Promoting the use and fostering integration of EU space services into Civil Protection authorities early warning and monitoring systems

This tender seeks a service provider to deliver capacity building and tailored training to EU Member States and UCPM Participating States on integrating Copernicus Emergency Management Services and the Galileo Early Warning Satellite Service into national civil protection early warning systems. The contracting authority is the European Commission DG ECHO under call identifier EC-ECHO/2026/OP/0025 and reference cd6f6256-9a48. The estimated contract value is €1,000,000 with a planned duration of 36 months and award criteria weighted 70% quality and 30% price. Submissions must be made electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal by 2026-09-10 at 16:00:59 Europe/Brussels.

What it funds

A service contract to deliver capacity building and tailored national-level trainings for EU Member States and UCPM Participating States on Copernicus Emergency Management Services (CEMS) and Galileo Early Warning Satellite Service (GEWSS). Activities include training design and delivery, stakeholder outreach, and support for integrating space data into early warning and monitoring workflows.

Who can apply

Open procurement tender for legal entities or consortia able to provide services (public or private organisations established in the EU/EEA). The contracting authority is the European Commission DG ECHO (European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations).

Estimated budget:The procurement has an estimated overall contract value of €1,000,000 and a planned contract duration of 36 months.

1. 1Scope: national-level training and capacity building on CEMS and GEWSS integration into civil protection early warning and monitoring systems.
2. 2Applicant profile: service providers or consortia with relevant technical and training experience in EO, emergency management, or civil protection.
3. 3Contract value and duration: approx. €1,000,000; 36-month planned period.
4. 4Award criteria: quality and price (weighting indicated in procurement documents).

Submit electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. See the official tender page and procurement documents for full instructions and selection criteria Tender details ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents published on the Funding & Tenders Portal include the Tender Specifications, Invitation Letter, Annexes (financial offer form) and Draft Direct Service Contract. Refer to the portal page for amendment dates and submission procedures.

Basic Opportunity Data

Overview

This is a public tender launched by the European Commission, DG ECHO (European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations) with the objective to provide capacity building and tailored trainings to EU Member States and UCPM Participating States on Copernicus Emergency Management Services (CEMS) and Galileo Early Warning Satellite Service (GEWSS) at national level. The procurement reference is EC-ECHO/2026/OP/0025. The estimated total procedure value is €1 000 000. The contract is for services (main CPV 80500000). The tender documents published include an Invitation Letter, Tender Specifications, a Financial Offer Form (Annex 6) and a Draft Direct Service Contract. The tender uses electronic submission via the Funding and Tenders Portal and has an open tender event scheduled after the submission deadline. Additional information request period closes on 2026-09-02. The tender specification package should be consulted for all technical and administrative details Tender Specifications. ¹

Deadlines:Closing date and time for submission: 10 September 2026 at 16:00:59 (Europe/Brussels). There is also a listed deadline of 1 January 2026 14:00:59 in the metadata but the official closing date in the call is 2026-09-10T16:00:59+00:00. The open tender event is scheduled for 11 September 2026 at 10:30 (local time).

Documents published:Key published procurement documents: 1. Invitation Letter (PDF); 2. Tender Specifications (PDF); 3. Annex 6 - Financial offer form (Excel); 4. Draft Direct Service Contract (PDF). These are current versions published on 2026-07-06 and available via the tender details page Tender documents.

Structured Answers to Categorization and Eligibility Questions

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants:The procurement is a public tender for a service contract published by DG ECHO. Typical eligible entities include international and national public bodies, private-for-profit companies (large enterprises and SMEs), specialised service providers, consultancies, organisations with experience in geospatial services and training, universities and research institutes with capacity building experience, and non-profit organisations active in civil protection and emergency management. The tendering terms indicate specific tenderer qualification requests and selection criteria are in the procurement documents; therefore bidders must consult the Tender Specifications for precise legal, financial and technical capacity requirements (e.g., past performance, staff CVs, turnover thresholds, certificates). The procurement is not explicitly SME-targeted (smeSuitableIndicator: false).

