ISOS – Global state of play, market perspectives and opportunities for the EU Space Programme

The European Commission (DG DEFIS) has published a tender for support services on In‑Space Operations and Services (ISOS) to deliver a state‑of‑play analysis, market perspectives and policy/programmatic recommendations. The procurement is a single‑lot service contract with an estimated value of €350,000 and a planned duration of nine months. Award criteria are weighted 70 percent on quality and 30 percent on price and submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The submission deadline is 1 July 2026 at 16:00:59 Brussels time and applicants must consult the tender specifications and annexes for detailed eligibility, selection and contractual requirements.

Opportunity Type

Tender to provide policy and programme support on In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS)

What it funds:Contracted support services to the European Commission (DG DEFIS) to produce a global state of play, market analysis, and actionable policy and programme recommendations to advance In-Space Operations and Services for the EU space ecosystem and infrastructure.

Who can apply:Legal entities able to bid in public procurement (consultancies, research organisations, industry consortia); submissions via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by eligible economic operators. The contracting authority is European Commission, DG DEFIS.

1. 1Estimated contract value: €350,000 (total)
2. 2Planned duration: 9 months
3. 3Procurement type: services; tender procedure with quality and price award criteria (70/30)

How to apply:Submit an electronic tender through the Funding & Tenders Portal. See the tender page for full documents and submission instructions Tender details on Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents (tender specifications, draft contract and annexes) are published on the portal (Annex I to IV, invitation to tender and security requirements).

Opportunity type and purpose

Tender to procure support services for the European Commission (DG DEFIS) to derive goal-oriented policy and programme actions to advance In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS), strengthen the European space ecosystem and space infrastructure, and contribute to securing the EU's freedom to act in space.

High-level facts

Call identifier EC-DEFIS/2026/OP/0008. Procurement nature:services (support, study and advisory). Estimated overall contract amount €350,000. Planned contract duration 9 months. Tender submission method: electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission). Tender documents published (Invitation to tender, Annex I tender specifications, draft contract and annexes, declarations, security requirements). Open/official publication date 15 May 2026. Submission deadline 1 July 2026 16:00:59 (Europe/Brussels). Open tender event 2 July 2026 16:00 (local time). More details and official documents available on the portal Tender details ¹.

Estimated contract value:€350,000 (estimated overall contract amount as stated in the procurement project).

Duration:Planned period 9 months. Tender validity period 6 months (as indicated in tendering terms).

Submission method and key dates:Electronic submission (eSubmission) via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Submission deadline 1 July 2026 16:00:59 (Brussels time). Open tender event scheduled 2 July 2026 16:00 (local time). Additional information request period ended 23 June 2026. Consideration/change window for published documents until 29 May 2026.

Who can apply and applicant requirements

Applicants must consult the tender specifications and draft contract annexes. The procurement information includes specific tenderer qualification requests and selection criteria; submission requires completing the standard Declaration on Honour (Annex II) and complying with security, intellectual property and VAT provisions as provided in the draft contract and annexes. The contracting authority is European Commission, DG DEFIS - Defence Industry and Space.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: The procurement is targeted at legal entities capable of delivering services and studies. Typical eligible applicant types include consultancies, market research firms, specialised space sector consultancies, universities and research institutes, non-governmental organisations with relevant domain expertise, consortia of the above and other service providers. The tender documentation should be consulted for exact admissibility rules for natural persons, sole traders or economic operators from non-EU countries.
2. 2Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call is published by the European Commission (DG DEFIS). The primary scope is EU-based procurement. Applicants established in EU Member States and likely EEA states are normally eligible under common Commission procurement rules. Tender documents will state precise eligibility, including possible participation of entities from third countries.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: The procurement is for a single contract (one lot, LOT-0001). The procurement rules and tender specifications allow participation either as a single legal entity or as a group of economic operators (consortium/joint tender). The exact arrangements, including lead partner responsibilities and supporting documents required for consortia, are specified in the tender documents.
4. 4SME Suitability: The procurement record indicates smeSuitableIndicator false. That means it is not exclusively tailored to SMEs; SMEs may still participate subject to tender requirements.
5. 5Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding requirement is indicated in the procurement metadata. This is a service contract awarded by the Commission; the contract value covers the required services as agreed. Any specifics about VAT handling, eligible costs and invoicing are contained in Annex III (VAT share) and the draft contract.

