Meteorological Data and Visualisation

Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency) has published an open tender FRONTEX/2026/NP/0026 for meteorological and oceanographic information and visualisation services covering European sea basins to the Atlantic. The service contract is estimated at €1,200,000 for up to 48 months (initial 24 months plus optional 24 month renewal), submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal eSubmission and the tender deadline is 26 May 2026 23:59 Europe/Warsaw. Mandatory requirements include 24/7 service with minimum 98% uptime, delivery via OGC WMS/WFS and NetCDF endpoints, and prioritisation of Copernicus and ECMWF data with proof of operational delivery including at least two similar contracts each over €100,000. Selection criteria require a minimum average annual turnover of €500,000 over the last three years and the contract will be awarded on the best price quality ratio weighted 60 percent technical and 40 percent financial.

What it funds

Scope

Procurement of meteorological and oceanographic information services to support Frontex operational activities: near real‑time measured data, forecasts and historical/climatology layers, map visualisation (WMS/WFS/NetCDF), radar and satellite products, alerts, business documentation, training and support. Services must cover Frontex area of interest across European sea basins and adjacent Atlantic (coordinates in tender documents).

Value and duration:Estimated total value €1,200,000 (excluding VAT). Contract: initial 24 months with one optional 24‑month extension (maximum 48 months) F&T Portal ¹.

Who can apply

Open procedure. Eligible applicants:natural or legal persons, consortia or international organisations with access to required meteorological/oceanographic data and technical capacity to deliver the services and SLAs. Subcontracting and reliance on third‑party capacities are allowed but must be declared and evidenced.

Key procurement facts

1. 1Submission method: electronic via eSubmission / EU Login required
2. 2Award method: best price-quality ratio (technical 60% / financial 40%)
3. 3Main CPV: 71351610 Meteorology services
4. 4Service availability requirement: minimum 98% uptime; support and penalties specified in ToR

Documents available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal include the Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Terms of Reference, Draft Contract, Financial and Technical templates, Declaration on Honour and other annexes. Submissions must follow the templates and evidence requirements in the tender dossier.

Lead contracting authority:European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), Warsaw, Poland.

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender dossier and annexes (technical specifications, ToR and draft contract) are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal: Meteorological Data and Visualisation FRONTEX/2026/NP/0026 F&T Portal.

Opportunity snapshot

Procuring authority:European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), Plac Europejski 6, 00-844 Warsaw, Poland. TED reference 77/2026 271790-2026. Procedure identifier FRONTEX/2026/NP/0026. Procedure type: open procedure. Submission method: electronic only (eSubmission via EU Login). Award method: best price-quality ratio (technical 60% / financial 40%). Estimated total value for whole duration (48 months) €1,200,000 (excl. VAT). Maximum contract duration: 48 months (initial 24 months + one optional 24-month extension). Nature of the contract: services; CPV main classification 71351610 Meteorology services.

Deadlines:Deadline for receipt of tenders: 26/05/2026 23:59 Europe/Warsaw (submission must be made electronically via eSubmission). Public opening: 27/05/2026 11:00 Europe/Warsaw. Contract notice/TED publication date: 21/04/2026 ¹.

What is being procured

Subject:provision of meteorological and oceanographic information services (Meteorological Data and Visualisation) to support Frontex operational activities. Purpose: supply precise, robust, detailed, customised and frequently updated information on atmospheric and oceanographic conditions for a defined area of interest to enhance patrolling and surveillance, improve resource allocation and crew safety. Scope includes data provision (measured, forecast, historical), map visualisation services (WMS/WFS, vector tiles, NetCDF as applicable), business documentation, training, manuals and continuous support/service desk. The contractor must obtain licences/agreements for all data sources it uses; Copernicus data should be used where appropriate and indicated in the offer.

Area of interest (geographic coverage):Longitude 43°00' W to 43°00' E and Latitude 11°00' N to 73°00' N (European sea basins to Atlantic Ocean; Frontex operations area). Detailed coordinate rectangle is specified in the ToR.

Deliverables and technical requirements

Core deliverable:continuous provision of meteorological and oceanographic data and visualisation services delivered by standard geospatial web services and formats. Mandatory data products (examples and minimums): air temperature €2M, apparent temperature, turbulence indicators, icing probabilities, ground temperature, dew point, wind speed/direction (including gusts and barbs), jet stream parameters, precipitation occurrence and rates, snowfall depth, snow fall height, cloud cover and layers, visibility, lightning data, satellite imagery (visible, IR, water vapour), radar data, thunderstorm warnings, slippery road probability and catalogued weather phenomena (fog, haze, dust storms, storms, hail, etc.).

Service categories:measured observations (near real time, hourly or finer, up to 7 days historical in the ‘measured’ product), model forecasts (short-term up to +48 h with ≤3 h temporal resolution; medium-range up to +7 days; updated at least 4 times per 24 h; ECMWF required for medium range), and historical/climatology (raw or aggregated up to 5 years). Climatology layer minimum parameters: wind speed, wind direction, precipitation amount, air temperature; improved offers for additional parameters or WMS/WFS climatology delivery score higher.

