Study 2026-006 – Supporting the Commission Expert Group on the Security and Resilience of Submarine Cable Infrastructures

The European Commission (DG CNECT) has published an open tender (EC-CNECT/2026/OP/0140) for Study 2026-006 to provide specialised consultancy support to the informal Expert Group on the Security and Resilience of Submarine Cable Infrastructures in 2026–2027, covering risk assessments and recommendations for existing and new cables and support for Cable Projects of European Interest. The estimated contract value is €600,000 and the contract covers the Expert Group course with an initial duration in 2026–2027 and renewal options. Eligible applicants are economic operators able to deliver high-level technical and economic analysis on submarine cable security and resilience and may include consortia. Proposals must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with the active deadline 24 August 2026, 16:00 Brussels time.

What it funds

Scope summary

A technical and policy study to support the informal Commission Expert Group on Submarine Cable Infrastructure in 2026/2027. Tasks include regular assessments, recommendations to improve security and resilience of existing and new submarine cables, and support for deployment or major upgrades via Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEIs).

Who can apply:Legal entities (consultancies, research organisations, consortia or companies) with high specialisation in economic and technological aspects of submarine cable infrastructures; participation via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal as a tender (e-submission) ¹.

1. 1Awarded as a services contract via open tender; quality weighted (65) and price (35).
2. 2Contracting authority: European Commission, DG CNECT.
3. 3SME suitability: not designated SME-suitable (consult procurement docs).

Apply and consult full tender specifications, model contract and annexes on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page Tender details ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Invitation to tender, tender specifications, model contract and annexes published on the opportunity page (EC-CNECT/2026/OP/0140).

Opportunity summary

Type:Tender issued by the European Commission, DG CNECT. Call identifier: EC-CNECT/2026/OP/0140. Purpose: a specialised study to support the informal Expert Group on Submarine Cable Infrastructure during 2026 and 2027 by regularly assessing and providing recommendations to improve security and resilience of existing and new submarine cable infrastructures and by supporting deployment or significant upgrades via Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEIs). The study is a direct follow-up to Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/779 and the 2025 EU Action Plan on Cable Security. The contracting authority states the purchase is required due to the high level of specialisation needed on economic and technological aspects and limited internal resources.

Key dates:Publication date: 17 July 2026. Submission deadline (final): 24 August 2026, 16:00:59 (Brussels timezone). Open tender event (indicative): 25 August 2026, 15:00 (Brussels timezone). Period for additional information requests ends 14 August 2026. Tender validity period: 6 months. Contract initial duration: 12 months, renewable up to 2 times (total planned period 36 months).

1. 1Estimated overall contract amount: €600,000 (currency EUR).
2. 2Main CPV classification: 73000000 (research and development services and related consultancy).
3. 3Submission method: eSubmission through the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Eligibility and applicants

Eligible Applicant Types:The procurement is open to organisations able to enter into a public contract with the European Commission. Typical eligible applicants include research and consulting firms, specialised engineering companies, universities, research institutes, large enterprises, SMEs, nonprofit organisations and consortia combining those entities. The procurement documents should be consulted for formal legal eligibility and any nationality, exclusion or selection criteria. The tendering terms indicate SME suitability is flagged as false, but SMEs may still participate if they meet the selection criteria in the tender documents.

Consortium requirement:Consortium: The tender documentation does not restrict bids to single legal entities only. Joint bids or consortium arrangements are customary for complex specialised studies and are typically allowed. The procurement lot is single (LOT-0001) and the draft contract and tender specifications should be consulted for exact rules on subcontracting, lead partner and joint tenderer responsibilities.

Funding and contract details

Funding Type:Public procurement contract for services (study). This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument but a service contract awarded through a competitive tendering procedure.

Estimated value and duration:Estimated overall contract amount: €600,000. Contract initial duration: 12 months, renewable up to two times (planned total 36 months).

Co-funding requirement:Co-funding is not requested by the contracting authority as this is a service contract to be fully paid under the contract terms. Applicants should include all costs in their financial offer. Any requirements for guarantees, performance bonds or specific insurance will be specified in the draft contract and tender specifications.

