Operational Support to In-Season Crop Monitoring and Yield Forecasting Activities (MARSOP7)

The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC, unit JRC.D.5) has published Tender EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/1826 (MARSOP7) for operational services to support in‑season crop monitoring and the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System, structured in three lots covering meteorological services (Lot 1, €2,400,000), remote sensing services (Lot 2, €1,200,000) and crop modelling and statistics (Lot 3, €1,200,000), with an estimated total value of €4,800,000. The framework contract has an initial duration of 24 months, renewable once to a maximum of 48 months, and requires electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 03 September 2026 at 16:00:59 CET. Applicants must demonstrate operational capacity in near real‑time meteorological and satellite data processing, crop modelling and agricultural statistics, and comply with the procurement documents, draft contract and mandatory administrative declarations. Award will be based on quality (60%) and price (40%) as specified in the tender documentation.

What it funds

Scope summary

A services tender to provide operational support for the JRC D.5 MARS unit covering in‑season crop monitoring and quantitative yield forecasting. Activities include running and developing the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System, producing monthly MARS bulletins, ingesting and processing meteorological and remote sensing data, executing crop models, and managing agricultural statistics and phenological observations.

Who can apply:Open tender for service providers/contractors with relevant technical capacity in meteorological data processing, Earth observation/remote sensing, crop modelling, and agricultural statistics. The procurement is non-restricted; SME suitability is flagged as false for the lots, so established suppliers or consortia are expected.

1. 1Lot 1 Meteorological Services: acquisition, QC, aggregation and NRT delivery of meteorological data
2. 2Lot 2 Remote Sensing Services: EO product generation, intercalibration, mapping and time series
3. 3Lot 3 Crop Modelling and Statistics: running crop models, water indices, data collection and QC

Rough funding and contract duration:Estimated overall contract value €4,800,000 across three lots; initial framework period 24 months, renewable once (total possible 48 months). Tender deadlines: main submission 2026-09-03 16:00:59 (Europe/Rome); an earlier timestamp 2026-01-01 is listed in metadata. ¹

Procurement reference EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/1826. Submission is electronic through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; consult the official procurement documents (technical specifications, draft contract and financial offer forms) on the portal for detailed requirements and selection criteria.

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender page and documents available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender details.

Opportunity snapshot

This is a public tender launched by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (DG JRC, unit JRC.D.5 - MARSOP) to procure operational services that support the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System (MCYFS) and the MARS in-season crop monitoring and yield forecasting activities. The services are organised into three separate contract lots covering Meteorological Services (Lot 1), Remote Sensing Services (Lot 2) and Crop Modelling and Statistics (Lot 3). The procurement is issued under call identifier EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/1826 and was published on 2026-07-08. The estimated total value of the procedure is €4,800,000 (€2,400,000 for Lot 1; €1,200,000 for Lot 2; €1,200,000 for Lot 3). The framework contract planned duration is 48 months (initial period 24 months with one possible renewal) and the procurement uses eSubmission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Deadlines and key dates

1. 1Invitation to tender publication date: 2026-07-08
2. 2Tender submission deadline (closing date): 2026-09-03 16:00:59 Europe/Rome (CEST) (displayed as 2026-09-03T16:00:59Z)
3. 3Open tender event (likely debrief/clarification or opening): 2026-09-04 10:00:00 +02:00
4. 4Additional information request period end: 2026-08-26
5. 5Consider-changed-until date for tender documents: 2026-07-22 (document change window noted in portal)

Main objectives and scope of work

The tender aims to secure operational services that provide timely, independent, high-quality information on crop status and development and quantitative forecasts of agricultural yields and production in the EU and neighbouring countries. Outputs feed monthly JRC MARS Bulletins and Commission-internal workflows used by DG AGRI for food security monitoring and agricultural market decision-making. The services sustain operation and development of the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System (MCYFS).

