T-AIS data service in specific regions

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) invites open tenders under procedure EMSA/2026/OP/0008 for a framework contract to provide Terrestrial AIS (T-AIS) data feeds covering ten specified maritime regions, with a maximum contract value of €1,860,000 excluding VAT and a maximum duration of 48 months. Service Type 1 (mandatory) requires low-latency live streaming via EMSA's STAR STREAMING interface, compliance with IEC/ITU AIS standards, minimum regional coverage and availability targets (90 percent), and submission of a specified 20–21 April 2026 data sample; Service Type 2 (optional) offers on-demand historical queries with an annual cap of €15,000. Eligible economic operators from EU Member States, EFTA states and listed candidate countries must submit tenders electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 02 June 2026 16:00 Lisbon time. Award is by most economically advantageous tender with quality weighted 70 percent and price 30 percent, and failure to meet any minimum technical requirement leads to rejection.

Opportunity type

Call for tenders (EMSA/2026/OP/0008)

Procurement by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to supply operational terrestrial AIS (T-AIS) data feeds for multiple defined geographic regions and related services (streaming interface installation, hosting, support, reporting, and optional on-demand historical queries).

Funding / Contract value:Estimated total value €1,860,000 for the framework contract over up to 48 months ¹.

1. 1What it funds: continuous T-AIS data stream for 10 specific regions worldwide, integration licences, system-to-system interfaces, hosting of EMSA streaming interface, technical support, monthly and quarterly reporting; optional Service Type 2 on-demand historical queries (annual ceiling €15,000 if offered).
2. 2Who can apply: economic operators (including joint bids). Eligible bidders include operators established in EU Member States and specified non-EU countries listed in the invitation (e.g. Albania, North Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Norway, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina); participation open to international organisations.
3. 3Contract duration: framework contract up to 48 months; specific contract start expected Oct 2026 (signature estimated Aug 2026).
4. 4How awarded: open procedure; award on best price-quality ratio with quality (70%) and price (30%) criteria and minimum thresholds per quality sub-criteria.
5. 5Submission and method: electronic e-Submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login required). Tender documents (Invitation, Tender Specifications, Appendices A–E, Draft Framework Contract) published on the portal.
6. 6Key technical minimums: compliance with AIS standards (ITU-R M.1371, IEC 61162-1, IEC 62320-1), use of EMSA STAR STREAMING interface, minimum regional coverage and data-sample requirements, 90% service availability target, data provisioning via EMSA streaming interface and system-to-system formats.
7. 7Deadlines: final submission deadline 02/06/2026 16:00 (Europe/Lisbon) with public opening 03/06/2026 10:00 (Lisbon).

Tenders must include the mandatory templates and evidence (financial template, data sample per Appendix A, technical compliance matrix Appendix D, team CVs Appendix E, Tenderer Checklist). Non-compliance with listed minimum requirements will lead to rejection. Electronic questions are handled via the portal Q&A; contracting authority may not reply to questions submitted after 25/05/2026 23:59 (Lisbon).

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender documentation, technical specifications and templates available on the Funding & Tenders portal and in the Tender Specifications and Appendices (EMSA/2026/OP/0008) published 24/04/2026: Appendix D Specifications and Appendix B STAR STREAMING interface guide.

Publication and procurement essentials

Title:T-AIS data service in specific regions. Procedure identifier: EMSA/2026/OP/0008. TED reference: 80/2026 282626-2026. Lead contracting authority: European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Main CPV: 72319000 - Data supply services. Nature of contract: services. Procedure type: Open procedure. Submission method: electronic via e-Submission (EU Funding & Tenders Portal / EU Login required). Framework agreement: yes, framework agreement without reopening of competition. Award method: best price-quality ratio. Estimated total (maximum) contract value: €1,860,000 excluding VAT. Maximum contract duration (framework): 48 months. TED publication date: 24/04/2026. Deadline for receipt of tenders: 02/06/2026 16:00 Lisbon time. Public opening (remote): 03/06/2026 10:00 Europe/Lisbon.

What is being procured (scope and services)

EMSA seeks one or more contractors under a framework contract to provide Terrestrial Automatic Identification System (T-AIS) data feeds (Service Type 1) for ten predefined geographic regions and, optionally, an on‑demand historical query service (Service Type 2). Service Type 1: regular live T-AIS data streams covering specific coastal and inland waterways areas across 10 regions: North and East Europe; Mediterranean; Middle East; North West Africa; Central West Africa; South West Africa; Central America; South West America; South East America; Asia — Strait of Malacca. Service Type 1 deliverables include data provision via EMSA’s STAR STREAMING interface (SSTRH/STAR STREAMING), licences to integrate and distribute the data inside EMSA systems and to EMSA institutional users, system set-up, testing, validation, hosting of EMSA streaming interface at contractor premises, technical support, reporting and quarterly service evaluation reports. Service Type 2 (optional) provides historical query-based datasets (Vessel Position Query and Area-Centric Query) up to six months back with defined monthly query limits (up to 10 Vessel Position Queries and up to 5 Area-Centric Queries per month), response time targets (36 hours for Monday–Thursday requests; up to 60 hours for requests submitted on Fridays, weekends or Portuguese public holidays), .csv output with raw NMEA and separated fields, and maximum annual ceiling €15,000 if offered.