Funding Type

Primary funding mechanism:procurement (tender) for a service contract. This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument; it is a direct service contract awarded following an open competitive tender process.

Consortium Requirement

Consortium:The procurement documents refer to tenderer qualification requirements and allow bidders to present their proposals. The tender does not explicitly mandate a consortium structure; both single economic operators and consortia (including joint ventures or consortia of companies and organisations) are typically allowed under EU public procurement rules. Tender Specifications should be checked for any limits or requirements regarding subcontracting, consortium lead, or use of partners.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Geographic eligibility:The action is organised by the European Commission and addresses EU Member States and UCPM Participating States as beneficiaries of the capacity building. Bidders may be from EU Member States or other countries permitted to participate in EU public procurement procedures; the tender documentation and contract conditions will specify admissible nationalities and any exclusion of third countries. The procurement is EU-funded (fundingProgramCode: eu-funds) and targeted to EU/UCPM audience.

Target Sector

Sector focus:Space services applied to civil protection and emergency management. Specifically: Copernicus Emergency Management Services (CEMS) and Galileo Early Warning Satellite Service (GEWSS). The thematic sectors include space, disaster risk management, early warning systems, geospatial information/services, capacity building and training, emergency monitoring and response, and public sector disaster preparedness.

Mentioned Countries

Explicitly mentioned entities/regions:EU Member States and UCPM Participating States. The contracting authority is the European Commission, DG ECHO (based in Belgium). No individual countries beyond the EU and UCPM Participating States are enumerated in the scraped content.

Project Stage

Expected maturity:implementation/delivery stage focused on capacity building, training design and delivery, integration support and operationalisation of space services at national level. The contract requires operational delivery of trainings and technical support rather than early-stage research or conceptual work.

Funding Amount

Estimated total procedure value:€1 000 000 (estimated overall contract amount published in the procurement metadata). This is the procurement estimate and indicates the upper budget envelope for the contract.

Application Type

Application method:open tender via electronic submission (ESUBMISSION) through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (Funding and Tenders Portal eForms). The call identifier is EC-ECHO/2026/OP/0025 and standard portal submission applies. The tender is a call for tenders (procurement) rather than a grant call.

Nature of Support

Nature of support:monetary payment under a service contract (contracted fee for services). Successful contractor(s) will receive contract payments in exchange for delivering capacity building, trainings, and related services. Non-monetary elements include provision of training materials, technical support, and know-how transfer as deliverables within the contract.

Application Stages

Number of stages:The procurement process is a one-stage open tender with evaluation against selection and award criteria. There is a tender submission deadline followed by evaluation, award decision and contract signature. The procurement metadata also lists an open tender event date (possible clarification/meeting). Bidders should consult the Tender Specifications for any multi-stage evaluation or negotiation steps; the awarding criteria weights shown allocate 70 points to quality and 30 points to price.

Success Rates

Success rate:Not specified in the tender documentation. Typical public procurement success rates depend on number of bidders; the call does not publish expected number of awards beyond the single procurement project lot (LOT-0001). Bidders should assume competitive evaluation and refer to award criteria in Tender Specifications for guidance on scoring (quality 70, price 30).

Co-funding Requirement

Co-funding:No co-funding from applicants is required as this is a service contract; the contracting authority will pay the contractor under the contract terms. If the tender requires cost sharing or specific budget breakdowns, this will be detailed in the Financial Offer Form (Annex 6).

Technical and Operational Requirements (from Tender Specifications summary)

Scope of work:Design and deliver capacity building and tailored trainings at national level to EU Member States and UCPM Participating States on Copernicus Emergency Management Services (CEMS) and Galileo Early Warning Satellite Service (GEWSS). Tasks likely include needs assessments, development of training curricula and materials, delivery of workshops and practical exercises, provision of trainers/experts, remote and in-country training sessions, follow-up support, creation of guidance documents and training evaluations, and reporting. The contractor must demonstrate expertise in Copernicus CEMS products and services, Galileo early warning services, geospatial data interpretation, integration of space-based services into national early warning and monitoring systems, and experience in capacity building for civil protection authorities.