Services by lot

Eligibility and applicant types

This is a procurement tender under the European Commission. Eligibility follows public procurement rules applicable to EU contracts. Economic operators established in the jurisdictions permitted by the procurement documents may submit tenders. The procurement documents specify selection and exclusion criteria and required declarations.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: The tender is open to economic operators able to enter into public contracts. Typical eligible types include private companies (SMEs and large enterprises), research organisations and universities, non-profit organisations that can act as contractors, consortia (including public-private partnerships) where permitted by the contracting rules, and other entities that meet the selection criteria. Individual natural persons are generally not typical contractors for these types of service contracts.
2. 2Funding Type: Procurement (tender) leading to one or more framework service contracts. The financial mechanism is contract payments for services (service contract under a framework agreement).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: The procurement allows tenderers to propose themselves as a single legal entity or as a consortium/consortium-like arrangement (joint tender or lead contractor with subcontractors) in line with procurement documents. The administrative part and selection criteria in the tender specifications should be consulted for specific requirements on joint bids and capacity demonstration.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The contracting authority is the European Commission (JRC). The tender is aimed at economic operators established and legally eligible to bid under EU procurement rules. In practice this covers entities established in EU Member States and other jurisdictions eligible under EU public procurement rules (e.g., EEA states and possibly certain third countries depending on the applicable treaty/agreements).
5. 5Target Sector: Thematic coverage includes agriculture, remote sensing/Earth observation, meteorology, crop modelling/statistics, geospatial data processing, environmental monitoring and related ICT/data engineering services.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: The tender text explicitly references the European Union and neighbouring countries as the geographic area of activity. The contracting authority is the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) in the EU.

Project maturity, deliverables and timeframe

Project Stage:The activities are operational and production-level support of existing systems (MCYFS) and ongoing in-season forecasting. Expected maturity of work is operational/implementation and demonstration; activities include near real-time processing, recurring monthly deliverables (MARS Bulletins) and iterative system development/enhancement.

Planned contract duration:The framework contract planned period is 48 months. The draft contract indicates an initial period of 24 months with one possible renewal (consult draft FWC for details).

Financial information

Cft Estimated Total Procedure Value:€4,800,000. The estimated overall contract amounts per lot are: Lot €1 2,400,000, Lot €2 1,200,000, Lot €3 1,200,000. Currency: EUR. The funding is provided by the EU (JRC budget) via service contract payments; this is not a grant.

How to apply and required submission method

Submission Method:eSubmission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal / eForms system. The portal is the access point for the full call and all procurement documents. Tenderers must follow the administrative and technical tender specifications and submit their financial offer using the provided Financial Offer forms (Excel/NATIVE attachments listed in the documents). The tender procedure is advertised as open (public invitation) with specific administrative forms to be completed and uploaded.

1. 1Application Type: Open call tender (public procurement) with documents and forms published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
2. 2Submission channel: Electronic submission (ESUBMISSION) via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission functionality and eForms.
3. 3Additional info deadline: Requests for additional information must be submitted before 2026-08-26 (see portal).

Selection, evaluation and award

Evaluation and awarding are based on the criteria set in the tender documents. The award criteria weighting shown in the tender metadata indicates quality 60% and price 40%, but tenderers must consult the procurement documents for the detailed breakdown, subcriteria and scoring rules. The contracting system type includes framework agreement (fa-wo-rc). Appeal procedures reference an appeal receiver in the portal metadata.

1. 1Application Stages: The tender appears to be a single-stage submission (submission of administrative, technical and financial offers in one procedure) with an open tender event on 2026-09-04. There may be clarifications or requests for additional information during evaluation; consult the tender specifications for exact procedures.
2. 2Success Rates: The portal metadata does not provide historic success rates for this specific tender. As a competitive EU public procurement, success rate depends on the number and quality of bids received and is not disclosed here.
3. 3Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding from bidders is required; this is a procurement contract where the contractor will be paid under the contract terms. Bidders must propose prices and comply with VAT, invoicing and contractual conditions described in the draft contract and annexes (e.g., Annex IV VAT shares).

Documents and templates available

The Funding & Tenders Portal listing includes a comprehensive set of procurement documents and templates. Tenderers must download, study and use the official documents for submission. The portal metadata lists the following key documents and templates (filenames as provided on the portal):