Key technical and contractual requirements (summary)

The tender specification (Appendix D) defines a detailed set of minimum requirements and quality criteria. Tenderers must provide a data sample (Appendix A) containing terrestrial AIS position reports (message types 1, 2, 3 and 18) for the period 20 April 2026 00:00:01 UTC+1 to 21 April 2026 23:59:59 UTC+1, downsampled to 1 position per 2-minute period per MMSI. Mandatory technical standards and formats: IEC 61162-1; IEC 62320-1 (comment block extension); ITU‑R M.1371-5; EMSA comment-block i parameter usage and STAR STREAMING Ecosystem Interface Guide (Appendix B). The operational stream must be delivered via the EMSA streaming interface (installation/hosting at contractor premises) within 15 working days of contract signature and EMSA instructions. Contractors must support EMSA’s STAR STREAMING interface (Kafka/TCP consumer/producer models described in Appendix B), provide ancillary timestamps and metadata (base station acquisition timestamp, data-centre ingestion and delivery timestamps, base station ID, high-resolution timestamp where available), provide storage to retain up to two weeks of messages in case of transmission interruptions and reintegrate stored data automatically when connectivity is restored, and guarantee a minimum service availability of 90% computed against a 7-day average comparison to the submitted data sample. Contractors must grant EMSA rights to store, process, derive and display data in EMSA applications and to provide system-to-system interfaces (WMS, WFS, IVEF, EMSA CDF, NMEA VDM stream, etc.) to EMSA users and Member States without restrictions on numbers/types of users (government restrictions must be declared).

Regions and explicit country areas required (coverage minimums)

EMSA requires coverage in 10 specific regions. For each region, tenderers must include base stations in the country/area lists below, or declare which listed country/area cannot be provided; failure to provide at least the region’s minimum number of country/areas (as stated below) leads to non-compliance and rejection of the tender.

1. 1North and East Europe (minimum: at least 6 of 11 listed countries/areas). Listed: Russia (Gulf of Finland, Black Sea, Sea of Azov, Kerch Strait, Murmansk and Kaliningrad), Ukraine (Black Sea, Sea of Azov, Danube River), Georgia, Moldova (Danube River), and other seaboard where not specified (total listed items = 11).
2. 2Mediterranean (minimum: 6 of 9). Listed: Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria.
3. 3Middle East (minimum: 6 of 9). Listed: Persian Gulf (Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Strait of Hormuz), Gulf of Oman, Bab el Mandeb.
4. 4North West Africa (minimum: 6 of 10). Listed: Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia.
5. 5Central West Africa (minimum: 7 of 10). Listed: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Republic of the Congo.
6. 6South West Africa (minimum: 2 of 3). Listed: Angola, Namibia, Cape of Good Hope.
7. 7Central America (minimum: 3 of 5). Listed: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela.
8. 8South West America (minimum: 2 of 4). Listed: Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina.
9. 9South East America (minimum: 2 of 4). Listed: Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil.
10. 10Asia — Strait of Malacca (minimum: 1 of 2). Listed: Indonesia (Strait of Malacca), Malaysia (Strait of Malacca).

Minimum and quality evaluation requirements (selection & award highlights)

Minimum requirements (non‑negotiable) include:compliance with specific Appendix D clauses (e.g. TAIS_SPEC_0031, TAIS_SPEC_0035, TAIS_SPEC_0038, TAIS_SPEC_0040–0047, TAIS_SPEC_0051–0054, TAIS_REPO_0059–0060, TAIS_REPO_0064). Failure to meet any listed minimum requirement leads to rejection. Quality evaluation (award criteria) combines weighted quality (70%) and price (30%). Quality criteria weights: Q1 Project Management Plan 5%; Q2 Data coverage and metrics (TAIS_DATA_0001–0030) 30%; Q3 Data specifications and streaming capabilities (selected SPEC requirements) 20%; Q4 Reporting and mitigation methodology 10%; Q5 Price for Service Type 2 (if offered) 5%. Evaluators score 0–10 per quality criterion; minimum thresholds exist: each Q1–Q4 must reach at least 60% and the overall score S must be ≥ 60% to be considered. Price evaluation: price scenario uses 12 months of Service Type 1 for comparative scoring; Service Type 2 price (if offered) must not exceed €15,000 per year and is scored separately within Q5.

Eligibility, selection and administrative requirements

Eligible applicant types:economic operators active in provision of AIS and maritime data services. The Invitation explicitly states participation is open to economic operators established in EU Member States and additionally in Albania, Republic of North Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Norway, Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and international organisations. Tenderers may be single organisations or groups (joint tender). Subcontracting is permitted but subcontractors that are relied upon to satisfy selection criteria or that exceed 20% share must be identified and provide commitment letters. Tenderers must supply Company, legal and bank forms, Declaration of Honour, simplified financial statements (minimum average yearly turnover €900,000 for last 3 years), and technical capacity evidence including staff CVs (Appendix E).