Technical qualifications and staffing:The Tender Specifications include selection criteria and likely require demonstrable past performance on similar projects, CVs of key experts (trainers, technical leads), organisational capacity, quality assurance procedures, and ability to deploy teams across Member States. The award criteria allocate greater weight to quality (70) versus price (30). Detailed eligibility and minimum standards are available in the procurement documents and must be met.

1. 11. Main deliverables: needs assessments, national-level training modules for CEMS and GEWSS, trainer deployment, training materials, exercise design and facilitation, post-training reports and recommendations.
2. 22. Contract duration and planned period: 36 months (planned period durationMeasure: 36 months).
3. 33. Language and logistics: trainings across multiple Member States; tender lists languages fields—consult Tender Specifications for required language capabilities and travel/logistics arrangements.
4. 44. Evaluation weighting: Quality 70 (subcriteria detailed in Tender Specifications), Price 30.
5. 55. Submission: Electronic submission via Funding and Tenders Portal using eForms by the deadline.

Templates and Application Structure

Available templates:Annex 6 - Financial offer form (Excel) is published and must be used for price submission. The Tender Specifications provide the structure for the technical offer and the administrative/supporting documents. Bidders should follow the structure indicated in the Tender Specifications which commonly requires: administrative forms (legal entity form, power of attorney if required), exclusion and selection evidence (financial statements, declarations), technical offer structured by work packages and deliverables, CVs of key experts, project plan and timeline, risk management and quality assurance, and the completed financial offer using Annex 6. Use of the Funding and Tenders Portal eForms is mandatory for submission.

How to Apply and Next Steps

Steps to apply:1) Register and sign in to the Funding & Tenders Portal and ensure organisation registration; 2) Download and study the Tender Specifications and all procurement documents; 3) Prepare administrative, selection and technical documents as required; 4) Complete Annex 6 Financial offer form; 5) Submit the full tender electronically by 10 September 2026 16:00:59 CET via eSubmission; 6) Respond to any clarifications during the additional information request period ending 02 September 2026; 7) Attend or monitor the open tender event on 11 September 2026 if applicable; 8) Await evaluation and award notification following evaluation against the quality and price criteria.

Critical recommendations:read the Tender Specifications and Draft Direct Service Contract carefully for mandatory requirements, required deliverables, intellectual property and data handling clauses (particularly relevant for Copernicus and Galileo data), and invoicing/payment conditions. Provide clear evidence of substantive experience with CEMS products and GEWSS, examples of previous national-level trainings or capacity building projects in civil protection, and an implementation plan demonstrating ability to operate across multiple Member States within the contract timeframe.

Summary

This is an EU procurement for expert services to promote and integrate EU space services into civil protection early warning and monitoring systems. The contractor will deliver capacity building and tailored national-level training for Copernicus Emergency Management Services and Galileo Early Warning Satellite Service to EU Member States and UCPM Participating States. The contract is estimated at €1 000 000 for up to 36 months and will be awarded via an open electronic tender through the Funding and Tenders Portal. Bidders must submit a technical proposal demonstrating relevant experience and qualified staff, and a financial offer using the provided Annex 6 template. Evaluation is weighted heavily towards quality (70) with price accounting for 30. Consult the Tender Specifications, Invitation Letter, Annex 6 and Draft Contract for full requirements and comply with all submission rules and deadlines.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal under the tender reference EC-ECHO/2026/OP/0025. See Tender Specifications, Invitation Letter, Annex 6 - Financial offer form and Draft Direct Service Contract published on 2026-07-06.

Opportunity Summary

This tender seeks a service provider to deliver capacity building and tailored training to EU Member States and UCPM Participating States on integrating Copernicus Emergency Management Services (CEMS) and the Galileo Early Warning Satellite Service (GEWSS) into national civil protection early warning systems ¹.