Data formats and delivery channels (mandatory minimum):WMS and WFS (OGC standards) for map and feature delivery; vector tiles for vector data; NetCDF for gridded products where appropriate. All WMS must be time-aware (UTC/ISO8601). GetMap, GetFeatureInfo (XML/JSON/plain text), GetLegendGraphic must be supported. Weather alerts must be available also as push notifications via dedicated REST API. TLS 1.2 minimum (TLS 1.3 preferred). Provider responsible for server-side components; Frontex responsible for client-side integration.

Map visualisation requirements:Web Mercator (EPSG:3857 / 102100) and WGS84 (EPSG:4326) supported; zoom scale compatible with common web map standards (approx. 1:591,657,550 to 1:1,128); minimum spatial resolution: atmospheric 0.125° x 0.125°; oceanographic 0.1° x 0.1° (higher resolution preferred). Time-aware requests must support past and future timestamps per attribute.

Service availability and support:minimum 98% availability (annual targets defined in ToR). Monitoring web service showing endpoint status required. 24/7 customer service desk and support. Response and resolution targets and financial penalties are defined in the ToR (e.g. Priority 1 response within 1 hour; penalties apply per exceeded hour as tabled in the ToR).

Specific features sought (examples):radar-derived live and short-range precipitation animations and forecasts (updated ≤15 minutes; animated coverage down to 3 days historical), cloud animation and water vapour, lightning mapping and associated attributes (time, polarity, amplitude, type), ensemble/model fusion approach, integrated single endpoint for best-available combined forecast, WMS/WFS endpoints for climatology ordering and delivery (WMS/WFS climatology scores higher).

Contractual, commercial and payment details

Contract type:service contract based on Frontex draft contract (Annex III). Duration: 24 months initial + optional 24-month extension (maximum 48 months total). Estimated contract value for 48 months: €1,200,000 (net, excl. VAT). Tenderers must submit financial offer for the initial 2-year duration and separately for the optional extension period. Payments: quarterly interim payments (each 1/8 of the 2-year price) following deliverable acceptance; invoices submitted in pdf to invoices@frontex.europa.eu; Frontex typically pays within 30 calendar days after receipt and approval.

Price rules:all-inclusive prices in EUR, net (VAT excluded for evaluation); contractor must factor in all costs (including trainings). Contractor must arrange and bear licensing costs for third-party data/services (Copernicus is free/open where applicable). No pre-financing is foreseen. Performance/retention guarantees are not requested in the special conditions for this contract unless specified otherwise.

Eligibility and who should apply

Eligible applicant types:open to natural and legal persons, single tenderers, joint tenders (consortia). Subcontracting is permitted. The tender documentation requires submission of supporting evidence for exclusion, selection and capacity criteria from the tenderer and any involved entities (group/consortium members, subcontractors, entities whose capacities are relied upon). The contracting authority checks for restrictive EU measures; entities in exclusion situations (bankruptcy, fraud, corruption, serious professional misconduct, money laundering, etc.) will be excluded.

Country / geographic eligibility:Participation open to entities established in EU Member States, EEA (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein), SAA countries (North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo) and candidate/associated countries with procurement access agreements (Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine for supplies ≥ €143,000 where applicable). Tender is exceptionally open to operators from third countries where permitted; check tender documents for full eligibility rules.

Selection and award criteria (how proposals will be assessed)

Selection criteria:legal capacity (company registration), economic/financial capacity (minimum average yearly turnover of €500,000 over last 3 years or consolidated assessment across involved entities), technical/professional capacity (minimum: evidence of at least 2 similar services in last 3 years, each > €100,000), absence of conflicts of interest. Exclusion criteria: EU-wide exclusion grounds (bankruptcy, fraudulent conduct, corruption, money laundering, serious professional misconduct, irregularity, etc.) detailed in the Declaration on Honour (Annex V). Documentary evidence may be requested.

Award criteria:Most Economically Advantageous Tender using quality/price split 60/40. Technical compliance and quality evaluation use the Technical Proposal (Annex IX template). Technical scoring: Project and service management (20 points) and Technical solution (40 points) for a maximum 60 points. Minimum technical pass score: 35/60. Financial scoring: lowest price receives 100 and others are scored proportionally. Final score = 0.6 * Technical score + 0.4 * Financial score.

Application and submission process

Submission must be made electronically only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission system. A valid EU Login account (Personal Identification Code PIC for organisations) is required. As of 30 June 2026 EU Login will require 2-factor authentication; tenderers should prepare devices/methods in advance. Tenderers must upload required documents in the formats and naming conventions specified. Late submissions are rejected; only the latest tender from the same tenderer is considered if multiple submitted (unless withdrawn). Tender validity: offer is valid for 4 months from submission deadline (per Invitation to Tender).

Documents to include (minimum / required templates):Mandatory documents published with the call: Invitation to Tender; Annex I - Tender Specifications; Annex II - Terms of Reference; Annex III - Draft contract; Annex IV - Financial proposal template; Annex V - Declaration on honour (exclusion/selection); Annex VI - Tender Submission Form; Annex VII - Power of Attorney / Commitment Letter templates (joint tenders, subcontractors, entities relied upon); Annex VIII - Declaration of Confidentiality; Annex IX - Technical offer template. Tenderers must use the Annex IV financial template and Annex IX technical template. See portal for all versions and download links FRONTEX tender details ¹.

