DEADLINE EXTENSION AND AMENDMENTS: procedure for the installation of four new space technology ground-based infrastructures at the Sant Esteve Teleport

The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) has opened the public tender procedure for the selection of four projects involving the design, installation and management of space technology ground-based infrastructures at the Sant Esteve Teleport.

Located at the Montsec Observatory (OdM) in Sant Esteve de la Sarga (Lleida), the San Esteve Teleport is the first satellite data control and reception ground station in Catalonia promoted by the Government of Catalonia in collaboration with the IEEC.

The announced call aims to offer the opportunity to companies, entities or research centres to propose projects related to space technologies, in order to deploy and operate ground infrastructures that can complement the current capabilities of the Teleport and contribute to boost the Catalan space ecosystem.

The initiative is part of the NewSpace Strategy of Catalonia, driven by the Government through the Secretariat for Digital Policies of the Ministry of Business and Labour, in collaboration with the IEEC, the i2CAT Foundation, and the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia (ICGC).

The chosen projects are expected to result in the installation, within the Teleport environment, of infrastructures for technologies such as earth-to-space telecommunications with satellites and other space vehicles; optical communication stations; astronomical telescopes or space surveillance and tracking sensors (SST), as well as other terrestrial infrastructures intended for the support and development of space technologies.

The call is open to companies, organisations or research centres based in any country which, if awarded the contract, will be responsible for the management, operation and maintenance of the infrastructures created for a period of five years, extendable for a further five years. In return for the use of the land, the entities will pay a fixed fee per project and a variable fee based on the percentage of gross revenue generated by the infrastructure.

During September 2025, the contracting authority of the IEEC approved amendments to the documents governing this public tender procedure (Clause 4.1 of the Technical Specifications and Clauses 5, 7 and 13 of the Specific Administrative Clauses). The amendments are as follows:

• With regard to partial execution deadlines, the maximum duration of the infrastructure commissioning phase is extended to twelve months in the case of projects that may be considered R&D projects. Consequently, the maximum execution period for contracts relating to such projects is extended to seven years, five months and ten days.
• Amendment of the conditions for the payment of the fee in the case of R&D projects.
• A new section is added to the minimum content of the technical report to be submitted by the tenderer, relating to the justification of the nature of the project (commercial or R&D).
• DEADLINE EXTENSION: the deadline for submitting proposals is extended until 3 November 2025 at 14:00 (Catalonia time).

The updated specific administrative clauses and the technical specifications of the call may be consulted here.