Reference Number:cd6f6256-9a48

Call Identifier:EC-ECHO/2026/OP/0025

Contracting Authority:European Commission, DG ECHO - European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) ².

Key Deadlines and Timeline

Scope of Work and Objectives

The primary objective is to foster the integration of EU space services into civil protection authorities' early warning and monitoring systems through targeted training and capacity building ¹.

Core Services Required:

1. 1Provide capacity building programs on Copernicus Emergency Management Services (CEMS) at the national level
2. 2Deliver tailored training on the Galileo Early Warning Satellite Service (GEWSS/EWSS) for national authorities
3. 3Support the uptake of EU Space Programme data to strengthen disaster resilience in line with EU Disaster Resilience Goals
4. 4Facilitate the operational integration of these services into existing national early warning frameworks

CEMS provides timely geospatial information for emergency management, including near real-time and historical data for natural or man-made disasters ³. GEWSS (also known as EWSS) is an upcoming Galileo service designed to disseminate alert messages directly to smartphones and navigation devices in threatened areas, with operational deployment targeted for 2025 ⁴⁵.

Eligibility and Applicant Profile

This is a public procurement tender for services, meaning eligible applicants are legal entities (public or private bodies) capable of delivering high-level training and capacity building services to government authorities ⁶.

Target Beneficiaries of the Training:

• All EU Member States
• UCPM Participating States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine ⁷

Applicants should possess expertise in EU space services (Copernicus/Galileo), civil protection mechanisms, and instructional design for technical training. The tender is not specifically marked as SME-suited, suggesting a preference for established service providers with significant implementation capacity ⁶.

Financial Details and Award Criteria

The contract value is estimated at €1 million, with the award decision heavily weighted on the quality of the proposed training methodology and expertise (70%) rather than price (30%) ⁶.

Relevant Context and Strategic Alignment

This tender aligns with the objectives of the SUNSHINE project, an ongoing EU-funded initiative that facilitates the uptake of EU Space data (including CEMS and Galileo EWSS) within civil protection frameworks to strengthen disaster resilience ⁸.

Strategic Importance:The Galileo EWSS service will be offered free of charge to national civil protection authorities once operational, but Member States must decide to activate it for disseminating alerts ⁴. This training ensures authorities are prepared to utilize this capability effectively when the service becomes fully operational.

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism, established in 2001, has responded to over 800 worldwide requests for assistance, making the integration of advanced space-based early warning systems critical for rapid and effective crisis response ⁹¹⁵.

Required Documentation and Submission

1. 1Invitation Letter (1. Invitation Letter_V1.pdf)
2. 2Tender Specifications (2. Tender Specifications_V1.pdf)
3. 3Financial Offer Form (3. Annex 6 - Financial offer form_V1.xlsx)
4. 4Draft Direct Service Contract (4. Draft Direct Service Contract_V1.pdf)

All procurement documents are available via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, and submissions must be made electronically through the portal ⁶.

Footnotes

1. 1Official Tender Description: Promoting the use and fostering integration of EU space services into Civil Protection authorities early warning and monitoring systems, available at EU Funding Portal.
2. 2Lead Contracting Authority identified as European Commission, DG ECHO in the tender metadata ¹.
3. 3Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) provides geospatial information for emergency management, see CEMS Overview.
4. 4Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS) details and 2025 operational target, see DG DEFIS EWSS.
5. 5EWSS will be free of charge to authorities and requires national activation, see DG DEFIS Leveraging EWSS.
6. 6Tendering terms, award criteria weights (70% quality, 30% price), and estimated contract amount (€1,000,000) from tender metadata ¹.
7. 7List of UCPM Participating States including Ukraine and Türkiye, see EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
8. 8SUNSHINE project supports uptake of CEMS and Galileo EWSS in civil protection, see SUNSHINE Project.
9. 9EU Civil Protection Mechanism established in 2001 and response statistics, see EU Civil Protection Mechanism.