1. 11. Invitation_to_tender_EC-JRCIPR2026OP1826_MARSOP7_V1.pdf (Invitation to tender)
2. 22. Tender specifications- Part 1 Administrative MARSOP7 01_V1.pdf (administrative tender specs)
3. 33. Draft_Service_FWC_EC-JRCIPR2026OP1826_V1.pdf (draft framework service contract)
4. 44. Draft FWC Part III_V1.pdf (draft FWC Part III)
5. 55.1 MARSOP7-Lot 1_Technical Specifications_v1.01_V1.pdf (Lot 1 technical specs)
6. 65.2 MARSOP7_Lot2_Technical_Specifications_final_260618_V1.pdf (Lot 2 technical specs)
7. 75.3 MARSOP7_Lot3_Technical_specifications_final_260618_V1.pdf (Lot 3 technical specs)
8. 86.1 MARSOP7-Lot 1_Financial_Offer_form_260630_V1.xlsx (Lot 1 financial offer form)
9. 96.2 MARSOP7_Lot2_Financial_Offer_form_final_260630_V1.xlsx (Lot 2 financial offer form)
10. 106.3 MARSOP7_Lot3_Financial_Offer_form_final_260630_V1.xlsx (Lot 3 financial offer form)
11. 112.1 declaration-of-honour-tenders_MARSOP7_EC-JRCIPR2026OP1826_V1.docx (Declaration on honour - tender)
12. 123.1 Appendix 1 Security requirements en 2025_V1.pdf (security requirements)
13. 137.Annex IV VAT shares_V1.pdf (VAT annex)
14. 148. Annex V statements-ipr-en_V1.pdf (IPR statements annex)
15. 159. Annex VI Acceptance form_V1.pdf (acceptance form)
16. 165.1.1 MARSOP7-Lot 1_active_stations_list_V1.csv (Lot 1 active stations list)
17. 175.1.2 Lot 1 ECMWF_RT8566_European-Union-for-the-European-Commission-Joint-Research-Centre_forsignature_v2-1_V1.pdf (ECMWF-related doc for Lot 1)
18. 185.2.1 Lot 2 AppendixD_Polynomial-Intercalibration_V1.pdf (Lot 2 appendix)
19. 195.2.2 Lot 2 AppendixE_PythonCode_V1.zip (Lot 2 python code appendix)

Templates:The portal provides Financial Offer forms (Excel) per lot; a Declaration on Honour (tender) template; draft contract and contract annexes (VAT, IPR, acceptance); technical specifications per lot; and appendices including sample data and Python code for intercalibration. Tenderers must use the provided financial offer Excel forms and complete all required administrative eForms and declarations when submitting via the eSubmission/eForms system.

Procurement classification and CPV codes

Main CPV classification listed:77100000 (telecommunications and related services? Note: CPV 77100000 in portal metadata is the main code used). Additional CPV codes associated with the lots include: 71351610, 90711500, 72310000, 73200000, 72230000, 72320000. Tenderers should consult the technical specifications to match required technical services to CPV codes.

Other procedural details

• Contracting authority: European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre (lead contracting authority).
• Contract type: Framework service contract with potential ordering under the framework (fa-wo-rc).
• Tendering procedure: Open public procurement with eSubmission; tender validity period is 6 months after award as indicated; electronic ordering and payment expected post-award.
• Award weighting: Quality 60% / Price 40% (see procurement documents for subcriteria and scoring).
• Appeals: Appeal receiver reference provided in metadata (consult call documents for exact appeal procedure).

Cooperation, consortiums and subcontracting

The procurement documents include selection criteria and capacity demonstration requirements. Bidders may present themselves as single legal entities or as consortia (joint bids) provided they fulfil all selection and capability requirements. Use of subcontractors is allowed under standard EC procurement rules; detailed rules, requirements for substitutability, key experts and declaration obligations are provided in the tender specifications and draft contract. Tenderers must include the required declarations (declaration on honour) and any certificates requested for selection.

Risks and considerations for applicants

1. 1Operational tempo: Lots require near real-time processing and recurring operational delivery; bidders must demonstrate capacity for NRT processing and service continuity.
2. 2Technical interoperability: Lot 2 includes intercalibration and delivered Python code examples; technical interoperability with MCYFS ingestion formats and QC procedures is required.
3. 3Data access sources: Lot 1 references ECMWF model datasets and in-situ station integration; Lot 2 references Sentinel, VIIRS and Copernicus products. Tenderers must show legal/technical access to these data sources and experience integrating them.
4. 4Contractual compliance: The draft framework contract, security appendix and VAT annex must be accepted; bidders must ensure compliance with security requirements and IPR statements.
5. 5Competitive process: The tender is likely to attract specialised providers in meteorology, remote sensing and crop modelling—proposals must be technically strong to meet the 60% quality weighting.

Summary: What is this opportunity and who should apply

This procurement solicits operational service providers to sustain and further develop the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System (MCYFS) and its in-season crop monitoring and yield forecasting outputs used by the European Commission (DG AGRI) and published via JRC MARS Bulletins. It is structured in three lots: Meteorological Services (near real-time meteorological data ingestion and processing), Remote Sensing Services (EO product generation, intercalibration, crop mapping and biophysical timeseries) and Crop Modelling and Statistics (operational crop growth model runs, Water Satisfaction Index processing, and collection/quality control of agricultural statistics and phenology). The procurement is a framework service contract with an estimated overall value €4.8M for up to 48 months. Applications are made via electronic submission on the Funding & Tenders Portal using the provided eForms and financial templates. Ideal applicants are organisations with operational experience in meteorological data services, Earth observation processing for agriculture, crop modelling and agricultural statistics workflows: examples include specialised consultancies, medium/large enterprises, research institutes, universities with strong operational capacity, or consortia that combine complementary technical capabilities. Bidders must carefully follow the tender specifications, use the supplied financial and administrative templates, and demonstrate the operational, technical and data access capabilities required for near real-time delivery.

