LARGER-SCALE EO EXPLOITATION ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
5, August 2015

ESA Open Invitation To Tender AO8346
Open Date: 03/08/2015
Closing Date: 12/10/2015

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 15.155.06
Prog. Ref.: EOEP- 4 Value Add.El
Budget Ref.: E/0097-E4 – EOEP- 4 Value Add.El
Special Prov.: BE+DK+FR+DE+IT+NL+ES+SE+CH+GB+IE+AT+NO+FI+PT+LU+CZ+RO+PL+CA
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Establishment: ESRIN
Directorate: Directorate of EO Programmes
Department: Science, Appl & Future Technologies Dept
Division: Exploitation and Services Division
Contract Officer: Boisard, Nathalie
Last Update Date: 03/08/2015
Update Reason: Tender issue

In the frame of the Value Adding Element (VAE) program, through this procurement ESA aims to place three (3) contracts, each for the larger-scale exploitation of EO-based information products and services that respond to requirements in high-priority thematic domains of international development. Each envisaged contract shall address a single thematic domain of international development, i.e.: Water Resources Management, Agriculture and Rural Development, Urban Development. The activities will be carried out in close collaboration with the key stakeholders; namely the main International Financing Institutions (IFIs) and their Developing Member Countries (DMCs). These include the World Bank Group (WBG), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and the Global Facility for the Environment (GEF). ESA have already been collaborating with these stakeholders (since 2010) through a wide variety (60+) of first, small-scale demonstrations of the benefits that EO-based information can bring to specific bank development projects. This initial collaboration has raised significant interest of these stakeholders to continue exploring the potential of EO-based information in the longer-term. The goal is to transfer EO services into a sustainable financing framework that will ensure a long-term business opportunity for European EO service providers. Throughout 2013-14, discussions have continued between ESA and the Bank teams to produce a set of well-defined and feasible geo-spatial information requirements for which EO can make an important contribution, that go beyond the initial demonstrations already carried out, and that will form the basis of specific requirements in each of the three domains (Water, Agriculture, Urban) addressed inthis procurement. These discussions are part of institutional collaborations between ESA and the Banks that will continue. Therefore, Tenderers should note (to avoid confusion) that they are required NOT to enter into any contact with Bank teams during the preparation of proposals. The work to be carried out is of a common nature to each of the three domains (Water, Agriculture, Urban), but the focus of the EO-based information products and services will be different in each of the domains, as they will be responding to different types of geo-spatial information requirements, and hence three separate contracts will be placed. Based on discussions to date with the Bank teams, there is a baseline specification of the main types of EO-based products and services that are relevant to the requirements in each of the domains. These specifications are referred to as ‘EO Service Clusters’ and will be part of the tenderdocumentation for this procurement. A phased approach to the implementation shall be adopted, with Set-Up activities to be carriedout in the first year, followed by Development & Demonstration activities in next 2 years. The Set-Up activities will be mostly oriented to consolidating the information requirements and engaging the involvement of the key stakeholders (IFIs and DMCs) through thedefinition, provision and assessment of prototype EO-based information services, based on the initial understanding of stakeholder requirements. The Development & Demonstration activities will be mostly oriented to the production, delivery and benefit-assessment of a few large-scale (regional) EO-based information services demonstrations, together with a program of cooperative training and capacity building for the IFIs and the DMCs. The Set-Up phase will conclude with a review of the results and achievements to assess theirsuitability as a sound basis for proceeding with the subsequent Development & Demonstration activities. Tenderers will be required to submit a firm fixed-price proposal that includes a detailed description of the work to be carried out in the Set-Up phase, fora total cost not exceeding 1.0 M€. The pproposal will also include an ‘outline’ description of the approach, ideas and a ceiling-price costing for the work to be carried out in the Development and Demonstration phase. This ‘outline’ approach will be converted intoa detailed, firm fixed-price commitment for the remaining work, taking into account the results of the Set-Up phase, if successful.

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