esa-star
esa-star (System for Tendering And Registration) is the European Space Agency's electronic procurement system. Organisations register there as ESA suppliers, ESA publishes its tenders there and bidders submit their bids there. Without esa-star registration, an organisation cannot bid to ESA.
Definition
esa-star consists of several modules. In Registration the organisation is registered and its users are given roles. The Publication portal carries open and intended tenders, tender documents and clarifications. In Tendering the bidder prepares and submits the bid in a protected work area (Bidder Restricted Area). esa-match helps in finding partners. Tenders in open competition and calls for proposals on the Publication portal are visible without logging in, but the tender documents open only to a user of a registered organisation who holds the Bid Manager role. Registration has two levels: Light is enough to submit a bid, and Full is required before a contract. The system replaced ESA's earlier EMITS database.
Practical Example
A software company in Tampere develops analytics for satellite imagery and wants to bid to ESA. It completes a Light registration on esa-star, receives an Entity Code and names its CTO as Bid Manager. When an open competition in an Earth observation programme appears on the Publication portal with Finland among the eligible countries, the Bid Manager opens the bid work area, downloads the documents and submits the bid through the same system. The company completes Full registration during contract negotiations.
Common Mistake
A common mistake is to start registration only once a suitable tender is already open. ESA validates the registration, and the time that takes comes out of a 28 or 42-day tender period. Another is to assume that the guest view shows everything: restricted competitions and direct negotiations are visible only to the invitees, and tender documents only to a logged-in Bid Manager.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is esa-star?
esa-star is the European Space Agency's electronic procurement system. The name stands for System for Tendering And Registration. Organisations register in it, ESA publishes its tenders in it and bids are submitted through it.
Is esa-star registration mandatory?
Yes. Every organisation bidding to ESA must be registered, including subcontractors. A Light registration is enough to submit a bid, but being awarded a contract requires Full registration.
Can you browse esa-star tenders without logging in?
Partly. The Publication portal shows guests the tenders in open competition and the calls for proposals, with their basic details. Downloading tender documents, expressing interest and submitting a bid require logging in.
Can I find esa-star tenders in Haavi?
Yes. Haavi fetches esa-star's open competitions and calls for proposals several times a day and compares them with your company profile. The bid is still always submitted on esa-star, so registration is needed.
Related Guides
Related Terms
Haavi monitors esa-star for you
Haavi fetches ESA's open competitions and calls for proposals several times a day and surfaces the ones that fit your company. Try it free for 14 days.