Eligible applicant types (structured answer)

Eligible applicant types:SMEs and large enterprises (commercial data providers), maritime data service companies, telecommunications / IoT operators with AIS base station networks, geospatial service providers, system integrators, resellers capable of hosting streaming interfaces, international organisations, consortia (joint tenders). Universities/research institutes may participate if they are legal entities offering the service. Nonprofits may participate if they meet selection and turnover criteria. Subcontractors and entities whose capacities are relied upon must provide commitment letters and evidence.

Funding type and financial mechanism

Funding type:procurement (tender) — a paid service contract via a framework contract. This is not a grant/loan/equity; it is a service procurement. The contracting authority will pay for services according to the framework and specific contracts. The maximum total budget for the FWC is €1,860,000 (excl. VAT). Service Type 2 has an optional annual ceiling of €15,000.

Consortium requirement

Consortium:not mandatory. A single tenderer may apply. Joint offers (consortia) are accepted; if submitting a joint tender, the group must appoint a lead (group leader) with a power of attorney. Joint tender members are jointly and severally liable. Tenderers may rely on other entities’ capacities (not subcontractors) to meet selection criteria but must supply commitment letters.

Beneficiary scope (geographic eligibility)

Geographic eligibility:organisations established in EU Member States and additionally Albania, Republic of North Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Norway, Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. International organisations may participate. Contract outputs target global coastal regions listed in Appendix D (regions across Europe, Africa, Americas, Middle East and Asia).

Target sector(s)

Primary sectors targeted by this procurement:maritime domain services, marine traffic monitoring, geospatial/remote sensing data services, ICT / data streaming, data supply services, marine safety and surveillance, security and law-enforcement maritime support, logistics/transport analytics and environmental monitoring. Secondary sectors: systems integration, cloud/hosting services, GIS services, data analytics and derived product generation.

Countries expressly mentioned in the tender documents

Countries explicitly listed as coverage areas in Appendix D across the 10 specific regions include (non-exhaustive list derived from coverage tables): Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran (Strait of Hormuz area referenced as Strait of Ormuz), Oman (Gulf of Oman), countries around Bab el Mandeb, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Angola, Namibia, South Africa (Cape of Good Hope), Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Indonesia (Strait of Malacca), Malaysia (Strait of Malacca). (Tenderers must indicate which listed countries/areas they cannot include; minimum counts per region are defined in Appendix D.)

Expected project stage / maturity

Project stage expected by EMSA:operational / production service provision (live streaming) and historical data access (on-demand archive queries). This procurement targets providers with already deployed terrestrial AIS base stations and operational data processing/streaming infrastructure able to demonstrate capacity via a provided data sample and to install/host EMSA’s streaming interface. The work is not R&D; it is service delivery, testing, validation and operations.

Funding amount and financial scale

Estimated maximum total budget for the framework contract:€1,860,000 (exclusive of VAT). Financial scoring uses a 12-month Service Type 1 scenario for price comparison. Service Type 2 (if offered) must be priced and will be scored separately; its annual cap is €15,000.

Application type, submission and deadlines

Application type:open call for tenders (public procurement). Submission method: electronic only via e-Submission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal — EU Login account required, and two-factor authentication will be mandatory for EU Login access from 30 June 2026. Key deadlines extracted: tender publication 24/04/2026; tender submission deadline 02/06/2026 16:00 Europe/Lisbon; public opening of tenders (remote) 03/06/2026 10:00 Europe/Lisbon; contracting authority will not answer questions submitted after 25/05/2026 23:59 Europe/Lisbon. Tender documentation published on 24/04/2026 (Invitation to tender, Tender Specifications, Appendices A–E, Draft Framework Service Contract, Financial Tender Template, Tenderer Checklist).

Nature of support to beneficiaries

Nature of support:financial payment for services (procurement). The contractor will receive monetary compensation against deliverables and accepted invoices under specific contracts. The contracting authority grants extensive usage rights for EMSA to store, process, integrate and distribute the data internally and to EMSA-defined institutional users. No grant or non-financial coaching component is provided by EMSA.

Application stages and process

1. 1Stage 1 — Preparation and submission of tender via e-Submission: compile Tenderer’s offer, completed Tenderer’s Checklist, signed cover letter, Legal Entities and Bank Accounts Form, Declaration of Honour, Simplified Financial Statements, Appendix C (Financial Tender Template) completed, Appendix D compliance matrix completed, Appendix A data sample, Appendix E project team CVs, Project Management Plan, and other documentation required by Tender Specifications.
2. 2Stage 2 — Administrative and exclusion / selection checks: EMSA validates formal requirements, non-exclusion (Declaration of Honour), selection criteria (legal, economic, financial, technical capacity).
3. 3Stage 3 — Technical evaluation (quality): evaluators score quality criteria Q1–Q4 based on the tender documents and data sample (including coverage, messages, ships detected, technical specs, interface compliance, reporting and service evaluation templates).
4. 4Stage 4 — Price evaluation: tender price scenario calculated for 12 months of Service Type 1; optional Service Type 2 price checked against €15,000 annual cap and scored in Q5.
5. 5Stage 5 — Final scoring and award recommendation: quality+price scoring; minimum thresholds must be met; contracting authority informs tenderers and signs framework contract with successful tenderer(s).
6. 6Stage 6 — Kick-off, installation of EMSA streaming interface and testing: within 15 working days the contractor installs EMSA streaming interface; testing and validation phases follow and must be concluded per timetable (set-up, testing, acceptance) prior to operational feed start.

