ESA Open Invitation to Tender: 1-10773
Open Date: 05/05/2022 13:05 CEST
Closing Date: 15/07/2022 13:00 CEST

The goal of this activity is to encourage the creation of novel satcom system concepts by industry, and provide them with the means to quickly assess the feasibility of such missions and services. An ITT will be issued allowing bidders to submit their proposals for future satcom mission studies and technology definition activities. The activities proposed can address services, missions, systems, or technologies with an emphasis on novelty and innovation and can encompass the space, ground, or user-segments. Any techniques and technologies which are proposed should be at a low TRL, with the primary study goal being the creation of follow-on ARTES activities, e.g. AT, CG, or Partnership Projects. In all cases, the activity should focus on the end-to-end system aspects and application of the proposed innovation. This approach allows organisations to propose new mission concepts and technologies that they alone can investigate through an FP study. (Activity suggestions submitted via the ARTES Call for Ideas usually result in ITT issued in open competition with no guarantee that the company or organisation suggesting the activity will be selected to conduct the study). By responding to an ITT, proposals can only be implemented by the submitting consortia, and non-selected proposals remain confidential to the bidders allowing them to pursue them through other means should they wish. Activities selected are subject to the usual Future Preparation rules however, and results will be made freely available to all in the ARTES Participating States.A similar ITT was issued through the Future Preparation Element in 2011, 2014, and 2017 that collectively attracted a total of 22 proposals from industry. The first instance of the ITT resulted in an activity investigating the use of optical technologies on-board spacecraft, whilst the second resulted in a study on new systems and services enabled by satellite telecommunication systems combining HAPS (High Altitude Pseudo Satellites), LEO and GEO satellites. The third issue resulted in a study investigating alternative thermal architectures and technologies for communications satellites. (This study was recently completed, please see section 5 of the FP GPL status report to JCB 241: ESA/JCB(2020)11, rev.1). The past activities have therefore been successful in terms of identifying and evaluating subjects that have subsequently grown in importance and relevance to the sector and to ARTES. The ITT will be adapted to reflect lessons learned from the three previous issues and given the potential diversity of ideas that can be submitted, more than one study may be selected for contract award.

Estabilishment: ESTEC
ECOS Required: No
Classified: No
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Authorised Contact Person: Nathalie Dorval
Initiating Service: TIA-TFE
IP Measure: N/A
Prog. Reference: E/0501-01D – Future Prep 4.0.1
Tender Type: Open Competition
Open To Tenderers From: AT+BE+CA+CH+CZ+DE+DK+EE+GR+ES+FI+FR+GB+HU+IE+IT+LU+NL+NO+PL+PT+RO+SE
Technology Keywords: 6-A-I-Telecom System Engineering Tools / 6-A-II-Telecom Signal Processing
Products Keywords: 2-P-Other