial Designations for Fishery and Aquaculture Products (FAPs): operation, technical maintenance, data management, multilingual publication, expert-system functions to verify data consistency, extraction and dissemination in all EU languages, and public availability via a dedicated Commission web page.

Procedure type, contract nature and duration:Procedure type: open tender via electronic submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal. Contract nature: services. Planned initial duration: 12 months, renewable up to 3 times (total planned period indicated as 48 months). Tender validity period: 6 months. The contract may be extended as per the draft contract provisions.

Estimated contract value:Estimated overall contract amount: €1,060,000 (one million sixty thousand euros) for the planned contract period. This is an estimated total procedure value provided in the procurement notice.

Key dates and submission

Important deadlines and events are published in the portal notice. The submission deadline (closing date) is 14 September 2026 at 10:00:59 Brussels time (CEST/CEST offset applied in the tender). An open tender event is scheduled on 15 September 2026 at 10:00 local time for the opening session. The period for requesting additional information ends 4 September 2026. Electronic submission is required via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

1. 1Publication date on portal: 15 June 2026.
2. 2Deadline for clarifications/additional information: 4 September 2026 (end time as published).
3. 3Tender submission deadline: 14 September 2026, 10:00:59 (Brussels time).
4. 4Tender opening event: 15 September 2026, 10:00 local time (open tender event).

Who can apply — Eligible applicant types

This is a public procurement under the European Commission; typical eligible tenderers include legal entities established in Member States of the EU and potentially entities from countries eligible under EU procurement rules for this contract. The notice references selection criteria and requires submission of standard tender qualifications and declarations. Based on procurement practice, eligible applicant types include: SMEs, large enterprises, IT and software service providers, specialised data management companies, research institutes or universities acting as part of a tenderer legal entity or within a consortium, nonprofit organisations with relevant capacities, and public sector bodies if allowed under procurement rules. Specific exclusion or eligibility for non-EU entities must be checked in the tender documents and draft contract annexes.

Consortiums and joint bids:The procurement documents and tender specifications include selection and qualification rules which typically allow single economic operators or consortiums (economic operators forming a temporary grouping, consortia or sub-contracting arrangements). The tendering terms reference specific tenderer qualification requirements and standard documentation such as declarations on honour. Applicants should consult Annex I (tender specifications) and the draft contract for precise rules on consortium formation, joint liability, and the use of subcontractors.

Scope of work and technical requirements

The tender specification (ANNEX I ComDes tender-specifications) and draft contract provide the detailed technical and functional requirements. Core expected services include system operation and maintenance, data management and quality control, expert-system capabilities (consistency checks and rules-based validation), multilingual data extraction and publication in all EU languages, web front-end updates and content publication on the Commission webpage, security measures according to security baseline annexes, interoperability and data exchange with Commission systems, user support, and timely responses to content updates and ad hoc changes. The tender documentation includes security requirements (Appendix 2 and Appendix 3 to the Draft Contract) and intellectual property rights provisions (Annex IV to the Draft Contract IPR).

1. 1Operation and day-to-day technical maintenance of the FAPs commercial designations information system.
2. 2Data ingestion, curation and validation of commercial designations and related metadata.
3. 3Expert-system implementation to analyse data consistency and to automate checks.
4. 4Multilingual data extraction and publication for all EU languages.
5. 5Provision of a publicly accessible web interface and backend APIs (as required in specifications).
6. 6Compliance with security baseline and contractual confidentiality requirements.
7. 7User support and stakeholder engagement as specified in tender documents.
8. 8Reporting, backups, disaster recovery, and system updates per contractual SLAs.

Evaluation, award criteria and scoring

Awarding criteria are quality and price. The procurement lot data show the weighting:quality 70 and price 30. Detailed sub-criteria for quality, including technical approach, staffing, project management, experience, and deliverables, are provided in the tender specifications. Applicants must consult ANNEX I for the full evaluation framework, scoring scales for each quality sub-criterion and required supporting evidence.

Submission documents and templates

The procurement notice includes the following documents and templates which must be used or consulted when preparing the tender: Invitation to tender, ANNEX I ComDes tender-specifications, ANNEX 2 Draft Contract, Appendix 2 to Draft Contract - Security requirements, Appendix 3 to the Draft Contract - Security baseline, Annex IV to the Draft Contract IPR, Annex III to the Draft Contract VAT, Annex 6 to TS Financial tender form (financial offer template), and Annex 2 to TS declaration-of-honour-tenders (declaration on honour). The financial offer must be submitted using the provided Excel form. The declaration on honour and other forms are provided as native files or PDFs; all must be completed and uploaded via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

1. 1EN-Invitation to tender EC-MARE2026OP0010 Fish Commercial Names (PDF).
2. 2ANNEX I ComDes tender-specifications (PDF).
3. 3ANNEX 2 Draft Contract (PDF).
4. 4Appendix 2 to Draft Contract - Security requirements (PDF).
5. 5Appendix 3 to the Draft Contract - Security baseline (PDF).
6. 6Annex IV to the Draft Contract IPR (PDF).
7. 7Annex III to the Draft Contract VAT (PDF).
8. 8Annex 6 to TS Financial tender form (Excel native).
9. 9Annex 2 to TS declaration-of-honour-tenders (native docx).

