Mission ocean, seas and waters implementation support platform - 2nd phase

Public procurement tender CINEA/2026/OP/0022 seeks a contractor to operate and scale the Mission Implementation Support Platform for the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters, providing knowledge management, science-to-policy advice, financial guidance, technical assistance, capacity building, outreach and community support. The estimated contract value is €1,700,000 for a 36-month duration and the contracting authority is the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with a deadline of 2026-09-02 12:00:59 (Brussels time) and award will be based on quality (70%) and price (30%). Bidders must use the published tender documents, annexes and templates and comply with the draft contract and security annexes.

What is funded

Public procurement to deliver the Mission Implementation Support Platform (phase 2):a one-stop service providing knowledge, science-to-policy advice, financial and technical assistance, capacity building, citizen engagement, communication and dissemination, support to events and networks (Mission Forum, lighthouses, European Blue Parks), and services to stakeholders to scale up innovative restoration solutions for oceans and waters.

Contract duration:Planned period up to 36 months.

Estimated contract value:€1,700,000 (estimated overall contract amount).

Who can apply

Open EU public tender managed by CINEA. Eligible bidders are economic operators able to conclude EU public contracts (companies, consortia, NGOs, research or service providers established and legally able to contract in the EU). The procedure requires electronic submission and may accept consortia and subcontracting arrangements; SME suitability is not indicated. For precise selection and exclusion criteria consult the procurement documents Tender page. ¹

1. 1Procurement type: services (open tender, required eSubmission).
2. 2Award criteria: quality (70) and price (30) — see tender documents.
3. 3Contracting authority: European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).

Tender documents available (specifications, administrative annexes, draft contract, financial offer form, security annexes). Interested bidders must register and submit via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. See the official call identifier CINEA/2026/OP/0022 for downloads and instructions Tender page. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement file and submission portal: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity type and lead authority

Public procurement (service contract) managed by CINEA

This is a public procurement tender (call identifier CINEA/2026/OP/0022) launched by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). The procedure is for a direct service contract to set up and operate the Mission Implementation Support Platform (second phase) for the EU Mission on ocean, seas and waters. The expected contract duration is 36 months and the estimated total contract value is €1,700,000.

Key dates:Submission deadline (closing date): 2026-09-02 12:00:59 Europe/Brussels. Open tender event (opening of tenders): 2026-09-02 15:00:00 Europe/Brussels. Additional information request period end: 2026-08-25. Documents were published 2026-07-10 and some notice references list 2026-01-01 as an additional metadata deadline.

Estimated contract value and duration:Estimated overall contract amount: €1,700,000. Planned contract duration: 36 months. Tender validity period indicated as 9 months in procurement metadata.

What the contract covers

Scope summary:The contracted Mission Implementation Support Platform will build on and consolidate the first-phase platform setup and continue to act as a one-stop-shop to support deployment of the Mission on ocean, seas and waters. Core services will include knowledge management, science-to-policy advice, financial advice and technical assistance, capacity building, outreach, scaling up and dissemination of information, knowledge and innovations at all levels. Targeted stakeholder services will support authorities and communities implementing the Mission, coordinate communication and citizen engagement in cooperation with Mission lighthouses, and consolidate/exploit existing services such as the Mission charter, online service portal, social media channels, the Mission Forum and other Mission events, and the European Blue Parks community.

Expected functions and deliverables:Expected platform functions include: operation and consolidation of an online service portal; knowledge repository and public access to knowledge for citizens; science-to-policy advisory services; financial advisory services to support deployment at scale of innovative solutions; technical assistance and capacity building for stakeholders; communication and dissemination activities including citizen engagement; support to Mission events, the Mission Forum and the European Blue Parks community; and targeted services to accelerate scale-up and uptake of restoration solutions.

Who can apply and geographic eligibility

Eligible applicant types:economic operators able to enter into a public contract with the EU. Practically this includes companies (SMEs and larger enterprises), research organisations, universities and research institutes, consultancies, non-profit bodies and consortia or groups of economic operators. The procurement documentation includes templates and annexes for groups, subcontractors and third parties, indicating that consortia or joint offers are permitted. The procurement metadata notes SME suitable indicator as false, but SMEs may still form part of an offer or consortium.

