The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which is based in Reading in the UK has issued a Prior Information Notice setting out its plan to tender a contract for the delivery of Essential Climate Variable (ECV) products derived from observations worth up to €10.3m euros.
The ECMWF is responsible for implementing Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) which aims to provide its users with reliable access to high-quality, comprehensive and up-to-date information about observed changes in the climate.
This will be achieved by providing global data on the majority of ECVs described in the 2016 update to the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Implementation Plan. A number of C3S activities are currently in place that address a first subset of the ECVs; the new tender to be issued by the Centre will address the remainder.
The upcoming Invitation To Tender will provide detailed technical requirements for products associated with the following GCOS ECVs:
Atmosphere:
- surface radiation budget
- water vapour
- cloud properties
- earth radiation budget
- other long-lived greenhouse gases
Ocean:
- inorganic carbon
- ocean colour
Land:
- lakes
- ice sheets and ice shelves
- permafrost
- land cover
- fire
Bidders will be encouraged to take into account the requirements and capabilities of other Copernicus Services, and to take full advantage of existing operational capabilities in Europe (e.g. the EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facilities) and elsewhere (e.g. the NOAA/ESRL Global Monitoring Division).
Estimated value of the contract is put at between €8.24m and €10.3m Euros.
Click here to access the Prior Information Notice