Success rates and competitive context

Success rates:not published in the tender documents. As a public open procurement, the success rate depends on number and quality of competing tenders and whether minimum requirements are met. EMSA will reject non‑compliant tenders (failure to meet minimum technical coverage or mandatory minimum requirements). Only tenders achieving the minimum quality thresholds (60% per required quality criterion Q1–Q4 and overall score S >= 60%) will be considered for award. No historical numerical success rate is provided in the procurement documentation.

Co-funding / cost sharing requirement

Co-funding:not required or applicable in the grant sense. This is a public procurement: contractors submit priced offers for services; EMSA will pay per contractual terms. No tender-level co‑funding or cost-share is required from applicants, but tenderers must bear all preparation costs; turnover selection criteria and financial stability evidence are required.

Templates and application forms — structure and guidance

The tender package includes mandatory templates that must be completed and uploaded to e-Submission. Required templates/forms and their role:

1. 1Invitation to tender (PDF): administrative instructions, submission rules, deadlines, contact points, e-Submission usage.
2. 2Tender Specifications (PDF): main procurement document defining objectives, scope, selection and award criteria, financial and contractual clauses; includes list of appendices.
3. 3Appendix A — Data sample file (CSV template): mandatory sample containing terrestrial AIS position reports for specified 48-hour period (20–21 April 2026 UTC+1). Must follow downsampling (1 position per 2-minute window per MMSI) and contain specific fields (ais_TS, MMSI, lat, long, gnd_ID, nmea).
4. 4Appendix B — STAR STREAMING Ecosystem Interface Guide (Interface Control Document): technical interface specification describing EMSA streaming interface implementations (TCP and Kafka producer/consumer interfaces), message schemas (AVRO), metadata comment blocks and security/hosting requirements. Contractors will install and host EMSA streaming interface and must adhere to the guide.
5. 5Appendix C — Financial Tender Template (Excel): price schedule; tenderers must fill monthly prices per region for Service Type 1 and optionally prices for Service Type 2 on-demand queries; failure to complete all required cells for Service Type 1 leads to rejection (incomplete tender). Service Type 2 annual cap €15,000 applies.
6. 6Appendix D — Specifications and compliance with technical requirements (Word): the compliance matrix where each requirement is identified (TAIS_DATA_xxxx, TAIS_SPEC_xxxx, TAIS_REPO_xxxx, TAIS_INFO_xxxx); tenderers must mark compliance (YES/NO for minimums, compliant/partially/not compliant for quality items) and provide descriptive explanations for their approach and any partial compliance.
7. 7Appendix E — Selection Criteria: technical and professional capacity of the project team template (Word): tenderers must provide details for Project Manager, Project Manager backup and Technical Manager, include CVs in Europass format or equivalent, and demonstrate experience thresholds (e.g. PM: university degree, >=5 years AIS provision experience, >=3 years managing data services to multinational entities; backups and technical manager experience thresholds listed).
8. 8Draft Framework Service Contract (PDF): legal contract text — tenderers should review terms; the successful tenderer signs the FWC and specific contracts follow.
9. 9Tenderer Checklist (Word): list of required documents to be assembled and uploaded; must be signed by authorised representative.

How the Appendix D compliance matrix is structured:Appendix D enumerates requirements grouped as DATA (coverage and counts per region), SPEC (format, streaming interface, latency, format ancillary information, reintegration, downsampling, availability), REPO (monthly reporting, system architecture, mitigation methods, service evaluation reports) and INFO (informative items). Each requirement has an ID (e.g. TAIS_SPEC_0032), TYPE (Minimum/Quality/Informative), explicit acceptance criteria and fields for tenderer to select compliance and add description. Minimum requirements must be satisfied or tender is rejected.

Templates: structure to help applicants prepare their submission

1. 1Cover letter: signed by authorised representative, authorisation proof, contact email for the procurement procedure, bank account information (or indicate prior Legal Entities and Bank Account form on file with EMSA).
2. 2Legal Entities and Bank Accounts Form: completed, stamped and signed; supporting documents requested in Tender Specifications.
3. 3Declaration of Honour: signed; prepare documentary evidence in advance as EMSA may request supporting proof during evaluation.
4. 4Appendix C Financial Tender Template: complete all white cells for Service Type 1 monthly prices per region; if offering Service Type 2, include its prices (annual cap €15,000). Prices in EUR and without VAT. Prices must be fixed for contract duration.
5. 5Appendix D Specifications: complete compliance dropdowns for each requirement and provide detailed descriptions and evidence; include GIS shape file of base station locations and the data sample (Appendix A) consistent with the sample format.
6. 6Appendix A Data Sample: provide tab-delimited or CSV sample with required fields and downsampling; ensure data are terrestrial-only (no S-AIS) per TAIS_SPEC_0038.
7. 7Appendix B STAR STREAMING Interface: describe hosting environment, installation plan for EMSA streaming interface, technical contact and support arrangements (hours, response SLA), ability to host streaming interface locally, and how you will implement reintegration/resend of up to 2 weeks of stored messages.
8. 8Project Management Plan: Gantt chart with phases (set-up, testing, validation, operations), test methodology, risk assessment and mitigation procedures, service management meeting schedule and contacts.
9. 9Appendix E Team template and CVs: provide CVs in Europass or equivalent, demonstrating required years of experience and language level (B1 English minimum).
10. 10Simplified Financial Statements: evidence of turnover (≥ €900,000 per year average last 3 years) and financial stability.
11. 11Tenderer Checklist: signed and included as final cover.