Scope, objectives and expected activities

Scope:Provide expert, specialised analytical, advisory and technical support to the Submarine Cable Infrastructure informal Expert Group in 2026–2027. Core objectives include regular assessment of submarine cable security and resilience; recommendations to improve security, resilience and deployment; support for the deployment or major upgrade of submarine cable infrastructures through Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEIs); and analysis of economic and technological aspects relevant to policy implementation of Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/779 and the 2025 EU Action Plan on Cable Security.

1. 1Regular monitoring and assessment of threats, vulnerabilities and incidents affecting submarine cable infrastructures.
2. 2Technical, economic and regulatory analysis to inform recommendations for increased resilience and security.
3. 3Support for the identification, assessment and prioritisation of CPEIs and input to their deployment strategies.
4. 4Drafting of papers, reports, briefings and recommendations for the Expert Group and the Commission.
5. 5Stakeholder consultation and facilitation of expert workshops where required.

Target sectors and technology focus

Target Sector:Telecommunications and digital infrastructure with strong cross-cutting relevance to security, transport of data, ICT, critical infrastructure protection, maritime infrastructure and related economic/technological analysis. Specific technological topics likely to be relevant include submarine fibre-optic cable systems, repeaters/amplifiers, cable landing stations, branching units, network redundancy and routing, physical protection measures, repair and maintenance logistics, surveillance and monitoring technologies, resilience by design, and economic models for project planning and CPEI financing.

Geographic eligibility and mentioned countries

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The contracting authority is the European Commission and the procurement addresses activities supporting EU-level policy and the Expert Group. Eligible bidders are expected to be able to contract with the European Commission. The opportunity is EU-focused (policy/actions for EU Member States). No individual non-EU countries are explicitly listed in the tender summary. Bidders from EU Member States and potentially associated or third country entities who satisfy the procurement eligibility and selection criteria in the tender documents may participate; consult the tender documents for precise nationality and exclusion criteria.

1. 1Explicitly mentioned region: European Union (EU).
2. 2No specific countries are named in the summary; procurement documents may include formal nationality rules.

Project maturity and expected deliverables

Project Stage:Analysis, assessment, policy support and advice. Expected maturity: research/analysis, validation and demonstration via policy recommendations and technical reports. This study will produce assessments, recommendations, technical and economic analyses, and support outputs used by the Expert Group and the Commission for policy and project (CPEI) development.

Nature of support:Beneficiaries will receive monetary payment under a public service contract in exchange for delivering the study services. The contract will provide remuneration for the contractor; the support is therefore monetary compensation for services, not a grant or vouchers.

Application and evaluation

Application Type:Open competitive call for tenders published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Method of submission: mandatory electronic submission (eSubmission) via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Tenderers must consult and use the official Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Annexes, Financial Offer Form and Draft Contract available with the procurement notice. Relevant documents published include: Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Annexes (Annex 02, Annex 03, Annex 04, Annex 5.1, Annex 5.2), Annex 6 Financial Offer Form, Draft Contract and Appendix 1 Security requirements ¹.

1. 1Submission through Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission).
2. 2Deadline: 24 August 2026, 16:00:59 (Brussels).
3. 3Requests for additional information must be submitted by 14 August 2026 (end of request period).
4. 4Open tender event: 25 August 2026 (see procurement documents for attendance and format).

Application stages and likely evaluation process:Application Stages: Typically 2 to 3 main stages. Stage 1: Submission and eligibility/selection checks (administrative compliance, exclusion and selection criteria). Stage 2: Technical and financial evaluation against award criteria (quality 65% weight, price 35% weight as indicated in the tendering terms). Stage 3: Contract award, negotiation (if applicable) and contract signature. The contracting authority’s awarding criteria indicate quality carries 65% weight and price 35% weight; refer to tender specifications for sub-criteria and scoring details.

Success Rates:The portal listing does not provide explicit success rate statistics for this specific tender. Public procurement tends to be competitive; the number of bidders and success rates are not specified in the published summary.

Cooperation, subcontracting and contract management

Subcontracting and consortium arrangements are commonly permitted in such framework contracts; the draft contract and tender specifications set out rules for subcontracting, lead contractor responsibilities, reporting, deliverables, confidentiality and security (including Appendix 1 Security requirements). The contract includes post-award electronic ordering and electronic payment indicators.