Submission mechanics, helpful operational details

Registration:organisations must register in the Participant Register to obtain a PIC. eSubmission: use supported browsers (latest Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox); attachments limited to <50 MB per file, maximum 200 files per submission. Name attachments per system requirements. Electronic signatures: qualified electronic signature (QES) recommended for signed declarations (Annex V). Tenderers must ensure they submit all required supporting documents at submission; Frontex may request missing formal documents (normally within 48 hours) but substantive documents should be provided at submission.

1. 1Prepare organisation PIC in Participant Register and ensure EU Login account is ready (enable 2FA as required).
2. 2Download all annexes from the F&T Portal and complete Annex IX (technical) and Annex IV (financial) templates exactly.
3. 3Complete and sign Annex V Declaration on Honour for all involved entities (group members, subcontractors, relied-upon entities).
4. 4Provide supporting evidence for selection criteria: company registration, financial statements or bank statements, list of relevant contracts and reference letters (>=2).
5. 5If joint tender: provide Power of Attorney (Annex VII) appointing Group Leader and confirm joint and several liability.
6. 6If subcontracting or relying on third-party capacities: include commitment letters (Annex VII) and Declarations of Honour for those entities.
7. 7Submit tender via eSubmission before the deadline and retain submission receipts and timestamps.

Consortium requirement and subcontracting

The procedure allows single tenderers or consortia (joint tenders). No special legal form required for consortia but a Group Leader and Power of Attorney are mandatory. All consortium members must meet exclusion/eligibility criteria; consortium members assume joint and several liability. Subcontracting is permitted but subcontractors must be declared and provide Declaration on Honour and commitment letters (Annex VII). Relying on other entities (not subcontractors) is allowed for selection criteria but must be supported by commitment letters and evidence.

Project maturity and expected implementation stage

This is an operational service contract (service delivery and integration into Frontex EUROSUR Fusion Services). Expected project maturity: operational service delivery integrating observational sources and numerical model outputs; includes testing, implementation, handover, training and ongoing service management. The contractor must be able to deliver production-grade services rapidly (target service operation start <= 30 working days after contract entry into force) and provide ongoing 24/7 support and maintenance.

Who should consider applying (target sectors/skills)

Suitable applicants:meteorological/oceanographic service providers, national meteorological centres, specialised private companies and consortia, commercial Earth observation/data fusion companies, integrators with experience in WMS/WFS/NetCDF, radar and satellite data processing, Copernicus data use, and operators providing 24/7 service desks and SLA-driven operational services for government or large institutional clients.

Technical and security requirements

Security:all web services must use TLS (1.2 min, 1.3 preferred). API and web service security must align with EU DIGIT and OWASP standards; the contractor must be prepared for Frontex penetration testing prior to go-live. Data protection: contractor must comply with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725; personal or classified data are out of scope. Intellectual property: Frontex acquires ownership of results created for the contract; pre-existing rights must be licensed on a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable basis to Frontex (detailed rules in draft contract Annex III and II.13 in general conditions).

Evaluation, stages and timelines

Evaluation stages:1) submission acceptance and administrative checks; 2) formal opening (public virtual session); 3) exclusion/selection checks; 4) technical compliance and scoring (Annex IX); 5) financial evaluation; 6) final scoring and award decision; 7) contract signature and kick-off. Public opening date provisionally 27/05/2026; deadline 26/05/2026. Contract entry into force immediately after last signature; kick-off within 5 working days; service operation target within 30 working days after contract entry into force.

Number of application stages:Indicative stages: 4 main phases (submission, opening, evaluation, award/signature) with evaluation subdivided into exclusion/selection checks and technical+financial evaluation. Overall: 4.

Success rates and competitiveness

No explicit historical success rates are published. This is an open EU-level procurement for specialised meteorological services; competitive tendering is expected. Success depends on meeting strict selection criteria and achieving high technical score; offers scoring below the technical minimum (35/60) will be eliminated regardless of price. Demonstrating proven operational experience, Copernicus data usage and robust service management with 24/7 support are key to competitiveness.

Co-funding and cost sharing

Co-funding:not required. Price must be all-inclusive covering all costs related to service provision (data licences, personnel, trainings, travel if any) except VAT which is not considered for evaluation due to Frontex VAT exemption rules. Contractors established outside Poland must seek VAT exemption where applicable; Frontex will assist with an EU VAT exemption certificate.

Application templates and form structure

Templates provided in the procurement documents (mandatory use where indicated):Annex IV Financial proposal template (spreadsheet) — must list lump sums for 24-month blocks and any optional extension; Annex VI Tender Submission Form — organisation/contact details, subcontracting and reliance declarations; Annex V Declaration on Honour — exclusion/selection declarations for all involved entities; Annex IX Technical Proposal template — structured checklist and technical response fields matching ToR and mandatory requirements (point-by-point compliance table); Annex VII PoA / Commitment letters — for consortium leader designation and subcontractor/other entity commitments; Annex VIII Declaration of Confidentiality.