Technical requirements and interface details (selected technical reproduction)

Key technical requirements that must be explicitly addressed in the tender and in the Appendix D compliance matrix (extracted and reproduced from the tender documents):

1. 1Timestamps and ancillary metadata: each T-AIS message must include acquisition timestamp (comment block 'c', epoch, 1 second resolution), high resolution timestamp (comment block 'i' element <T> character 'T', ideally 1 µs), base station ID (comment block 'i' element <T> character 'G' + string), data-centre ingestion timestamp (comment block 'i' element <T> character 'I'), data-centre delivery timestamp (comment block 'i' element <T> character 'D') updated on every resend attempt.
2. 2Message latency: target end‑to‑end latency < 1 minute from vessel transmission to delivery to EMSA streaming interface. Full compliance is latency < 1 minute, partial for >1 minute, non‑compliant for >5 minutes. Tenderers must state expected latency.
3. 3Message types: provide full AIS message types (all 27 defined in ITU-R M.1371-5) without restriction; state any hardware limitations if relevant.
4. 4Data formats and standards: IEC 61162-1, IEC 62320-1 (comment block extension), ITU‑R M.1371-5, EMSA usage of 'i' parameter and STAR STREAMING interface AVRO schemas / Kafka topics as described in Appendix B.
5. 5Streaming interface and hosting: contractor must download and install EMSA streaming interface (SSTRH/STAR STREAMING) within 15 working days from contract signature and EMSA instructions; contractor hosts the interface and provides operating infrastructure; EMSA validates installation.
6. 6Technical support / SLA: contractor must provide maintenance and configuration support during working hours (9:00–17:00 Lisbon time), respond within 3 hours during working hours to incidents causing unforeseen service interruption, support backup/recovery and provide unprocessed data after recovery, install updates/patches as required by EMSA and enable EMSA monitoring services for the streaming interface.
7. 7Reintegration / buffer: contractor must retain up to 2 weeks of raw messages in a message queue to guarantee reintegration and resend order (FILO or LIFO to be agreed) when connection to EMSA is restored; automatic background resend or mutually agreed alternative must be described.
8. 8Data usage and licensing: contractor grants EMSA royalty-free rights to store, process, produce derived products, display data in web and mobile visualisation applications, and distribute via system-to-system interfaces to EMSA Member States and institutional users (no restriction on number/type of users imposed by contractor).
9. 9Provision of base station GIS shapefile: tenderer must provide and allow distribution of an ESRI/GIS shapefile listing base station names, coordinates and identifiers; updated files must be provided if infrastructure changes when requested by EMSA.
10. 10Service availability: contractor must ensure minimum 90% service availability during contract; availability evaluated against 7-day average positions received compared to data sample; a drop >25% compared to data sample defined as unavailability; two consecutive unavailability periods may lead to contract termination.
11. 11Reporting: monthly summary report by email covering message counts by type per base station, unique MMSIs per base station and overall, operational status of base stations, and planned interventions; quarterly service evaluation reports (required deliverable for payment) containing latency, message counts, distinct MMSI counts, average messages per base station, incidents, availability statistics, vessel types and other parameters requested by EMSA.

Project timetable highlights (from Tender Specifications)

Framework Contract signature estimated August 2026. Kick-off meeting within 1 week of contract signature. EMSA streaming interface set-up at contractor premises within 2 weeks of kick-off; testing within 1 week; service acceptance test report within 1 week after testing; start of operational feed within 1 week after acceptance. Annual service management meetings and quarterly service evaluation reports. Contract operational provision expected to start in October 2026 per timetable in Tender Specifications.

How to apply — practical checklist

1. 1Register organisation and user in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and obtain EU Login (ensure you can enable 2-factor authentication when required). Obtain Participant Identification Code (PIC) if not already registered.
2. 2Download all procurement documentation from the call page (Invitation to Tender, Tender Specifications, Appendices A–E, Draft Framework Contract, Financial Template, Tenderer Checklist).
3. 3Prepare and validate the Appendix A data sample (tab-delimited / CSV) for the specified sample window and format; ensure data originate from terrestrial base stations only (TAIS_SPEC_0038) and meet downsampling rules (1 position per MMSI per 2-minute period).
4. 4Complete Appendix D compliance matrix thoroughly and provide supporting evidence and descriptions for each non-informative requirement. Prepare GIS shapefile of base station locations as required by TAIS_SPEC_0034.
5. 5Complete Appendix C Financial Tender Template with one-month prices per region for Service Type 1 (all white cells mandatory) and Service Type 2 prices only if offered (not to exceed €15,000/year). Prices in EUR, exclude VAT.
6. 6Prepare Project Management Plan (Gantt, risk management, testing/validation plan), team CVs (Appendix E) demonstrating required experience and language skills, simplified financial statements, Legal Entities and Bank Accounts Form, signed declaration of honour, authorised signatory form and any commitment letters from subcontractors or relied-upon entities.
7. 7Assemble scanned signed documents where required, ensure machine-readable digital documents (searchable PDFs or editable formats) and upload all components into e-Submission before the tender deadline.
8. 8If questions are required, use the F&T Portal Questions & Answers tab — EMSA is not bound to reply to questions submitted less than six working days before the deadline (contracting authority not bound to reply to questions after 25/05/2026 23:59 Lisbon time).