Financial and contractual modalities

Funding Type:Procurement / service contract. The winning bidder will enter into a direct service contract with the European Commission under the terms of the published draft contract. The procurement is not a grant, loan or equity instrument but a purchase of services.

Nature of support:Monetary: payment for services delivered under a Commission service contract. Non-monetary obligations include delivering reports, briefings, presentations and possibly workshops, adhering to security and IP clauses in the draft contract.

Co-funding and cost sharing:No co-funding from applicants is specified in the procurement metadata. The procurement awards a contract with the estimated amount covering the contracted services. VAT treatment and any pass-through costs are addressed in Annex III (VAT share) and the draft contract.

Scope, objectives and technical focus

Objective:to provide support services enabling the European Commission to define policy and programme actions that advance In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS). Scope includes delivering an assessment of the global state of play, market perspectives, opportunities for the EU Space Programme, and actionable recommendations to reinforce Europe's capabilities for in-space operations and services.

1. 1Expected outputs: state-of-play analysis, market study and perspectives, identification of policy and programme opportunities, concrete recommendations and roadmaps for EU action, support to stakeholder engagement and possible workshops or events.
2. 2Target sector: Space, specifically In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS). Cross-cutting areas may include defence/space security, industrial policy, space infrastructure resilience and space services market development.
3. 3Main CPV codes referenced: 79311400 (business and marketing research and analysis), 73210000 (research and experimental development services), 34712000 (satellites and spacecraft manufacturing and related services) as additional classifications.

Evaluation, award criteria and process

Award criteria are split by quality and price. The tendering terms show quality weighted 70 and price weighted 30; the full description of qualitative sub-criteria and scoring is in the procurement documents. Tender validity period 6 months. Electronic ordering and payments foreseen post-award.

Number of application stages:Single-stage submission of tender documents via the Portal. There is an open tender event date following the submission deadline. Additional clarifications can be requested during the information request period.

Success rates:Not specified. As a public procurement with one contract and an estimated value of €350,000 the success rate depends on the number and quality of tenders received; historical success rates are not provided in the tender metadata.

Application content, templates and required documents

Applicants must consult and follow the tender specifications (Annex I), the Invitation to tender and the draft contract and its annexes. Mandatory forms and annexes published with the call include: Invitation to tender, Annex I - tender specifications, Draft contract, Annex II - Declaration on honour (tenders), Annex III - VAT share, Annex IV - Declaration IPR, Appendix 2 Security requirements. These documents outline administrative and technical submission requirements, required format for technical and financial offers, and contractual clauses. The Declaration on Honour (Annex II) is provided as a native editable file for completion by tenders.

1. 1Technical offer: methodology, workplan, deliverables, team CVs and roles, relevant experience, past projects and references.
2. 2Financial offer: price breakdown, compliance with VAT and invoicing rules as per Annex III, and any travel or ancillary costs if applicable.
3. 3Administrative documents: Declaration on Honour (Annex II), proof of legal status, financial capacity evidence and any requested procurement selection documentation.
4. 4IPR and confidentiality: Declaration IPR (Annex IV) and compliance with draft contract IP clauses.
5. 5Security requirements: compliance with Appendix 2 Security requirements, if access to classified information or secure facilities is required.

Administrative and legal notes

This is a Commission procurement under the period 2021-2027 and related programme coding. Tenderers must comply with the procedural rules in the tender specifications, the draft contract clauses, and the portal's eSubmission requirements. The procurement is governed by the awarding terms in the procurement record; appeals and contact details for appeal receiver are provided in the tender file.

Contracting authority:European Commission, DG DEFIS - Defence Industry and Space.

Mentioned countries and geographic references

The tender is published by the European Commission and is aimed primarily at operators within the EU context. No individual non-EU countries are explicitly mentioned in the tender metadata. See tender documents for any specific third-country participation rules.