How to prepare a compliant bid — practical checklist

1. 1Register organisation in the Participant Register (obtain PIC) and ensure EU Login access (enable 2FA in advance).
2. 2Download all annexes and mandatory templates from the F&T Portal and complete Annex IX and Annex IV exactly as requested.
3. 3Complete Annex VI Tender Submission Form fully and sign as authorised representative.
4. 4Complete and sign Annex V Declaration on Honour for all involved entities (group members, subcontractors, other entities relied upon).
5. 5Collect and attach supporting evidence for selection criteria: company registration, financial statements or bank references, list of relevant contracts and at least 2 reference letters for similar services (> €100K each) in last 3 years.
6. 6If tendering as a consortium: provide Annex VII Power of Attorney naming Group Leader and confirming joint & several liability; each member must provide required declarations/evidence.
7. 7If subcontracting or relying on other entities: include Annex VII commitment letters for each subcontractor/entity and Declarations on Honour for them.
8. 8Prepare Technical Proposal using Annex IX template addressing all mandatory ToR points and demonstrating Copernicus usage, architecture, data sources, processing and service desk capabilities; include sample products on request.
9. 9Prepare Financial Proposal using Annex IV spreadsheet, provide lump sum prices for 24-month periods and optional extension, ensure prices cover all costs (including training).
10. 10Upload all parts via eSubmission before the deadline. Keep submission receipts and timestamps.

Risks and important caveats

Key risks for bidders:failure to meet minimum selection thresholds (financial turnover, references) will disqualify; technical offers scoring below 35/60 will be eliminated; failure to provide timely documentary evidence on exclusion/selection when requested can cause rejection; reliance on third-party data/services requires contractor to secure licences and appropriate SLAs; security and penetration testing may reveal issues delaying go-live; mandatory 2FA on EU Login required for submission from mid-2026.

Eligible Applicant Types:

Suitable applicants include meteorological and oceanographic service providers, SMEs and large enterprises, research institutes and universities (if acting as service providers), public authorities or national meteorological centres acting as tenderers or consortium members, system integrators, non-profits with operational service delivery capacity, consortia combining data providers and integrators. Subcontractors and other supporting entities are allowed but must be declared and provide commitment letters and Declarations on Honour. Individuals are not the primary target; legal entities or groups are expected.

Funding Type:

Procurement (service contract) — payment on provision/acceptance of services. Not a grant, loan or equity instrument.

Consortium Requirement:

Single tenderer or consortium (joint tender) allowed. If a consortium is used one member must be designated Group Leader with joint and several liability. Power of Attorney required (Annex VII).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):

Entities established in EU Member States; operators from EEA (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein); countries with access under association agreements (SAA countries: North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo; Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine for certain procurement thresholds); other third countries only where explicitly permitted in procurement documents. Frontex checks for restrictive measures.

Target Sector:

Meteorology, oceanography, Earth observation, GIS/geospatial services, data fusion, defence/secured operational services for border surveillance and maritime operations, ICT for web services and APIs, operational service management (24/7 OPS), Copernicus users, and DeepTech analytics providers.

Mentioned Countries:

Explicitly mentioned/covered regions and countries in the procurement documentation:EU Member States, EEA (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein), Stabilisation and Association Agreement countries (North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo), Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine. Contracting authority location: Warsaw, Poland.

Project Stage:

Operational service delivery (production), integration and service management. Expected maturity: production-ready operational service, including data ingestion, processing, visualisation and SLA-backed operations.

Funding Amount:

Estimated total value for the entire maximum contract duration (48 months):€1,200,000 (net, excluding VAT). Offers should present prices for initial 24 months and separately for the optional extension of 24 months.

Application Type:

Open call via EU Funding & Tenders Portal (calls for tenders). Electronic submission only (eSubmission with EU Login).

Nature of Support:

Monetary payments to a contracted service provider (service contract) in exchange for delivered meteorological and oceanographic services, plus non-monetary operational support such as technical integration and data usage rights where agreed, and training services included in the contract.

Application Stages:

Indicative stages:1) Submission; 2) Public opening; 3) Exclusion/selection checks; 4) Technical compliance and detailed technical scoring; 5) Financial evaluation; 6) Final award decision and contract signature. For planning, consider at least 4 high-level stages.

Success Rates:

Not published. Competitive EU-level procurement for specialised services — success depends on meeting the minimum selection thresholds and achieving a high technical score. Offers failing the minimum technical score (35/60) are excluded.

Co-funding Requirement:

No co-funding required from the contracting authority. Tenderer finances the service delivery and licences and is paid per contract terms. Prices must be all-inclusive; VAT not considered in evaluation due to Frontex VAT exemption.