Eligibility geography, procurement classification and CPV codes

The procurement is published by the European Commission and follows EU procurement rules. Eligible economic operators are normally those established in EU Member States and in countries which the EU procurement rules admit for this procedure. The main CPV classification codes listed include general IT services and software related to databases and data management: 72000000 and additional CPV codes for fishery/aquaculture related information 03300000, 03310000, 03000000. Applicants should consult the tender specifications and the contract notice for precise rules on eligible countries and nationality requirements.

Contract form, security and intellectual property

A draft contract is provided as Annex 2. Contractual appendices include detailed security requirements and baselines, VAT and IPR clauses. The contractor will have obligations to protect data and follow Commission security rules, to respect intellectual property provisions including ownership and reuse of developed components or data integration work as defined in Annex IV IPR, and to comply with VAT rules per Annex III.

Planned timelines and contract execution

Planned duration information:initial contract 12 months renewable up to three times, and the procurement project shows a planned period of up to 48 months. Tender validity period after submission is six months. The contract execution will require electronic ordering and payment usage indicators as per post award process entries.

Application process and stages

Method of submission:mandatory electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission). Applicants must prepare a complete technical tender, financial offer using the provided financial form, declarations (including the declaration on honour), and any supporting documents required (CVs, references, proof of legal status, financial statements, certificates). The tender evaluation process follows standard single-stage submission with evaluation of eligibility/selection, technical quality and financial offer. The tender opening event is scheduled after the submission deadline.

1. 1Prepare and upload completed declarations and qualification documents (Declaration on Honour etc.).
2. 2Submit technical offer addressing all tender specifications including technical approach, staffing and workplan.
3. 3Submit financial offer using Annex 6 to TS Financial tender form (Excel).
4. 4Electronic submission via Funding & Tenders Portal before the deadline.

Evaluation stages count and success rate

Application stages:effectively a single-stage tender submission process with internal evaluation steps: compliance/eligibility check, selection/qualification assessment, technical evaluation (quality) and financial evaluation (price) leading to final award decision. The portal indicates awarding is based on quality (70) and price (30). Success rate: the notice does not provide historical success rates. Success rates for open European Commission tenders vary widely depending on market and competition; applicants should expect competition from multiple qualified service providers. No explicit number of expected awards is indicated; contract is for a single lot (LOT-0001).

Co-funding and financial arrangements

This is a public procurement contract with a fixed estimated overall contract amount. There is no requirement for co-funding by the tenderer in the sense of matched grant co-financing. The financial offer must specify price in accordance with the financial offer form. VAT and payment conditions are specified in the draft contract and Annex III. The Commission will pay the contractor under the conditions in the draft contract; tenderers should verify tax and VAT treatment applicable.

Target sectors and technical domains

The tender sits at the intersection of ICT services, data management, multilingual digital publishing and fisheries/aquaculture regulatory information. Relevant target sectors and technical domains include: ICT/software services, database management, information systems for food/fishery products, multilingual content management and translation solutions, expert systems and rule-based validation engines, web publishing, cybersecurity and compliance with EU security standards. The CPV codes and tender specifications indicate a strong ICT and data-management focus applied to fishery and aquaculture product labelling.

Mentioned countries and geographic scope

The tender is issued by the European Commission and targets suppliers eligible under EU procurement rules. The notice explicitly references EU languages and public availability for EU and non-EU stakeholders. Explicit country list is not provided in the notice; the geographic scope is EU-wide with public dissemination beyond the EU. Applicants should consult procurement documents for detailed nationality and establishment restrictions.

Templates and application form structure

Tenderers must use the provided templates and forms included in the procurement documents. Key templates include: Annex 6 to TS Financial tender form (Excel) for the financial offer; Annex 2 to TS declaration-of-honour-tenders (docx) for legal declarations. The draft contract and all annexes must be read and acknowledged. The technical offer should be structured to directly respond to the requirements and scoring sub-criteria in ANNEX I (tender specifications). ANNEX I will contain requested structure for technical proposal: methodology, work plan, staffing and CVs, experience and references, risk management, security measures, and implementation timetable. The financial template requires line itemisation per the cost breakdown requested in the tender documents.

Risks, mandatory checks and security

The tender includes security requirements (Appendix 2 and Appendix 3) and mandates compliance with the Commission's security baseline and data protection rules. Contractors must be prepared to comply with obligations related to handling potentially sensitive data, to respect IPR clauses and to provide assurances through declarations. Non-compliance with security or subcontracting rules may lead to exclusion. The tender specifications define SLA levels, reporting obligations and performance monitoring under the contract.

