IT Services for Cloud Solutions in Europe

GÉANT, a non-profit organization, is acting as a central purchasing body for its members. This procurement initiative aims to establish Framework Agreements for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS+) cloud services, connecting to the European Research and Education IT ecosystems and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). The goal is to facilitate the contracting of these services through Call-off Contracts under the Framework Agreements. The procurement process follows an Open Procedure as per the Dutch Public Procurement Act and is divided into 39 lots, each representing a country with awarded Framework Agreements. The total estimated value of services across all lots is approximately EUR 1.8 billion. Some countries may require a bank guarantee to comply with local laws, and the estimated values per lot can vary significantly. Detailed information can be found in the ITT documents on the Mercell online tendering platform. Framework Agreements will be awarded to suppliers who meet the procurement evaluation criteria, creating a portfolio of services for customers. These agreements will standardize contract terms and streamline the process for customers, reducing the local overheads typically associated with engaging suppliers. This procurement will lower barriers for participating institutes in European Research and Education to access cloud solutions. GÉANT will award Framework Agreements for a duration of up to five years, reflecting the significant investment required from both suppliers and the procurement side. The EU Regulation 2022/2560 on foreign subsidies affecting the internal market applies to all relevant EU lots.