Summary and recommendation

This procurement solicits an expert support contract to analyse the global state of play and market perspectives for In-Space Operations and Services, and to identify opportunities and recommendations for the EU Space Programme. The procurement is a single-lot service contract estimated at €350,000 for approximately nine months and is evaluated on quality (70) and price (30). Interested organisations with strong space sector market analysis, policy advisory and stakeholder engagement capabilities should review Annex I (tender specifications) and all draft contract annexes carefully, prepare a comprehensive technical offer demonstrating relevant expertise, complete the administrative declarations (Annex II and others), and submit an electronic tender via the Funding & Tenders Portal by the deadline. For official documents and submission, consult the published tender page on the EU portal Tender details ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender page and downloadable procurement documents are available at the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender Details page: ec.europa.eu

This is a European Commission procurement notice from DG DEFIS for support services on In-Space Operations and Services, usually referred to as ISOS. The assignment is aimed at helping the Commission derive goal-oriented policy and programmatic actions that advance the ISOS field for the benefit of the European space ecosystem and space infrastructure, with the wider objective of strengthening the EU's freedom to act in space. The official notice and tender documents are available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal Tender notice.

What the opportunity is about

The tender is a services contract focused on analysis, policy support and market intelligence around ISOS. In practical terms, the contractor is expected to provide evidence and strategic input on the global state of play, market perspectives and development opportunities for in-space operations and services. This topic sits within a broader EU effort to build a future space ecosystem that can support satellite servicing, assembly, manufacturing, logistics, recycling and other in-orbit services.

The policy background is important. The European Commission has identified ISOS as a strategic capability for the Union, both for industrial competitiveness and for protecting space assets and infrastructure. The market context also suggests a growing need for regulatory, industrial and investment analysis, including how Europe can accelerate commercialisation while keeping its space systems resilient, sustainable and secure.

What the contractor is likely to deliver

• A structured assessment of the current ISOS landscape in Europe and globally
• Market perspectives, including emerging demand, business models and growth opportunities
• Policy and programmatic recommendations for the European Commission
• Analysis of barriers, enabling technologies and strategic gaps in the European ecosystem
• Support for decision making linked to EU space policy, industrial strategy and programme design

Who can apply

The notice does not indicate a restriction to SMEs and the portal marks the opportunity as not SME suitable, so it is not a small enterprise reserved tender. Eligible applicants are therefore expected to be economic operators that can meet the selection criteria in the procurement documents. This would typically include consultancies, research organisations, market intelligence providers, policy advisors, think tanks and other companies or consortia with strong expertise in space policy, industrial analysis, economics, innovation strategy and the EU space sector.

Because this is an EU public procurement procedure, applicants should be prepared to demonstrate professional and technical capacity, financial standing, and experience relevant to the subject matter. The exact selection criteria, legal conditions and any security related requirements are set out in the tender specifications and annexes.

Financial and procedural details

Submission deadline:1 July 2026 at 16:00:59 Brussels time. Questions for additional information are accepted until 23 June 2026. The public opening event is scheduled for 2 July 2026 at 16:00.

Documents and evaluation approach

The procurement documents published on 15 May 2026 include the invitation to tender, tender specifications, draft contract, declaration on honour, VAT share annex, IPR declaration and security requirements. These documents should be reviewed carefully because they define the technical scope, contractual obligations, submission rules and any sensitive information handling requirements.

The award methodology is clear and relatively standard for an EU service tender, with quality carrying the dominant weight at 70 percent and price at 30 percent. Applicants should therefore expect that the strongest proposals will combine substantive analytical capability, policy relevance, credible methodology and a realistic budget.

Assessment for applicants

1. 1Strong fit for organisations with space policy, market analysis or strategic consultancy expertise
2. 2Best suited to bidders able to produce evidence based recommendations for the Commission
3. 3Likely to favour teams that understand both the technical and commercial dimensions of ISOS
4. 4Not positioned as an SME reserved contract, so larger firms and research led consortia may also be competitive
5. 5A strong quality proposal will matter more than a low price because quality is weighted at 70 percent

Practical takeaways

This tender is not a funding grant but a public service contract. Applicants are competing to be the contractor that supports the European Commission on a strategically important space policy topic. Organisations with demonstrable expertise in the EU space sector, in-space operations and services, market foresight, industrial strategy and programme analysis should assess the tender documents quickly and prepare for an evidence driven, high quality proposal.