The purpose of the tender is to contract operational services related to the crop monitoring and yield forecasting activities of the JRC.D.5 unit (MARSOP). Implementing Article 25 of the horizontal regulation of the Common Agricultural Policy REG (EU) 2021/2116 on Monitoring Agricultural Resources (MARS), JRC.D.5 provides DG AGRI with timely, independent, and high-quality information on crop state and development, including quantitative forecasts of agricultural yields and production in the EU and neighbouring countries. This information is used by DG AGRI to ensure food security and for decision-making in agricultural markets. The JRC provides matching staff for agricultural analysts and experts producing monthly JRC MARS Bulletins for Commission-internal and public use, which are well received by private sector stakeholders, academics and the general public. The operational services sustain the operation and further development of the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System (MCYFS) at the heart of the crop monitoring activities at D.5.

Meteorological Services

Services under Lot 1 cover the acquisition, processing, and delivery of meteorological data in near real-time (NRT) for use within the MCYFS. This includes the integration of observed data from European in situ meteorological stations and model-based datasets from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Processing activities include quality control, spatial and temporal aggregation, and timely ingestion into the system.

Remote Sensing Services

Services under Lot 2 cover the remote sensing component of the MCYFS over Europe through the provision of tailored Earth observation products and in-season mapping. These include near realtime data acquisition and postprocessing activities such as filtering, intercalibration, spatial aggregation, and crop-type mapping. Derived timeseries of biophysical variables and quality indicators are generated at both pixel and administrative scales. Data sources include VIIRS, Sentinel missions, and Copernicus products from the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS).

Crop Modelling and Statistics

Services under Lot 3 include the near real-time execution of crop growth models for selected crops in Europe driven by meteorological data, as well as the processing of the Water Satisfaction Index at global scale. The lot also covers the regular collection, quality control, and integration of agricultural statistics, phenological observations, and other agronomic information and relevant news, supporting crop monitoring and yield forecasting activities.