Beneficiary scope (geographic eligibility):EU-wide: the contracting authority is CINEA and the procurement is run on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The call addresses actors implementing EU Mission activities and is therefore intended for organisations able to operate across EU Member States and associated programmes.

Administrative and procurement modalities

Funding type:procurement/service contract (direct service contract). Submission method: mandatory eSubmission through the Funding & Tenders Portal (ESUBMISSION). Planned procurement procedure: open competitive tender with e-submission; the procurement metadata indicates an open tender event and single lot (LOT-0001).

Award and evaluation:Award criteria and weighting: quality 70% and price 30% (procurement awarding subcriteria listed in the tender documents; bidders must consult procurement documents for the detailed decomposition of quality criteria).

Submission and evaluation timeline:Tender submission deadline: 2026-09-02 12:00:59 (Brussels time). Open tender event: 2026-09-02 15:00:00. Request for additional information period closes 2026-08-25. Documents were published on 2026-07-10. Bidders should factor in time for consortium formation, completion of annexes and uploading the eSubmission package before the deadline.

Contract specifics and technical requirements

Planned contract nature:service contract focused on communication, knowledge management, advisory and technical assistance tasks supporting the Mission. Main CPV codes associated: 72320000 (news and press agencies, other information services), 22462000, 71241000, 79341100, 79340000, 79952000, 79341400. The procurement includes security requirements and a security baseline annex (Appendix 2 and Appendix 3), and a draft contract is provided as part of the tender documentation.

1. 1Operation and improvement of the online service portal and social media coordination
2. 2Knowledge repository and public access to knowledge for citizens
3. 3Science-to-policy advisory services and technical assistance
4. 4Financial advisory services to support deployment and scaling of solutions
5. 5Capacity building and targeted stakeholder support
6. 6Organisation and support to Mission Forum and Mission Ocean and Waters events
7. 7Coordination with Mission lighthouses and European Blue Parks community

Procurement documents and application templates

A full set of procurement documents was published and must be used by bidders. Documents include tender specifications, administrative annexes, technical capacity templates, financial tender template, draft contract and draft contract appendices, declaration on honour, commitment letters for third parties and identified subcontractors, lists of subcontractors and power of attorney templates. Bidders must complete and submit these documents via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

1. 1Tender Specifications 0022 - final version (main tender specification)
2. 2Annex 2.1 Technical Professional capacity - MIP2 (template describing required technical capacity details)
3. 3Annex 6 Financial tender TASKS ONLY MIP2 (Excel financial offer template)
4. 4Annex 2 Declaration on honour (administrative declaration)
5. 5Draft Contract direct-service 0022 (proposed contract text)
6. 6Appendix 2 Security requirements and Appendix 3 Security baseline
7. 7Annex 1 List of documents (checklist)
8. 8Annex 5.1 Commitment letter Identified subcontractor and Annex 5.2 Commitment letter Third party
9. 9Annex 4 List of subcontractors
10. 10Annex III Declaration on list pre-existing rights and Annex IV Group members share VAT

Application form structure and recommended content:bidders should follow the structure and templates in the tender package. At minimum the eSubmission package must include: a completed administrative form including declaration on honour, proof of legal and financial capacity as required by procurement rules, the completed technical capacity template (Annex 2.1) demonstrating relevant experience and staff/project organisation, a detailed technical proposal aligned with the quality award criteria, the completed financial offer using the Annex 6 Excel template, commitment letters from identified subcontractors or third parties where applicable, list of subcontractors and any power of attorney documents. Security-related declarations and compliance statements must be provided where the security annexes require them.

Consortium, subcontracting and third‑party involvement

Consortia and groups of economic operators are explicitly supported:the tender documentation includes annexes for group VAT sharing and templates for commitment letters for identified subcontractors and third parties. Bidders may submit joint offers and must properly document the role, share and responsibilities of each group member, include commitment letters and, where applicable, VAT sharing arrangements. Subcontracting is allowed but all subcontractors must be listed and disclosed using the provided templates.