Templates: structure and guidance for application forms

The procurement package provides mandatory template documents and structured forms to ensure uniform evaluation. Applicants must use the templates where specified. Key templates and their structure:

1. 1Annex IV Financial proposal template (xlsx): structured fields for lump sum pricing for 24-month blocks, line items for service components, declarations that the price covers all service-related costs including trainings.
2. 2Annex IX Technical Proposal template (checklist/table): point-by-point compliance matrix mapping each ToR requirement to the bidder response; sections for Project and Service Management (Work Breakdown Structure, risk assessment and mitigation, team structure, QA measures) and Technical Solution (system architecture, Copernicus/data usage, climatology layers and delivery channels, data processing strategy, service availability and maintainability, Customer Service Desk description).
3. 3Annex VI Tender Submission Form: administrative info, contact person, list of partners (if consortium), subcontracting declaration and lists, declarations on reliance on other entities, confirmation of joint and several liability for joint tenders.
4. 4Annex V Declaration on Honour: standard EU exclusion and selection declarations; must be completed by all involved entities (tenderer, consortium members, subcontractors, relied-upon entities).
5. 5Annex VII Power of Attorney / Commitment Letter: PoA for consortium appointing Group Leader; commitment letters for subcontractors or entities on whose capacity the tenderer relies.
6. 6Annex VIII Declaration of Confidentiality: confidentiality undertaking signed by personnel as required.

Applicants should prepare the Annex V evidence in advance (judicial records, tax and social security certificates, financial statements, references) as Frontex may request documentary evidence at short notice. Prepare Demonstration/Sample products: Frontex may request one-week sample products for a limited area during evaluation to verify functional requirements.

Concluding summary — what this opportunity is about and how to explain it

This is an operational procurement by Frontex for continuous meteorological and oceanographic information services including near-real-time observations, model-based forecasts, historical/climatology products and interactive map visualisation endpoints. The successful contractor will deliver a production-grade service (WMS/WFS/vector tiles/NetCDF) covering a large maritime and coastal area across EU maritime basins and the Atlantic, provide business documentation, testing and acceptance, training and 24/7 support with agreed SLAs. The contracting model is a service contract awarded on the best price-quality ratio (60% technical / 40% financial). The estimated total value for the full maximum duration (24 months + optional 24 months) is €1,200,000. Submission is electronic only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission) and requires careful completion of mandatory templates (Annex IV, Annex IX, Annex VI, Annex V, Annex VII). Compliance with technical mandatory requirements in the Terms of Reference — especially proven operational delivery, Copernicus usage where applicable, data fusion/processing approach, high availability and service desk arrangements — is critical; proposals scoring below the technical pass threshold will be discarded. Entities from EU/EEA/associated procurement-access countries may participate; all applicants must submit declarations on exclusion criteria and meet selection requirements. Prepare financial, legal and technical evidence in advance, register PIC/EU Login and be ready for two-factor authentication for submission.

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement file, downloads and submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

Funding Opportunity Overview

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) is issuing an open tender for the provision of meteorological and oceanographic information services to support operational activities. This is a service contract opportunity with an estimated total value of €1,200,000 for a maximum duration of 48 months (24 months initial plus optional 24-month renewal). The tender was published on 21 April 2026 and represents a critical procurement for Frontex's operational intelligence and situational awareness capabilities.

Key Opportunity Details

Contracting Authority:European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), Warsaw, Poland. Frontex is an autonomous EU agency governed by Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 and operates under its own Financial Regulation.

Procedure Identifier:FRONTEX/2026/NP/0026 (TED reference: 77/2026 271790-2026)

Procedure Type:Open procedure with electronic submission required via eSubmission platform.

Contract Nature:Service contract for meteorological data and visualisation services.

Critical Deadlines

Tenderers must submit tenders exclusively via the electronic eSubmission system. Tenders received after the deadline will be rejected. The submission receipt with official timestamp constitutes proof of compliance with the deadline. Tenderers are strongly advised to familiarize themselves with the eSubmission system and technical requirements well in advance to ensure timely submission.

Funding and Contract Value

Estimated Total Value:€1,200,000 (excluding VAT) for the entire 48-month duration including optional renewal.

Initial Contract Period:24 months with automatic renewal for an additional 24 months unless either party provides formal notification of non-extension at least three months before expiration.

Payment Structure:Quarterly interim payments equal to 1/8 of the contract price, with a final balance payment upon completion and acceptance of deliverables. Payments are made within 30 calendar days of invoice receipt. No pre-financing or performance guarantees are required.

Award Method:Best price-quality ratio with 60% weighting for technical quality and 40% weighting for price.

Scope of Services

The contractor must provide precise, robust, detailed, customized and frequently updated meteorological and oceanographic information services to support Frontex operational activities including border surveillance, patrolling, and risk analysis. Services shall enhance patrolling results, surveillance activities, efficient resource allocation, crew safety and mission security.

Geographic Coverage:Area of interest stretches from European sea basins to the Atlantic Ocean, bounded by coordinates: Longitude 43 degrees West to 43 degrees East; Latitude 11 degrees North to 73 degrees North.

Core Deliverables:Meteorological data and visualisation including measured data (current conditions up to 7 days past), forecast data (up to 7 days future), and historical data (up to 5 years past). Services must include 30+ meteorological parameters such as temperature, wind, precipitation, cloud cover, visibility, lightning, radar data, satellite imagery and weather alerts. Oceanographic parameters include sea temperature and currents. All data must be delivered via Web Map Service (WMS) and Web Feature Service (WFS) endpoints with 24/7 availability at 98% minimum uptime.