Application templates and required documents

Templates:The procurement package contains standard templates and mandatory submission forms. Documents published with the tender include: EN-Invitation_to_tender_EC-CNECT2026OP0140_V1.pdf; TENDER_SPECIFICATIONS_EC-CNECT2026OP0140_V1.pdf; Annex 02 to TS; Annex 03 to TS; Annex 04 to TS; Annex 5.1 to TS; Annex 5.2 to TS; Annex 6 (Financial offer form) in XLSX format; Model Contract EC-CNECT2026OP0140_V1.pdf; Appendix 1 Security requirements_V1.pdf. Tenderers must complete the financial offer form (Annex 6) and provide the technical proposal, administrative compliance documentation, selection evidence (financial and professional capacity), declarations on exclusion, CVs of key experts and any security-related forms required by the Appendix and draft contract. The tender specifications will list submission structure, page limits and required annexes.

1. 1Technical proposal: methodology, workplan, staffing, timeframe, deliverables, quality assurance and risk management.
2. 2Financial offer: completed Annex 6 financial form with cost breakdown and total price (EUR).
3. 3Administrative documents: legal entity registration, declarations on exclusion, EU procurement forms as required.
4. 4Selection evidence: capacity statements, references, financial statements, insurance certificates (if requested).
5. 5Key experts: CVs, role descriptions and assignment schedules.
6. 6Security: compliance with Appendix 1 Security requirements and any security clearance details stated in the draft contract.

Evaluation criteria and weightings

Awarding criteria:The tendering terms show two main award criteria categories with indicative weights: quality (65) and price (35). For detailed subcriteria (e.g., understanding of tasks, methodology, staff experience, workplan, previous experience on submarine cables, stakeholder engagement, deliverables quality) and scoring rules, consult the Tender Specifications and Annexes in the procurement documents.

Security, confidentiality and special requirements

The procurement includes a specific security appendix (Appendix 1 Security requirements) and the draft contract includes security-related clauses. Given the sensitivity of submarine cable infrastructure and resilience topics, bidders must follow security requirements in the specification and may be required to handle classified or sensitive information under strict rules, to provide secure premises or staff vetting as specified, and to adopt confidentiality measures.

How to apply and where to find documents

Applications must be submitted electronically through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the tender reference EC-CNECT/2026/OP/0140. All procurement documents (Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Annexes, Financial Offer Form, Model Contract, Appendix 1) are available for download on the opportunity page. The portal entry URL for the tender is provided in the tender reference and should be used to access the eSubmission interface and upload the proposal.

Lead contracting authority:European Commission, DG CNECT - Communications Networks, Content and Technology (lead contracting authority).

Additional procurement metadata

Risks and considerations for applicants

Key considerations:the study requires high specialisation in submarine cable technical and economic issues; bidders should demonstrate direct experience with submarine cable systems, critical infrastructure resilience and relevant policy support. Compliance with security requirements is critical. The scoring emphasises quality more than price. Ensure completeness of administrative evidence and timely eSubmission. Check the draft contract for liability, intellectual property, deliverable ownership, confidentiality and termination clauses. If considering a consortium, define a clear lead partner and consortium agreement to meet contract obligations.

Summary and recommendation

This procurement seeks a specialised contractor to deliver a policy-oriented study to support the European Commission Expert Group on the Security and Resilience of Submarine Cable Infrastructures in 2026–2027. The contract is relatively modest in value (estimated €600,000) but requires high technical and economic expertise on submarine cable systems, critical infrastructure resilience and CPEI support. Tender evaluation will prioritise quality (65%) over price (35%). Interested bidders should obtain and carefully follow the Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Annexes and Model Contract available on the Funding & Tenders Portal, prepare a technically strong proposal with qualified key experts, complete the Annex 6 Financial Offer Form, and submit electronically by 24 August 2026, 16:00:59 (Brussels).