What this opportunity is about — long general summary

This is an EMSA public procurement (open procedure) to establish a framework contract for provision of terrestrial AIS (T-AIS) data services covering ten worldwide coastal regions of operational interest to EMSA and partner institutional users. EMSA requires a reliable, low-latency live streaming feed of AIS Class A (and Class B where available) messages, delivered into EMSA’s STAR STREAMING ecosystem using EMSA’s streaming interface. The framework covers the operational feed set-up, hosting of the streaming connector at the contractor premises, technical support and maintenance, reporting, quarterly service evaluation deliverables, and optional on-demand historical query services. Tenderers must demonstrate terrestrial base station coverage in the listed countries, submit a specific 48-hour terrestrial data sample meeting formatting and downsampling rules, host and integrate EMSA’s streaming interface (or connect via defined Kafka/TCP interfaces), ensure data availability and buffering to reintegrate up to two weeks of data after outages, and grant EMSA broad rights to use and distribute the data within EMSA systems and to institutional users. The procurement is assessed on a most economically advantageous tender basis combining quality (70% weight spread across project management, coverage and message statistics, streaming quality/specs, reporting and mitigation methodology) and price (30%). Tenderers should carefully complete the Appendix D compliance matrix and all mandatory templates (especially the financial template Appendix C and the data sample Appendix A), meet minimum selection thresholds (financial turnover proofs, team qualifications) and be ready to install, host and support EMSA’s streaming interface within very short mobilization timeframes (installation of interface within 15 working days after contract signature). Successful contractors will run an operational T-AIS feed to EMSA for up to 48 months under the framework agreement and be eligible for specific contracts, with EMSA holding rights to build derived products and distribute the data to Member States and institutional partners as defined in the tender.

Opportunity Overview

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) is procuring a Terrestrial Automatic Identification System (T-AIS) data service covering ten specific maritime regions globally. This is an open tender procedure for a framework contract with a maximum budget of €1,860,000 excluding VAT, valid for 48 months from August 2026. The contract will be awarded based on the most economically advantageous tender using a best price-quality ratio methodology.

Key Opportunity Details

Procedure Identifier:EMSA/2026/OP/0008

Contracting Authority:European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), Lisbon, Portugal

Procedure Type:Open procedure with framework contract structure

Maximum Contract Value:€1,860,000 excluding VAT

Contract Duration:48 months maximum from signature, with operational provision expected to start October 2026

Tender Deadline:02 June 2026 at 16:00 Lisbon time

Tender Opening:03 June 2026 at 10:00 Lisbon time (public opening, remote)

Scope of Services

The contract comprises two service types. Service Type 1 is mandatory and involves provision of a regular feed of Terrestrial AIS data for ten specific regions: North and East Europe, Mediterranean, Middle East, North West Africa, Central West Africa, South West Africa, Central America, South West America, South East America, and Asia Strait of Malacca. Service Type 1 includes licensing rights to integrate T-AIS data with other EMSA data sources (S-AIS, T-AIS from SafeSeaNet, VMS, LRIT, MRS), distribution rights to EU and EFTA Member States and institutional users via EMSA platforms, and service setup, testing, validation, maintenance and reporting.

Service Type 2 is optional and provides on-demand historical T-AIS datasets for maritime investigations or unforeseen scenarios. This includes vessel position queries and area-centric queries with a maximum annual price of €15,000. Service Type 2 supports up to 10 vessel position queries and 5 area-centric queries per month, with data available up to 6 months in the past and maximum response times of 36 hours for weekday requests and 60 hours for weekend/holiday requests.

Geographic Coverage Requirements

Tenderers must provide minimum country and area coverage for each region to avoid rejection. For North and East Europe, minimum 6 out of 11 areas must be covered (Russia Gulf of Finland, Black Sea, Sea of Azov, Kerch Strait, Murmansk, Kaliningrad, Ukraine Black Sea, Sea of Azov, Danube River, Georgia, Moldova Danube River). Mediterranean requires minimum 6 out of 9 countries (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria). Middle East requires minimum 6 out of 9 areas (Persian Gulf countries, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Bab El Mandeb). North West Africa requires minimum 6 out of 10 countries. Central West Africa requires minimum 7 out of 10 countries. South West Africa requires minimum 2 out of 3 areas. Central America requires minimum 3 out of 5 countries. South West America requires minimum 2 out of 4 countries. South East America requires minimum 2 out of 4 countries. Asia Strait of Malacca requires minimum 1 out of 2 areas.