Service Requirements:Service availability 24/7 with maximum 7.3 days downtime per year. Priority 1 issues (complete service unavailability) require 1-hour response and 5-hour resolution. Priority 2 issues (partial service unavailability) require 4-hour response and 48-hour resolution. Penalties apply for exceeding response and resolution times. Monthly service management reports and statistical analysis required. Up to 20 man-days of training per two-year period at Frontex headquarters. User manuals and subject matter expertise support throughout contract duration.

Technical Specifications:Data formats must comply with Open Geospatial Consortium standards (WMS 1.1.1 to 1.3.0, WFS 1.0.0 to 2.0.0), vector tiles for vector data, NetCDF for grid data. All WMS must be time-aware in UTC with ISO8601 date format. TLS 1.2 minimum encryption (TLS 1.3 preferred) with certificates from recognized certificate authorities. Spatial resolution minimum 0.1 degrees for oceanographic and 0.125 degrees for atmospheric parameters. GetMap, GetFeatureInfo and GetLegendGraphic operations required. Weather alerts via REST API push notifications. Zoom levels 1-20 per ArcGIS/BING/Google standards.

Data Sources:Contractor must prioritize Copernicus data when available (minimum 30% of raw meteorological/oceanographic data from Copernicus services scores maximum points). European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model required for medium-range forecasts. Contractor must arrange all necessary data agreements and licenses directly as Frontex will not provide existing data arrangements.

Eligibility and Participation Requirements

Who Can Apply:Participation is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons from EU Member States, EEA countries (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein), Stabilisation and Association Agreement countries (North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo), and Association Agreement countries (Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine - for contracts valued €143,000 or above). Third country participation is exceptionally permitted. Participation is also open to international organisations.

Tender Submission Options:Tenders may be submitted by sole tenderers, joint tenders (groups of economic operators), or with subcontractors. Joint tenders must appoint a group leader with joint and several liability. Subcontracting is permitted with prior identification and commitment letters. Tenderers may rely on capacities of other entities (not subcontractors) to meet selection criteria with commitment letters required.

Exclusion Criteria:Tenderers must not be subject to EU restrictive measures or in exclusion situations including bankruptcy, tax/social security payment breaches, grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, criminal offences, significant contract performance deficiencies, irregularities, or creation of entities to circumvent legal obligations. All involved entities (tenderers, group members, subcontractors, entities providing capacity) must meet exclusion criteria. Tenderers must declare compliance via Declaration on Honour (Annex V) and may be required to provide supporting documentary evidence.

Selection Criteria - Minimum Capacity Requirements

Legal Capacity:Tenderer must prove legal capacity to perform the contract and regulatory capacity to pursue the professional activity. Evidence required: copy of official document (Company Register, Official Gazette) confirming establishment as recognized legal entity and registration in relevant professional or trade register.

Economic and Financial Capacity:Minimum average yearly turnover of €500,000 for the last three financial years. Evidence required: copy of profit and loss accounts and balance sheets for last three closed years, or appropriate bank statements; declaration of company's total turnover for past three years per applicable national legislation. Assessment applies to tenderer as whole (consolidated assessment of combined capacities for joint tenders or those with subcontractors).

Technical and Professional Capacity:Tenderer must prove professional experience providing similar services. Minimum requirement: successfully performed at least 2 services in last 3 years preceding submission deadline related to provision of similar services, each exceeding €100,000 in value. Evidence required: company portfolio confirming experience; list of contracts meeting minimum capacity including start/end dates, total project amount, scope, role and amount invoiced; at least 2 reference letters from authorized customer representatives confirming good quality service delivery (emails and self-declarations not accepted). For joint tenders or those with subcontractors, evidence submitted only by entities putting resources at disposal of tenderer.

Professional Conflicting Interests:Any involved entity must not be subject to professional conflicting interests that may negatively affect contract performance. Examination based on Declaration on Honour statements and commitment letters. Contracting authority may conclude entity lacks required professional capacity if conflicting interests established.

Tender Evaluation and Award Criteria

Evaluation Process:Tenders undergo formal opening session verification for submission compliance and integrity. Evaluation committee then verifies: restrictive measures and procurement access; administrative compliance (EU language, authorized signatures, required documents); exclusion criteria; selection criteria; technical compliance with minimum requirements; award criteria. Incomplete tenders rejected. Only tenders meeting all verification elements proceed to full evaluation. Unsuccessful tenderers notified of rejection grounds without feedback on non-assessed content.

Technical Compliance Check:Technical offers verified against minimum technical requirements using Technical Proposal template (Annex IX). Only compliant offers proceed to technical evaluation. Non-compliant offers rejected at this stage.