Applicant evaluation, stages and selection

Consistent with standard EU procurement practice for services, the process is a single-stage tender submission followed by evaluation and award. The contracting authority evaluates administrative eligibility and selection criteria (economic and financial capacity, technical/professional capacity), then evaluates quality and price according to the published weightings (quality 70, price 30). The procurement metadata indicates one lot only. Appeals are to the specified appeal receiver in the procurement documentation.

Number of application stages:One formal electronic submission stage followed by evaluation, clarification (if requested by the contracting authority) and award. Bidders should expect administrative checks, selection checks (capacity) and award evaluation on the quality/price criteria.

Success rates:Not specified in the documentation. As a competitive EU procurement with a single lot and multiple potential bidders, success depends on meeting selection criteria and scoring highly on quality and price; no numerical success rate is provided by the contracting authority.

Financial and co‑funding requirements

Co-funding:Not applicable in the sense of requiring co-financing from the bidder as this is a procurement for a paid service contract. The contract will be awarded for a price and the bidder will receive payment under the contract. Bidders must submit a financial offer using the provided Annex 6 financial tender template. The procurement metadata lists an estimated overall contract amount of €1,700,000. No requirement for external co-financing is stated in the tender metadata. Standard contract performance/security clauses and any possible retention or performance guarantee will be in the draft contract and appendices.

Technical and sectoral focus

Target sectors and themes:environment and marine restoration (ocean, seas and waters), knowledge management, science-policy interface, communication and citizen engagement, capacity building, finance advisory for scaling innovative solutions, event organisation and community support (e.g., European Blue Parks), and digital services for a public online portal. The expected project stage for supported activities is primarily deployment, demonstration and scaling up of solutions for restoration of ocean and waters.

Templates and mandatory documents (application checklist)

Bidders must download and complete all required annexes and the financial Excel template from the procurement documents. The complete bid package typically must include the following uploaded documents exactly as requested in the invitation to tender and annex 1 checklist:

1. 1Signed declaration on honour (Annex 2 Declaration-honour-0022)
2. 2Completed technical capacity templates (Annex 2.1 Technical Professional capacity-MIP2)
3. 3Completed financial tender using Annex 6 financial tender template (Annex 6-Financial tender-TASKS ONLY_MIP2.xlsx)
4. 4Commitment letters from identified subcontractors (Annex 5.1) or third parties (Annex 5.2) as applicable
5. 5List of subcontractors (Annex 4)
6. 6Agreement / Power of attorney document where relevant (Annex 3 Agreement Power of attorney)
7. 7Declarations on pre-existing rights and group VAT sharing documentation where relevant (Annex III and Annex IV)
8. 8Any required security compliance statements as per Appendix 2 and Appendix 3

Practical recommendations for bidders

Follow the tender specifications and templates exactly. Provide clear evidence of experience operating multi-stakeholder platforms, knowledge management systems, science-to-policy activities, outreach and citizen engagement campaigns, and examples of providing financial or technical advisory services enabling scaling-up of environmental solutions. Clearly describe consortium structure, roles, financial proposal using the provided Excel template and compliance with security and administrative requirements. Ensure all documents are uploaded in the eSubmission package before the deadline and check the checklist Annex 1.

Procurement contact and documents:All official procurement documents and the invitation to tender are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal at the tender details page for reference and download Tender details CINEA/2026/OP/0022. The published documents include the tender specifications, administrative annexes, financial template and draft contract ¹.

Summary and interpretation

This procurement seeks an experienced organisation or consortium to operate the Mission Implementation Support Platform for the EU Mission on ocean, seas and waters during a three-year deployment phase. The contract consolidates and scales the first-phase platform services, providing an integrated one-stop service combining knowledge management, science-to-policy advice, financial and technical advice, capacity building, communications and citizen engagement. The procurement is managed by CINEA, is EU-wide in scope, is submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal, and is evaluated primarily on quality (70%) and then price (30%). Bidders must use the provided administrative, technical and financial templates and comply with the draft contract, security annexes and all administrative requirements. The estimated contract value is €1,700,000 and the planned duration is 36 months, with submission deadline 2 September 2026. Interested bidders should download the full tender package, prepare a compliant technical proposal demonstrating experience in marine/environmental mission support and platform operation, complete the financial template and assemble any required commitment letters for consortium members or subcontractors before submitting via eSubmission ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender specifications, templates and the invitation to tender are published on the Funding & Tenders Portal at the tender details page: ec.europa.eu. Consult the published tender package for full legal, financial and technical requirements.

