How To Apply

🛠️ Page Under Development

Content is being actively developed and updated for this page. EarthCODE's documentation is a living document and will be continuously updated with detailed reviews.

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This guide explains how you can apply to become an integrated platform provider within the EarthCODE ecosystem. It walks you through the steps needed to join one of ESA’s flagship open science initiatives.

Why Join EarthCODE?

• Contribute to a high-impact ESA project advancing reproducible EO research
• Collaborate with leading experts and institutions in the field
• Drive innovation and shape the future of FAIR Open Earth Science

“Partnering with ESA through EarthCODE has allowed us to deliver our tools to a wider scientific community, while aligning with global standards for openness and reproducibility. It’s been a turning point in how our platform is used.” ~ an EarthCODE Platform

note to self quote

can we get a statement like that from a platform and provide a quote here with maybe a logo of the platform or the representative? This should also be a page on the site probably at some point I imagine?

Key Links:

• EarthCODE official website: https://earthcode.esa.int/
• ESA-STAR registration instructions: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/How_to_do/esa-star_registration_process
• ESA-STAR portal to search for tenders: https://esastar-publication.sso.esa.int
• ESA "How to do Business" guidance: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/How_to_do
• ESA Best Practice procurements overview: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/How_to_do/Best_practices_for_ITTs_published_by_prime_contractors
• NoR onboarding documentation (for non-onboarded platforms): https://esastar-publication.sso.esa.int/nonEsaTenderActions/details/2037
• EarthCODE LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/esa-earthcode
• EarthCODE Community Newsletter (Subscribe): https://esacontact.esa.int/ESA_EO_OpenScience_Subscribe/

How To Apply

EarthCODE is a long-term initiative by the European Space Agency (ESA) that supports the EO Open Science Vision and ESA EO Science Strategy. Its mission is to continously improve and integrate mature platforms and services into a cohesive, FAIR-compliant ecosystem for open, reproducible science.

EarthCODE selects new platforms and service providers through ESA’s Best Practice procurement in an approximately yearly cycle through open and transparent Invitation to Tender (ITT) calls, published annually.

The call is publicly advertised through:

• The ESA-STAR portal - esastar-publication.sso.esa.int
• The EarthCODE website - https://earthcode.esa.int/
• EarthCODE's LinkedIn and social media channels - https://www.linkedin.com/company/esa-earthcode
• EarthCODE’s community newsletter - https://esacontact.esa.int/ESA_EO_OpenScience_Subscribe/

To view or apply to the tender candidate platforms need to register onto esa-star. The registration process is documented at: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/How_to_do/esa-star_registration_process

Once published, the tender document includes all necessary information about eligibility, evaluation criteria, technical requirements, and submission timelines. A dedicated period is available to request clarifications and to ask questions.

The Application Process

All applicants must be familiar with how to do business with ESA, which is documented at:
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/How_to_do

Applicants will need to submit a technical proposal that includes an initial elaboration of how their platform or service contributes to EarthCODE. Details in the proposal will include:

• Detailed information on your existing platform, including documentation, active user base, supported data types, examples of already available workflows, and web links.
• Analysis of the requirements
• Architecture of the integration with EarthCODE
• A management and implementation plan, and project governance

Note

This is not an extensive list of requirements. The full requirements for an application will be released with the tender.

If your platform is not already onboarded with ESA’s Network of Resources (NoR), you will also need to provide the NoR onboarding documentation:
https://esastar-publication.sso.esa.int/nonEsaTenderActions/details/2037

This is necessary to ensure your platform can be used through NoR for sustained scientific operations.

Who Can Apply

FAIR Open Science Platforms

Organisations applying to EarthCODE as FAIR Open Science platforms should have experience in building or operating research data management tools with an active scientific user base. Suitable applicants typically develop software or services that support the creation, documentation, execution, or publication of scientific workflows, datasets, or models. A strong track record in platform integration and user-facing tooling is essential, as is the ability to provide ongoing support to scientists engaging with the platform. Familiarity with ESA’s Network of Resources (NoR) is beneficial, particularly for platforms that intend to offer sustained services to the research community.

Infrastructure Platforms

Applicants proposing infrastructure platforms should have operational experience in managing scalable cloud-based environments that support data access and scientific processing. Ideal candidates are technology companies or platform providers with expertise in the delivery of high-availability compute services and the hosting of large Earth observation or environmental datasets. Experience in integration with third-party systems and the provision of technical interfaces for workflow execution is expected. An understanding of NoR provisioning and the ability to deliver infrastructure as a service for reproducible scientific research will strengthen the proposal.