Technical Evaluation (60% weighting):Maximum 60 points awarded based on two main groups: Project and Service Management (20 points maximum) and Technical Solution (40 points maximum). Project and Service Management criteria: Work Breakdown Structure and Work Packages description (5 points); risk assessment and mitigation plan (5 points); proposed team structure, roles and responsibilities (5 points); quality assurance and control measures (5 points). Technical Solution criteria: high-level system architecture and well-tested products (5 points); extent of Copernicus data usage - 10 points maximum if at least 30% of raw data from Copernicus, reduced 2 points per 5% reduction (10 points); climatology layer parameters and ordering/delivery channels - 5 points maximum for WMS/WFS endpoints with extra parameters (5 points); strategy to process raw data and deliver required products (10 points); strategy to guarantee required service availability, maintainability, Customer Service Desk resources and service quality measurement (10 points). Minimum 35 points required to avoid elimination. Tender with highest technical score receives 60 points; others calculated proportionally.

Financial Evaluation (40% weighting):Tender with lowest total price receives 100 points. Other tenders calculated as: (Lowest Price / Tender Price) x 100. Tenderers must be aware of abnormally low tender provisions and possibility of rejection based on this criterion.

Final Award:Contract awarded to tenderer with highest Final Score calculated as: Final Score = (0.6 x Technical Score) + (0.4 x Financial Score). Tenderers notified of outcome by email to address provided in eSubmission.

Required Documentation and Submission

Technical Proposal:Must be consistent with and fully address Terms of Reference requirements using template (Annex IX). Must include: brief presentation of tenderer's activities; Project and Service Management Methodology including information for award criteria assessment; description of technical solutions with all information necessary for award criteria assessment.

Financial Proposal:Using template (Annex IV). Prices in Euro, net amount excluding VAT, all-inclusive covering all service-related costs including trainings. Separate financial proposals for initial 24-month period and optional 24-month renewal period. Frontex exempt from VAT per Protocol 7 of Treaty on Functioning of EU; contractors outside Poland must obtain VAT exemption from competent national authorities.

Supporting Documentation:Declaration of Honour (Annex V) completed and signed by all involved entities; Tender Submission Form (Annex VI) duly filled and signed by authorized representative; documents confirming legal, economic/financial and technical/professional capacity; Power of Attorney (Annex VII) for joint tenders; commitment letters for subcontractors and entities providing capacity; evidence of signatory authorization; Declaration of Confidentiality (Annex VIII) for contract implementation.

Submission Method:Exclusively via eSubmission electronic platform. Each group member in joint tender must register in Participant Register and obtain Participant Identification Code (PIC). Maximum 200 documents per submission. File size limit 50 MB per attachment. Supported file types specified in system requirements. Tenderers must use latest Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers. EU Login account required for submission. After deadline, tenders become Frontex property and treated confidentially.

Contract Terms and Conditions

Contract Type:Service contract based on draft contract (Annex III) with special and general conditions for service contracts.

Entry into Force:Contract enters into force on date last party signs it. Performance cannot start before entry into force. Kick-off meeting within 5 working days after entry into force. Service operation target start within 30 working days after entry into force.

Duration and Renewal:Initial 24-month performance period. Automatic renewal for additional 24 months unless either party provides formal notification of non-extension at least three months before expiration. Maximum total duration 48 months. Renewal does not change or postpone existing obligations. Force majeure suspension automatically extends contract duration by suspension period.

Termination:Either party may terminate for convenience with three months written notice. Contracting authority may terminate for cause including: failure to start performance within 15 days of scheduled date; inability to obtain required permits/licenses; material breach of contract or tender specifications; contractor in exclusion situations; errors, irregularities, fraud or breach in award/performance; non-compliance with environmental/social/labour law; conflict of interest; substantial changes to contractor's legal/financial/technical/organizational/ownership situation; force majeure making performance impossible; data protection breaches. Contractor may terminate if contracting authority fails to comply with obligations or in case of force majeure making performance impossible. Termination procedure requires formal notification with 30-day observation period. Upon termination, contractor must provide all assistance for service completion or transfer at no additional cost unless substantial additional resources required.

Liability and Insurance:Contractor liable for damage/loss caused during or as consequence of performance, up to three times total contract amount, except for gross negligence or willful misconduct (unlimited liability). Contractor must take out insurance against risks and damage as required by applicable legislation and standard industry practice. Contracting authority not liable for damage/loss caused by contractor unless caused by contracting authority's willful misconduct or gross negligence.

Intellectual Property Rights:Union acquires irrevocable worldwide ownership of results and all intellectual property rights on newly created materials produced specifically for Union under contract. Pre-existing rights licensed to Union on royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable basis for all exploitation modes. Contractor must provide list of pre-existing rights with invoice for balance payment. Union acquires exclusive rights including reproduction, communication to public, distribution, rental, adaptation, translation, database rights, patent registration, trademark registration, know-how use, document reuse, software rights, and licensing to third parties. Contractor warrants results free of claims and all necessary pre-existing rights obtained/licensed.

Confidentiality:Both parties must treat confidential information/documents with confidentiality. Information identified in writing as confidential must not be used for purposes other than contract performance without prior written agreement. Same protection level as party's own confidential information required. No disclosure to third parties without prior written agreement. Obligations binding during performance and as long as information remains confidential unless disclosing party agrees otherwise, information becomes public through other means, or applicable law requires disclosure. Contractor must obtain written confidentiality commitments from related persons, personnel and third parties involved.