Opportunity Overview

This is a public procurement tender (CINEA/2026/OP/0022) for the second phase of the Mission Implementation Support Platform, designed to consolidate and expand the one-stop-shop established in phase one to assist with the overall deployment of the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters ¹.

The platform will serve as a central hub providing knowledge, science-to-policy advice, financial guidance, and technical assistance to citizens, authorities, and stakeholders implementing the Mission ².

Key Contract Details

Scope of Services

The contractor will be responsible for building on the existing platform setup to deliver a comprehensive one-stop-shop for Mission implementation in the deployment phase ³.

Core Service Areas:Services include knowledge dissemination, science-to-policy advice, financial advice, technical assistance, capacity building, outreach support, and the scaling up of innovations at all levels ⁴.

1. 1Integration of communication and dissemination activities, including citizen engagement in coordination with Mission lighthouses
2. 2Consolidation of existing services: Mission Charter, online service portal, social media channels, and Mission Forum support
3. 3Management of the European Blue Parks community and targeted services for Mission communities
4. 4Facilitation of the deployment at scale of innovative solutions for ocean and water restoration
5. 5Provision of access to knowledge for all citizens and engagement support for relevant authorities

Who Should Apply

This tender is open to service providers with proven technical and professional capacity in project management, digital platform development, communication, and stakeholder engagement relevant to EU environmental missions ⁵.

Applicants must demonstrate experience in supporting EU-funded initiatives, managing multi-stakeholder communities, and delivering science-to-policy or technical assistance services ⁶.

Eligibility Requirements

1. 1Submission of the Declaration on Honour (Annex 2)
2. 2Proof of Technical Professional Capacity (Annex 2.1)
3. 3Submission of the Financial Offer Form (Annex 6) covering only tasks
4. 4Compliance with Security Requirements (Appendix 2) and Security Baseline (Appendix 3)
5. 5Declaration on pre-existing rights (Annex III) and VAT share details for group members (Annex IV)

Application Process

Submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal using the eSubmission method ⁷.

All mandatory documents, including Tender Specifications, Draft Contract, and administrative annexes, must be downloaded from the official portal page before preparation ⁸.

Important Documents:Key documents include Tender Specifications 0022-final version, Annex 2.1 (Technical Professional capacity), Annex 6 (Financial tender), and the Draft Contract for direct service ⁹.

Strategic Context

This tender supports the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters, which aims to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems, eliminate pollution, and make the blue economy carbon-neutral and circular by 2030 ¹⁰.

The platform plays a critical role in connecting the Mission's four area-based lighthouses (Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean, Baltic-North Sea, Danube-Black Sea) with stakeholders and citizens to scale up solutions ¹¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official Tender Details: EU Funding Portal - Tender aa1277d3
2. 2Mission Ocean and Waters Service Portal Overview: Mission Portal
3. 3Mission Scope and Objectives: EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters
4. 4Mission Implementation Strategy and Lighthouses: Horizon Europe - EU Missions Ocean
5. 5Eligibility and Partnership Requirements for Mission Calls: Restoring Ocean and Waters in Regions
6. 6Mission Implementation Platform Support Services: Info Days 25 April 2024 Presentation
7. 7Submission Method and Portal Access: EU Funding & Tenders Portal Submission
8. 8Tender Documents List: Annex 1 List of Documents
9. 9Draft Contract and Technical Annexes: Draft Contract Direct Service
10. 10Mission Objectives and 2030 Targets: EU Mission Ocean and Waters Overview
11. 11Mission Lighthouses and Community Engagement: BlueMissionAA Call