Technical Requirements and Minimum Compliance

Tenders must comply with extensive technical specifications detailed in Appendix D. Key minimum requirements include data provision in conformity with IEC 61162-1, IEC 62320-1, and ITU-R M.1371-5 standards. Data must be transmitted via the EMSA streaming interface (STAR STREAMING) with specific technical specifications. The contractor must install and maintain the EMSA streaming interface at its own premises within 15 working days of contract signature. Data latency target is less than 1 minute from vessel transmission. Service availability must be minimum 90 percent, calculated on 7-day average position data with unavailability defined as more than 25 percent decrease compared to baseline data sample. The contractor must provide data samples covering 20-21 April 2026 downsampled to 2 minutes per unique MMSI, containing only terrestrial base station data in tab-delimited format.

Additional minimum requirements include provision of GIS shape files indicating base station locations and coordinates distributable to EMSA users, support for all 27 AIS message types without restrictions, capability to remove duplicate messages if requested, infrastructure for storing up to 2 weeks of data for reintegration following transmission interruptions, and provision of monthly reporting including message counts per type, unique MMSI numbers, operational status, and planned interventions. The contractor must provide quarterly service evaluation reports within 30 days of quarter end, containing detailed compliance information on latency, message volumes, MMSI detection, availability statistics, and incident information.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Eligible applicants are economic operators capable of delivering data supply services (CPV 72319000) for Terrestrial AIS. Participation is open to economic operators from EU Member States, EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), and candidate countries (Albania, Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina). Tenderers must not be subject to EU restrictive measures and must have access to procurement.

Economic and Financial Capacity:Minimum yearly turnover of €900,000 for the last three years, evidenced by profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, or equivalent financial statements depending on legal form.

Technical and Professional Capacity:Tenderer must nominate a Project Manager with university degree (minimum 3 years), minimum 5 years experience in AIS data services provision, minimum 3 years managing data services to multinational entities, and B1 English level. A backup Project Manager is required with minimum 3 years AIS experience and B1 English. A Technical Manager is required with university degree (minimum 3 years), minimum 3 years AIS experience, minimum 2 years working with Geographical Information Systems, and B1 English. CVs in European format must be provided for all team members.

Legal and Regulatory Capacity:Tenderer must have legal and regulatory capacity to pursue professional activities needed for contract performance and must not be subject to EU restrictive measures throughout contract implementation.

Award Criteria and Evaluation

The contract will be awarded to the tenderer with the highest overall score based on quality criteria (70 percent weighting) and price (30 percent weighting). Only tenders achieving minimum 60 percent on each quality criterion and minimum 60 percent overall score will be considered for award.

Quality Criterion 1 (5 percent weighting):Quality of Project Management Plan including service implementation outline, Gantt chart with tasks and milestones, testing and validation methodology, and risk management strategy addressing technical performance, implementation time, management issues, and mitigation procedures.

Quality Criterion 2 (30 percent weighting):Level of fulfillment of coverage area and data quality requirements (TAIS_DATA_0001 to TAIS_DATA_0030). Tenders with most countries/areas covered per region and highest message/ship detection volumes receive maximum scores.

Quality Criterion 3 (20 percent weighting):Level of fulfillment of data stream specifications and quality requirements including latency, message types, base station location provision, data sample content and format, service availability, data format compliance, ancillary information provision, duplicate message handling, and data reintegration capability.

Quality Criterion 4 (10 percent weighting):Quality of reporting and methodology including monthly reporting, system architecture description, technical issue mitigation methodology, service failure backup strategy, and service evaluation report content.

Quality Criterion 5 (5 percent weighting):If Service Type 2 price is offered, lowest price receives maximum score. Prices exceeding €15,000 annually score zero.

Price Criterion (30 percent weighting):Lowest price for Service Type 1 over 12-month evaluation scenario receives maximum score. Price evaluation uses 12-month scenario but 48-month scenario checks compliance with maximum €1,860,000 ceiling.

Pricing and Financial Terms

Prices must be quoted in euros, fixed and non-revisable for contract duration, and all-inclusive covering all elements identified in tender specifications. Tenderers must quote monthly prices for Service Type 1 per specific region (10 regions) and optionally for Service Type 2 (maximum €15,000 annually). Prices must be submitted without VAT using Appendix C Financial Tender Template. EMSA is exempt from VAT under EU privileges and immunities protocol. Price revision is possible annually using harmonised consumer price index (HICP) formula after first year.

Payment Terms:Payments made only after final acceptance of services/deliverables. Interim payments and payment of balance defined in specific contracts. Payment periods are 60 days from invoice receipt unless suspended. Late payment interest accrues at European Central Bank main refinancing rate plus 8 percentage points.

Submission Requirements and Documentation

All tenders must be submitted electronically via e-Submission through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal before 02 June 2026 at 16:00 Lisbon time. Tenders may be submitted in any official EU language but English is preferred. Tenders submitted by other means (email, post) will be disregarded.

Required submission documents include:signed cover letter with authorized signatory details and bank account information; Legal Entities and Bank Accounts Form completed and signed; Declaration of Honour confirming non-exclusion status; list of identified subcontractors if applicable; joint tender agreement/power of attorney if applicable; commitment letters from subcontractors or entities relied upon for capacity; Authorised Signatory Form with supporting documentation; evidence of selection criteria compliance (economic/financial statements, technical team CVs); Declaration of Honour supporting documents if requested; Project Management Plan; data sample file (Appendix A); completed Specifications and Compliance template (Appendix D); Financial offer (Appendix C); and Tenderer Checklist.

