Status Report

ESA/IPC(2001)11 – Call for Exploration Technology Proposals

By SpaceRef Editor
February 19, 2002
Filed under ,

CALL FOR EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY PROPOSALSÊ

Reference: ESA/IPC(2001)11, item number 01.197.03 (Phase.2 of GSP L54)ÊÊ European Options for Exploration Missions

Budget output 060 (GSP)

Dear Sirs

The European Space Agency (ESA) hereby invites you to submit a tender in the frame of the Call for Exploration Technology Proposals, in support of the definition of the Aurora Programme for the Exploration of the Solar System.

Please note that the Invitation to Tender has been published on EMITS on 12 February 2002 (http://emits.esa.int).

Printed copies will not be sent except to potential bidders who have only recently started to do business with ESA and have not yet had a reasonable opportunity to link to EMITS. These may, initially and exceptionally, submit a request in writing to the nominated Contracts Officer. Please note, however, that extensions to the closing date will not be granted on the grounds of a request for a printed copy.

Please find attached hereto the following documents:

Appendix 1 – Call for Exploration Technology Proposals
Appendix 2 – Draft Contract and ESA IMT/CT-2001

Appendix 3 – Special Conditions of Tender

The General Conditions of Tender to which the special conditions refer are available on EMITS under Reference Documents Administrative Documents.

Please note the provisions of the Despatch and Receipt Conditions contained in the General Conditions of Tender, in particular those relating to the non-admissibility of offers arriving after expiry of the closing date and to the return of the Acknowledgement of Receipt.

The bidder’s attention is drawn to paragraph D.2 of the General Conditions of Tender for ESA Contracts, in particular to the requirements for clear definition and justification of any proposed restriction to the Agency’s rights of distribution and use of data (see also Part II of the General Clauses and Conditions for ESA Contracts).

Your attention is drawn to the following:

1. The Agency’s General Studies Programme funds this activity. The General Studies Programme is open to all ESA Member States and Canada.


The Agency has a budget available of 1,000,000 Euro, which would allow the award of 20-30 contracts with a maximum budget for each activity of 40,000ÊEuro. Consequently, please note that only proposals quoting a firm fixed price in Euro within this limit will be allowed for evaluation.

2. Your attention is drawn to Appendix 1, paragraph 2 with respect to the number of submissions allowed per company, be it as Prime or Sub-contractor. More than one proposal per company is allowed, however, only one contract shall be awarded per company.

3. Bidders should take due care to avoid any duplication of activities within ESA’s ongoing and intended programmes. For detailed information concerning the Agency’s programmes, bidders are advised to consult the following sources:

  • General Studies Programme (http://esa.int/gsp)
  • Aurora Programme (ftp://ftp.estec.esa.nl/pub/columbus/aurora/index.htm)
  • TRP and GSTP Programme
    http://emits.esa.int/emits-doc/e_suppo-beiFtrpactivities2000-2002.pdf, http://emits.esa.int/emits-doc/e_support/gstpactivities2000-2003.pdf

  • ARTES-5 Programme (http://telecom.esa.int/artes/)
  • List of Intended Invitations to Tender (EMITS) (http://emits.esa.int/)
  • Currently issued Invitations to Tender (EMITS) (http://emits.esa.int/)
  • Proposals will therefore not be accepted for contract award in the following cases:

  • for activities which overlap ongoing ESA activities;
  • for activities which could be seen as a Rider/CCN to a past or present ESA contract;
  • the re-submission of proposals, which were not accepted in a previous ESA Invitation to Tender.
  • 4. This activity has been selected for application of ESA policy in favour of non-primes, in response to the specific request of ESA Council of 4 March 1997. Non-primes are defined as all companies and organisations with the exception of the Major System-level Integrators (Astrium, Alcatel and Alenia Spazio). The objective of the measure is to favour an increased specialisation and competitiveness of equipment suppliers.

    The present Invitation to tender is restricted to non-primes, with priority to be given to Universities and SME’s (Small and medium-sized Enterprises). The Major System-level Integrators are not allowed to submit proposals to ESA for the present activity.

    For the purpose of ESA policy, SMEs are defined as companies responding to the criteria defined in Annex 1 to this cover letter.

    Companies that fall into the category of SMEs shall provide in the proposal all evidence to allow the assessment of the Agency, for inclusion in the relevant evaluation process. The offer must contain a formal statement [1], signed by the authorised person in the company, that it fully complies with the SME definition criteria in force at the Agency.

    For any clarification relating to SMEs, the contact point of the Agency is:SME Co-ordination Unit
    8-10 rue Mario Nikis
    F 75738 Paris Cedex 15
    FaxÊ:Ê 33 1 5369 7560 331 5369 7583
    e-mailÊ:Ê SME-Unit@hq.esa.fr


    Moreover, unless already provided recently (within the last year), documentation as per paragraph A.4 of ESA General Tender Conditions shall be submitted by all bidders (SMEs included) to the Industrial Relations Section of the Directorate of Industrial Matters and Technology Programmes (ESA Headquarters Paris); a copy of same information must be included in the proposal.

    5. Evaluation of Proposals

    The proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the overall technical interest with respect to meeting the objectives of the human and robotic planetary exploration programme and acceptance of the draft contract conditions.
    6. Contract award shall be subject to successful negotiation.

    The reference number of the ITT shall be clearly mentioned on each parcel delivered, together with an indication of the topic addressed by your proposal, as follows:


    1. Automated Guidance and Navigation Control, Mission Analysis
    2. Micro-Avionics
    3. Data Processing & Communication
    4. Entry, Descent and Landing
    5. Crew and Life Support aspects of exploration
    6. In-Situ Resource Utilisation
    7. Power generation, conditioning and storage
    8. Propulsion, In-space transportation, Ascent/descent vehicles
    9. Robotics and mechanisms
    10. Structure & thermal control
    11. Instrument Technology
    ÊYour attention is drawn to Appendix 1, with respect to the specific contents of these technology streams, the priority areas and those that are already covered in other Agency tender actions.

    Any questions relating to this invitation to tender should be addressed in writing to the responsible Contracts Officer mentioned here above (fax number 31-71-5655773).

    Your offer and all supporting documents must reach:

    The Central Registry

    THE EUROPEAN SPACE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

    PO Box 299

    2200 AG NOORDWIJK

    The Netherlands

    not later than 23 March 2002, at 1300 hours. Proposals shall be submitted in one original paper copy and electronically to Exploration.Technologies@esa.int (in PDFÊ format).

    Yours faithfully

    P J de Boer

    Head of ESTEC Contracts Service for Technology and Support

    [1] Formal Statement

    I do state that I read and understood the SME definition in force within ESA, and confirm that my company satisfies all the three criteria part of that definition, i.e.

  • Number of employees:Ê fewer than 250
  • Annual turnover: not exceeding 40 million Euros or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding 27 million Euros.
  • Independence:Ê less than 25% of capital or voting rights held by one enterprise, or jointly by several enterprises falling outside the definition of an SME.
  • SpaceRef staff editor.