How to prepare a competitive bid — Practical guidance

Read all procurement documents thoroughly:ANNEX I (technical specifications), ANNEX 2 Draft Contract, security appendices, IPR and VAT annexes, financial template and declaration forms. Structure the technical offer to directly address each evaluation sub-criterion, provide CVs of proposed personnel, demonstrate previous experience running multilingual information systems and data-quality expert systems, show evidence of cybersecurity certifications and robust disaster recovery plans, and ensure the financial offer is complete and consistent with the technical proposal. Allow time to request clarifications by the stated cut-off date. Ensure all required declarations are signed and uploaded in the correct native formats. Use the Funding & Tenders Portal submission checklist and respect the eSubmission requirements.

Final summary

This procurement seeks an experienced ICT service provider (single operator or consortium) to operate, maintain and develop an EU-level information system that collects, validates, analyses and publishes commercial designations of fishery and aquaculture products across all EU languages. The contract is service-based, with an estimated total value of €1,060,000 for the planned contract period, procured through an open electronic tender process. Award will be based on quality (70) and price (30). Bidders must follow the detailed tender specifications, security and IPR requirements, and submit both a technical and financial offer using the provided templates. The system supports transparency and traceability in labelling FAPs and serves a broad range of stakeholders including consumers, producers, processors, retailers and enforcement bodies.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documentation and all official annexes are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal under the tender details page Tender documents and portal link.

Tender Purpose and Scope

This tender seeks an operator for the running and maintenance of the Information System on Commercial Designations for Fishery and Aquaculture Products (FAPs), a multilingual database and expert system that ensures transparency and accuracy in fishery product labelling across the EU ¹.

The system integrates national lists of commercial designations from all 27 EU Member States, provides searchable species profiles with scientific names, FAO codes, and catch area data, and supports mobile access for consumers and supply chain stakeholders ².

Key System Features

1. 1Multilingual access in all EU languages
2. 2Search by commercial designation, scientific name, FAO code, or Combined Nomenclature code
3. 3Direct consultation of 27 national commercial designation lists
4. 4Comprehensive species factsheets with fishing area and gear information
5. 5Mobile-friendly design with QR code generation for species profiles

Who Should Apply

This is a services tender open to qualified IT operators, database management firms, or digital solution providers with experience in multilingual information systems, public sector data integration, and EU regulatory compliance ³.

Applicants must demonstrate technical capability in maintaining secure, scalable web platforms, integrating heterogeneous national data sources, and ensuring compliance with EU data protection and cybersecurity standards ⁴.

Eligibility Highlights

1. 1Proven experience in public sector IT projects or EU-funded digital initiatives
2. 2Capacity to manage multilingual content and data harmonization across 27 Member States
3. 3Compliance with EU cybersecurity requirements (Appendix 2 to Draft Contract)
4. 4Ability to provide 48-month service continuity with 6-month tender validity
5. 5No SME-specific suitability requirement (smeSuitableIndicator: false)

Tender Details and Financials

Estimated Contract Value:The estimated overall contract amount is €1,060,000 for a 48-month initial period, renewable up to three times (total potential duration: 16 years) ⁵.

Award Criteria:Quality accounts for 70% of the award decision, while price accounts for 30%, emphasizing technical excellence and system reliability over lowest cost ⁶.

Background and Regulatory Context

The system supports Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 (CMO Regulation), which mandates that fishery products sold to consumers must display both the commercial designation and scientific name of the species ⁷.

While national lists are the authoritative source for accepted commercial names, the EU information system serves as a single multilingual tool to collect, integrate, and disseminate existing data, improving transparency for consumers and stakeholders across the supply chain ⁸.

Approximately 50% of website visits come from mobile devices, underscoring the need for seamless mobile access and QR code functionality for species profiles ².

How to Access Tender Documents

All procurement documents, including the Invitation to Tender, Draft Contract, Tender Specifications, and Financial Offer Form, are available via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal EU Tender Portal.

Key documents include:ANNEX I (Tender Specifications), ANNEX 2 (Draft Contract), Appendix 2 (Security Requirements), and Annex 6 (Financial Tender Form) ⁹.

Footnotes

1. 1DG MARE Presentation on Commercial Designations System, Market Advisory Council, 2021 DG MARE Presentation.
2. 2Official EU website: fish-commercial-names.ec.europa.eu Official Website.
3. 3Patterno Tender Notice, 2026 Patterno.
4. 4Appendix 2 to Draft Contract: Security Requirements (1.6.26) Security Requirements.
5. 5EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Estimated Overall Contract Amount €1,060,000 Tenders Portal.
6. 6Award Criteria: Quality 70%, Price 30% Award Criteria.
7. 7Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 on Common Organisation of Markets in Fishery and Aquaculture Products CMO Regulation.
8. 8EU Oceans and Fisheries Portal: Commercial and Scientific Name of Species EU Oceans Portal.
9. 9Procurement Documents List: Invitation to Tender, Draft Contract, Tender Specifications, Financial Form Documents List.