All documents must be clear, complete, and consistent with tender specifications. File attachments must be less than 50 MB each. Maximum 200 files may be uploaded per tender. Supported file types are specified in system requirements. Documents must be in searchable, editable digital format where feasible, preferably in English.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Subcontracting and Joint Tenders

Subcontracting is permitted but requires prior written authorization from EMSA. The contractor remains fully responsible for contract performance. Identified subcontractors with individual contract share above 20 percent or on whose capacities the tenderer relies must provide commitment letters. Joint tenders are permitted with one group member designated as leader. All group members are jointly and severally liable. Group composition changes after submission deadline lead to tender rejection except in case of merger/takeover with EMSA approval.

Contract Terms and Conditions

The framework contract is governed by Union law complemented by Portuguese law. Disputes are resolved in Lisbon courts. The contractor must provide services of high-quality standards in accordance with industry state of the art and tender specifications. Timely delivery is essential. The contractor is responsible for personnel and exercises authority without interference from EMSA. Personnel may not accept direct instructions from EMSA and have no employment relationship with EMSA.

The contractor must comply with environmental, social, and labour law obligations under Union law, national law, and collective agreements. Data protection obligations under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 and (EU) 2016/679 must be met. The contractor must obtain any permits or licenses required in the state where services are provided. The contractor must not present itself as EMSA representative and must inform third parties it is not part of European public service.

Intellectual Property Rights:The Union acquires irrevocably worldwide ownership of all results and intellectual property rights. Pre-existing rights are licensed to the Union on royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable basis for all modes of exploitation worldwide. The contractor must provide list of pre-existing rights or declaration of none with final invoice. The contractor warrants results are free of third-party claims and all necessary rights are obtained.

Liability:The contractor performs at its own risk and warrants EMSA against third-party claims. Liability is limited to three times the specific contract value except for gross negligence, willful misconduct, personal injury, or intellectual property breach. Joint tender members are jointly and severally liable.

Termination:Either party may terminate for convenience with three months notice for specific contracts or six months for framework contract. EMSA may terminate for cause including failure to perform, exclusion situations, conflicts of interest, environmental/social/labour law violations, data protection breaches, or force majeure. The contractor is liable for damages from termination except for EMSA-initiated convenience termination or force majeure.

Confidentiality:Both parties must treat confidential information with same protection level as their own. Confidential information may not be used for purposes other than contract performance without prior written agreement. Disclosure to third parties requires prior written consent. Confidentiality obligations bind personnel, related persons, and third parties involved in implementation.

Contact Information and Communication

All communications must be in writing in English and clearly identify the FWC number. Communications may be via email, mail, or e-PRIOR platform. Contact details for EMSA are: Lazaros Aichmalotidis, Head of Unit - Integrated Maritime Traffic Services, European Maritime Safety Agency, Praça Europa 4, 1249-206 Lisbon, Portugal. Email: EMSA2026OP0008@emsa.europa.eu. Telephone: +351 21 1209 200. Invoices should be sent to invoice.registration@emsa.europa.eu.

Questions about tender specifications must be submitted through the F&T Portal Questions and Answers tab by 25 May 2026. EMSA is not bound to reply to requests submitted less than six working days before deadline. Answers and any clarifications will be published on the F&T Portal. Tenderers are responsible for checking updates regularly during tendering period.

Key Considerations for Applicants

This is a highly technical procurement requiring substantial maritime AIS infrastructure and expertise. Applicants must have proven experience in terrestrial AIS data provision, particularly for the specified geographic regions. The technical specifications are extensive and compliance with all minimum requirements is mandatory for tender acceptance. Non-compliance with any minimum requirement results in automatic rejection.

The evaluation heavily weights data quality and coverage (30 percent) and technical specifications (20 percent), meaning superior data collection capabilities and infrastructure are critical competitive factors. The project management plan quality (5 percent) and reporting methodology (10 percent) are also evaluated, requiring detailed operational planning. Price represents 30 percent of evaluation, so competitive pricing combined with high-quality technical proposals is essential for success.

Applicants should note the tight timeline from tender submission (02 June 2026) to operational start (October 2026), requiring rapid mobilization capability. The 15-working-day requirement for EMSA streaming interface installation is firm. The contractor must demonstrate capacity to provide 90 percent service availability across ten global maritime regions simultaneously. Data provision must meet strict latency (less than 1 minute) and format standards. Monthly and quarterly reporting obligations are substantial and non-compliance may trigger contract termination.

Applicants should carefully review Appendix D technical specifications and Appendix B STAR STREAMING interface documentation before submitting. The data sample submission requirement (20-21 April 2026 data) is critical for evaluation and must demonstrate actual collection capability from proposed base stations. Applicants unable to provide data samples from the specified period demonstrating minimum coverage requirements will be rejected.

Footnotes

1. 1All tender documents, including detailed specifications, financial templates, and technical requirements, are available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal at EU Funding & Tenders Portal under procedure reference EMSA/2026/OP/0008. EMSA procurement information is available at EMSA Procurement.