Opportunity Purpose and Scope

The MARSOP7 tender seeks operational services to support the JRC.D.5 unit's crop monitoring and yield forecasting activities under the MARS system, implementing Article 25 of REG (EU) 2021/2116 on Monitoring Agricultural Resources ¹. These services provide DG AGRI with timely, independent, and high-quality information on crop state, development, and quantitative yield forecasts for the EU and neighboring countries to ensure food security and support agricultural market decision-making ². The operational services sustain the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System (MCYFS), which is central to the JRC's crop monitoring activities ³.

Contract Structure and Lots

The procurement is organized into three distinct lots, each with specific technical focus and estimated contract values ⁴.

Key Contract Details

Total Estimated Value:The overall estimated contract amount is €4,800,000, covering the three lots ⁵.

Duration:The framework contract has an initial duration of 24 months, renewable once for an additional 24 months, totaling up to 48 months ⁶.

Deadlines:Tender submissions must be made electronically by 16:00:59 CET on 03 September 2026 ⁷. An additional information request period ends on 26 August 2026 ⁸.

Award Criteria:Tenders are evaluated based on quality (60% weight) and price (40% weight) ⁹.

Who Should Apply

Applicants must possess specialized expertise in agro-meteorology, remote sensing, crop modeling, and agricultural statistics to deliver near real-time data processing and analysis services ¹⁰. The tender is not specifically marked as SME-suitable, indicating a requirement for established technical capacity and experience with large-scale data infrastructures ¹¹.

• Proven experience in near real-time (NRT) data acquisition and processing for meteorological or satellite sources
• Technical capability to integrate data from ECMWF, Sentinel missions, VIIRS, and Copernicus Land Monitoring Service
• Expertise in executing crop growth models and processing Water Satisfaction Index data at global scale
• Ability to perform quality control, spatial/temporal aggregation, and crop-type mapping
• Experience with agricultural statistics collection and phenological observation integration

Procurement Documents and Requirements

All procurement documents, including technical specifications, draft framework contracts, financial offer forms, and security requirements, are available via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹². Key documents include the Draft Service FWC, Technical Specifications for each lot, and specific appendices such as the Polynomial-Intercalibration and Python Code for Lot 2 ¹³. Applicants must submit a Declaration on Honour and comply with security requirements detailed in Appendix 1 ¹⁴.

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender description: Operational Support to In-Season Crop Monitoring and Yield Forecasting Activities (MARSOP7), Call Identifier EC-JRC/IPR/2026/OP/1826, published 08 July 2026 EU Funding Portal.
2. 2JRC MARS unit role: Provides independent crop yield forecasts to support CAP and food security policies, with monthly bulletins used by DG AGRI JRC MARS.
3. 3MCYFS system: The MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System is the core tool for crop monitoring, developed in 1989 and continuously updated Peer 2025.
4. 4Lot breakdown: Three lots covering meteorological, remote sensing, and crop modeling/statistics services, with specific technical scopes defined in procurement documents EU Public Procurement.
5. 5Total contract value: Estimated overall contract amount is €4,800,000, with Lot 1 at €2,400,000 and Lots 2 and 3 each at €1,200,000 EU Tender Details.
6. 6Contract duration: Initial 24-month period renewable once for 24 months, totaling 48 months maximum Draft FWC.
7. 7Submission deadline: 03 September 2026 at 16:00:59 CET, with electronic submission required EU Tender Details.
8. 8Additional information period: Ends 26 August 2026 at 20:00 CET EU Tender Details.
9. 9Award criteria: Quality weighted at 60% and price at 40%, as specified in tendering terms EU Tender Details.
10. 10Technical expertise required: Specialized knowledge in agro-meteorology, remote sensing, crop modeling, and agricultural statistics for NRT data processing JRC MARS.
11. 11SME suitability: The tender is not marked as SME-suitable, indicating a need for established technical capacity EU Tender Details.
12. 12Procurement documents: All documents including technical specs, draft contracts, and financial forms available on EU Funding & Tenders Portal EU Tender Details.
13. 13Key appendices: Includes Polynomial-Intercalibration and Python Code for Lot 2, and security requirements in Appendix 1 Cft Documents.
14. 14Submission requirements: Declaration on Honour and compliance with security requirements are mandatory Cft Documents.