Data Protection:Processing of personal data by Frontex governed by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. Contractor processing personal data must comply with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR). Contractor acts as data processor under Frontex controller instructions. Contractor must implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures, notify controller of personal data breaches within 48 hours, maintain processing records, and return or delete personal data upon contract expiration. Contractor must notify controller of legally binding disclosure requests from national authorities and cannot provide access without prior written authorization. Data Protection Officer contact: dataprotectionoffice@frontex.europa.eu.

Subcontracting:Contractor must not subcontract beyond identified subcontractors without prior written authorization. Contractor remains bound by contractual obligations and solely responsible for performance. Contractor must ensure subcontracts do not affect Frontex rights under contract. Contracting authority may request replacement of subcontractor found in exclusion situations at contractor's cost. Changes to identified subcontractors during procurement require prior written approval subject to verification that new subcontractor not subject to restrictive measures/exclusion, tenderer still meets selection criteria, terms not substantially altered, and evaluation of award criteria not modified.

Amendments:Any amendment must be made in writing before all contractual obligations fulfilled. Amendments must not alter initial procurement conditions or result in unequal treatment of tenderers.

Liquidated Damages:If contractor fails to perform within applicable time limits, Frontex may claim liquidated damages calculated as: 0.3 x (V/d) where V is price of relevant deliverable and d is duration in days. Frontex must formally notify contractor of intention to apply damages; contractor has 30 days to submit observations. Damages not considered penalty but reasonable estimate of fair compensation for failure to provide services within time limits.

Price Reduction:If contractor fails to provide service in accordance with contract or fails to meet expected quality levels, Frontex may reduce or recover payments proportionally to seriousness of unperformed obligations or low quality delivery. Formal notification required with 30-day observation period. Price reduction may be imposed together with liquidated damages.

Applicable Law and Disputes:Contract governed by Union law, complemented where necessary by law of Poland. Courts of Warsaw, Poland have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes regarding interpretation, application or validity of contract.

Key Applicant Considerations

Prospective applicants should note that this is a highly technical procurement requiring demonstrated expertise in meteorological data services, geospatial web services, and operational intelligence systems. The contractor must arrange all necessary data agreements and licenses independently as Frontex will not provide existing data arrangements. Strong emphasis on Copernicus data utilization (minimum 30% for maximum scoring) and ECMWF model integration is required. The 98% service availability requirement with strict penalty provisions for service interruptions demands robust infrastructure and support capabilities. Tenderers must be prepared to demonstrate at least 2 similar contracts exceeding €100,000 each within the last 3 years and maintain minimum €500,000 average annual turnover. Joint tenders and subcontracting are permitted but require detailed commitment letters and joint and several liability declarations. All involved entities must meet exclusion criteria and provide Declaration on Honour. The evaluation heavily weights technical quality (60%) over price (40%), so comprehensive technical proposals addressing all Terms of Reference requirements are essential. Tenderers should allow adequate time for eSubmission system familiarization and ensure compliance with all file format and size requirements. Questions must be submitted by 18 May 2026 through the F&T Portal Q&A section.

Contact and Submission Information

Contracting Authority Contact:European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), Plac Europejski 6, 00-844 Warsaw, Poland. Email for tender matters: tender@frontex.europa.eu. Invoices: invoices@frontex.europa.eu.

Submission Portal:EU Funding and Tenders Portal (F&T Portal) at EU Funding and Tenders Portal. All procurement documents available at this link. Subscription to call for tenders allows email notifications of updates and modifications.

eSubmission System:Electronic submission exclusively via eSubmission platform accessible from F&T Portal. EU Login account required. Participant Identification Code (PIC) mandatory for each organization. Technical support available through eSubmission Helpdesk. System requirements and Quick Guide available at eSubmission Wiki.

Questions and Clarifications:Submit questions in writing through F&T Portal Q&A section by 18 May 2026 23:59 Europe/Warsaw. Contracting authority not bound to reply to requests received less than six working days before submission deadline. Additional information published at F&T Portal link; tenderers responsible for checking updates during submission period.

Additional Resources and Documentation

Complete procurement documentation available on F&T Portal including:Invitation to Tender (EN-Invitation to tender FRONTEX2026NP0026); Tender Specifications (Annex I); Terms of Reference (Annex II); Draft Service Contract (Annex III); Financial Proposal Template (Annex IV); Declaration on Honour (Annex V); Tender Submission Form (Annex VI); Power of Attorney and Commitment Letter templates (Annex VII); Declaration of Confidentiality (Annex VIII); Technical Proposal Template (Annex IX). All documents in English only. Frontex Data Protection Officer: dataprotectionoffice@frontex.europa.eu. European Data Protection Supervisor: EDPS. Frontex website: Frontex.

Footnotes

1. 1The estimated total value of €1,200,000 represents the maximum contract value for the full 48-month period including optional renewal. Actual payments depend on quarterly invoicing based on service delivery and acceptance by Frontex. The 60/40 technical-to-price weighting ratio means that technical quality and innovation are prioritized over cost considerations in the award decision.