This summary draws on the procurement notice and documents published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for Call EC-CNECT/2026/OP/0140. For full legal and procedural details consult the official tender documentation linked on the portal Opportunity page. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Published procurement documents include: EN-Invitation to tender EC-CNECT2026OP0140_V1.pdf; TENDER_SPECIFICATIONS_EC-CNECT2026OP0140_V1.pdf; Annex 02 to TS_V1.docx; Annex 03 to TS_V1.docx; Annex 04 to TS_V1.docx; Annex 5.1 to TS_V1.docx; Annex 5.2 to TS_V1.docx; Annex 6 to TS_V1.xlsx (Financial offer form); Model_Contract_EC-CNECT2026OP0140_V1.pdf; Appendix 1 Security requirements_V1.pdf. These are accessible on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal tender page for EC-CNECT/2026/OP/0140.

Opportunity Overview and Strategic Context

This tender seeks a specialized consultancy to support the EU Commission's informal Expert Group on the Security and Resilience of Submarine Cable Infrastructures during 2026/2027, focusing on assessing risks and recommending improvements for existing and new cable systems [[4]]. The study is a direct follow-up to Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/779 and the 2025 EU Action Plan on Cable Security, aiming to bolster the deployment of Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEIs) [[2]][[4]].

The procurement addresses a critical need for high-level specialization in the economic and technological aspects of submarine cables, which the Commission cannot meet with its limited internal resources [[4]]. Submarine cables carry over 95% of global internet traffic and are vital to Europe's economic security, defense, and digital autonomy, yet face rising threats from sabotage, hybrid attacks, and accidental damage [[18]][[11]].

Key Contract Details

The contract value of €600,000 reflects the specialized nature of the research and consultancy services required to deliver swift recommendations on cable security [[4]]. Note that the first deadline listed (January 1, 2026) has passed relative to the current date of July 2026, making the August 24, 2026 deadline the active submission window for this open procedure [[4]].

Eligibility and Applicant Profile

Who Can Apply:Eligible applicants are economic operators capable of delivering specialized research and consultancy services in submarine cable infrastructure security and resilience [[4]].

1. 1Natural and legal persons from EU Treaty countries
2. 2Entities established in third countries with specific public procurement agreements with the EU
3. 3International organizations

Applicants must demonstrate expertise in both the economic and technological dimensions of submarine cable infrastructures, as the reason for purchasing explicitly cites the high level of specialization required in these areas [[4]].

Scope of Work and Deliverables

The primary objective is to support the Expert Group by regularly assessing the security and resilience of submarine cable infrastructures and providing actionable recommendations for improvement [[4]].

1. 1Regular assessment of security and resilience risks for existing and new submarine cable infrastructures
2. 2Development of recommendations to improve security standards and physical/cyber resilience
3. 3Support for the deployment or significant upgrade of Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEIs)
4. 4Alignment with the Cable Security Toolbox and Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/779

The study will contribute to the EU's broader strategy of enhancing coordination across Member States, strengthening governance structures, and increasing funding for strategic cable projects to counter hybrid threats and sabotage [[2]][[7]].

Strategic Background: CPEIs and Funding

This tender supports the implementation of Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEIs), a concept developed under the 2024 cable recommendation to identify strategic backbones and safeguard them [[12]]. The EU has allocated €347 million through the amended Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital Work Programme to fund CPEIs, repair modules, and smart cable technologies [[1]][[18]].

Related Funding Calls:Successful CPEI projects will be considered for public funding under specific calls, including €180 million for infrastructure (2026), €40 million for repair modules (late 2026), and €87 million (2027) [[12]].

The Expert Group's recommendations will help guide these investments, ensuring they fill infrastructure gaps, increase supply chain security, and address geostrategic needs that are too risky for private investment alone [[14]][[16]].

Application Process and Resources

Applications must be submitted via the official EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the procedure identifier EC-CNECT/2026/OP/0140 [[4]].

Applicants should review the Commission Recommendation (EU) 2024/779 and the Submarine Cable Security Toolbox to align their proposals with the EU's strategic measures for risk mitigation, monitoring, and incident response [[2]][[10]].

The official tender details and full documentation are available at the primary opportunity URL: Tender Details [[4]].

Footnotes

1. 1The estimated total value of €600,000 is listed in the tender summary on Development Aid, which aggregates EU procurement data [[4]].