Defence Online

Type of document: Invitation to tender
Country: United Kingdom
OJEU Ref: (2021/S 240-634215/EN)
Nature of contract: Service contract
Procedure: Open procedure
Type of bid required: Global bid

Contract notice
Services

Section I: Contracting authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Official name: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
Postal address: Shinfield Park
Town: Reading
Postal code: RG2 9AX
Country: United Kingdom
Email: procurement@lists.ecmwf.int
Internet address(es):
Main address:
Address of the buyer profile:

I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge,at:
Additional information can be obtained from:
the above mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted:
electronically via:
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available.
Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible,free of charge,at:
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
European institution/agency or international organisation
I.5) Main activity
Other activity: Meteorological Services

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title: Copernicus CAMS2_64 Development of the Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS)

Reference number: CAMS2_64
II.1.2) Main CPV code: 73000000
II.1.3) Type of contract: Services
II.1.4) Short Description: This ITT, entitled “Development of the Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS)”, is for providing support for and further development of GFAS, which is operated at ECMWF.
II.1.5) Estimated total value:
Value excluding VAT: 575000.00 Currency: EUR
II.1.6) Information about lots:
The contract is divided into lots: no
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
Nuts code: UK
Main site or place of performance:on Contractor’s premises.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement:
This ITT, entitled “Development of the Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS)”, is for providing support for and further development of GFAS, which is operated at ECMWF. GFAS delivers near-real-time emissions of gases and aerosols from biomass burning through data assimilation of multi-satellite FRP retrievals supporting atmospheric composition forecasts. The Successful Tenderer shall provide improvements for the current GFAS system in terms of evaluation and improvement of injection height estimation, provide near-real-time Fire Radiative Power (FRP) observations from the GOES and Himawari geostationary satellites, evaluate and refine the merging of GEO and LEO satellite FRP products including the introduction of new products, provide and implement recommendations for service evolution, update information on spurious FRP signals, as well as deliver memoranda and reports.
The Successful Tenderer will also advise the team working on the global production system at ECMWF. The Successful Tenderer will have to demonstrate considerable experience in the field of estimation of fire emissions from satellite data.
II.2.5) Award criteria

II.2.6) Estimated value:
Value excluding VAT: 575000.00 Currency: EUR
II.2.7) Duration of the contract,framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 24
This contract is subject to renewal: no
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: no
II.2.11) Information about options
Options: no
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:yes
Identification of the project:Copernicus – The European Earth Observation Programme ()
II.2.14) Additional information: Tenderers should note that the value specified under Sections II.1.5 and II.2.6 is the indicative maximum budget for the whole framework contract and Price is one of the evaluation criteria.
Please also note the important additional information in Section VI.3 regarding funding and eligibility.

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure:
Open procedure
IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement

Framework agreement with a single operator
IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement(GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: no
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date: 2022-02-01 Local time: 15:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted:EN
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tender must maintain the tender
Duration in months:9(from the date stated for receipt of tender)
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening tenders
Date: 2022-02-01 Local time: 15:00 Place:Reading, UK

Information about authorised persons and opening procedure:Not applicable

Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence:
This is a recurrent procurement: no
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
VI.3) Additional information:
Procedure to be applied:The procurement will be conducted in accordance with ECMWF’s procedures as set out in Invitation to Tender documents, which will be available on ECMWF’s eProcurement Portal () and no other procedures will apply. In submitting this notice ECMWF does not waive the privileges and immunities granted to it by virtue of its status as an intergovernmental organisation or submit itself to any jurisdiction. Tenders must be submitted using ECMWF’s eProcurement Portal. Hard copy (paper) submissions will not be accepted.
Due to the need to include performance and compliance obligations in the contract, ECMWF will contract only with a single legal person or entity which is competent to undertake and commit to these obligations. ECMWF recognises that some bids will involve a number of organisations which may wish to work together to deliver the contract requirements. In such cases, these organisations must identify a lead contractor who will sign the contract with ECMWF and who will be responsible for putting in place legal arrangements to ensure that it can guarantee that all other organisations will also meet the contract obligations. ECMWF will not enter into multiple contracts with individual members of consortia or groups of service providers.
General eligibility
According to the Contribution Agreement between the European Union and ECMWF, participation in calls for tenders shall preferably be open to entities established in Member States of the European Union and to entities established in Copernicus participating states in accordance with the conditions laid down in the EU’s Space Programme Regulation. The Regulation can be found at
It is currently ECMWF’s expectation that, in practice, entities established in other States may exceptionally be eligible and subject to specific scientific or other requirements (as specified in the tender documents) as well as express prior approval by an EU Procurement Board. This applies to both prime and sub-contractors. Accordingly, ECMWF is required to reserve the right to exclude ineligible persons or entities from tenders at any point in time. All Tenderers as well as their sub-contractors must meet all eligibility criteria throughout the whole duration of the procurement exercise as well as their prospective contracts.
Eligibility of United Kingdom (UK) and Swiss (CH) entities
The above applies also to entities based in the UK and Switzerland. At present, neither the UK nor Switzerland are EU Member States or participating in the EU Space Programme. However, we understand that the European Union have agreed — in principle — that both countries may continue participating in, among others, the Copernicus component of the EU Space Programme as third countries for the period of 2021-2027. The detailed conditions for such a participation are still being negotiated, but the UK government has confirmed that, at the present time, UK organisations cannot bid for Copernicus services contracts, unless there are exceptional circumstances (as determined by the EU). Further information may be found in the following link of the UK Government, for the accuracy of which ECMWF will not assume any liability: It is likely that Swiss organisations will be in the same situation as UK ones.
ECMWF will publish relevant updates in this regard once they are available.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Official name: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
Postal address: Shinfield Park
Town: Reading
Postal code: RG2 9AX
Country: United Kingdom
Internet address:

VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
See instructions on ECMWF’s Supplier web page:

VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
Official name: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
Postal address: Shinfield Park
Town: Reading
Postal code: RG2 9AX
Country: United Kingdom
Internet address:
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice:2021-12-06