The ESA Procurement Process
Eight phases describe the procurement process at ESA:
1. The Planning and Preparatory Phase
2. The Initiation Phase
3. Preparation of the Invitation to Tender / Request for Quotation (ITT / RFQ)
4. Distribution of ITTs/RFQs
5. The Tendering Phase: Preparation and Submission of an Offer
6. Admission and Evaluation of Offers
7. Award and Placing of Contracts
8. Debriefing of unsuccessful Tenderers
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For detailed information, please refer to the ESA Procurement Regulations and its annexes: ESA/REG/001.
Please note that the revised Contracting Regulations, as approved by the ESA Council, will enter into force on 1 January 2025.
Note that any references made to "ITT/RFQ”, refer to the two main types of ESA procurements:
- Invitation to Tender (ITT): is a procurement approach where the intended activity is to be awarded after an open competition or competition restricted to certain nominated Tenderers. In some cases, specific programmatic requirements may result in the ITT being restricted to Tenderers from only specific Member States of the Agency.
- Request for Quotation (RFQ): is a procurement approach where the intended activity is awarded to a single nominated Tenderer.
