SECTION I: NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY
OBSERVATOIRE DE PARIS
61 avenue de l’Observatoire 75014 Paris
Represented by: President Philippe STEE
Contact:
Public Contracts and Procurement Department Email: service.achats at obspm.fr
Any questions regarding this call for proposals should be directed to the Paris Observatory via the PLACE website: https://www.marches-publics.gouv.fr (Ref: OBSPM-2026-PAM-AMI-CLICHES)
Responses will be posted publicly on the PLACE website. It is the responsibility of each candidate to check this site regularly.
At the same time, and for the sole purpose of increasing the visibility of this notice among potentially interested economic operators, it is also published on the Observatoire de Paris website (https://www.obspm.fr). This additional publication has no procedural significance in and of itself: the submission of expressions of interest, communications with candidates, and the withdrawal of the request for proposals are conducted exclusively via the PLACE platform, under the conditions specified below.
SECTION II: PURPOSE OF THE NOTICE
The Paris Observatory has received an unsolicited expression of interest regarding the promotion of its exceptional scientific heritage, consisting of solar images produced by the Meudon Spectroheliograph since 1908.
The purpose of this procedure is not to meet a need of the Observatory within the meaning of the Public Procurement Code, but solely to select, if applicable, an operator authorized to promote archives that are part of the institution’s public domain.
Pursuant to the provisions of the General Code of Public Property regarding authorizations for the use of public domain assets, the purpose of this notice is to verify, through sufficient publicity, the existence of any competing expressions of interest.
In the interest of transparency and fostering competition, the Observatoire de Paris is publishing this notice to allow any interested economic operator to submit a competing proposal for the development of these archives.
Operators may propose any development project, regardless of its technical, economic, or editorial model, provided that it complies with the scientific, heritage, and legal principles defined in this notice.
SECTION III: ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTENDED USE
a. Purpose of the Project
The Paris Observatory preserves an exceptional scientific heritage consisting of solar images produced by the Meudon Spectroheliograph since 1908.
These archives are of major scientific, historical, and cultural significance. A portion of this data is accessible via the public database BASS2000: https://bass2000.obspm.fr
The proposed project aims to showcase these solar images.
For informational purposes only, the initiative proposed by the company that expressed interest involved a project allowing users to browse and select solar images from the Observatory’s archives for the purpose of creating personalized reproductions via a digital platform. This project is part of a scientific outreach program.
b. Scientific Principles and Exclusion of Any Astrological References
The project is exclusively part of an effort to popularize and promote science, in accordance with the Paris Observatory’s research mission.
In order to preserve the institution’s scientific integrity and reputation, projects that could damage its image or create confusion regarding the scientific scope of the archives made available will not be considered.
As such, projects that include any reference to astrology in their title, editorial content, communication materials, or graphic elements will not be considered.
c. Protection of Photographs, Use, and Terms of Use
The images from the Meudon Spectroheliograph remain the property of the Paris Observatory. The operator will be granted a right of use limited solely to the promotional purposes specified in the agreement. This authorization does not confer any intellectual property rights or exclusive rights to the archives, other than those expressly provided for in the agreement.
When justified by the project’s economic viability, limited exclusivity may be granted to the operator for a fixed term and under the conditions defined by the agreement. This exclusivity may apply only to certain aspects of the exploitation arrangements and shall not preclude other exploitation projects pursued or authorized by the Paris Observatory.
d. Indicative Economic Terms of the Development Project
Pursuant to Articles L. 2125-1 and L. 2125-3 of the General Code of Public Property, a fee will be paid to the Paris Observatory in exchange for the operating authorization granted. This annual fee will be based, on the one hand, on a fixed lump sum and, on the other hand, on a rate applied to the revenue generated by the development activity, for a five-year partnership term, renewable.
This annual fee is a condition of the operating authorization. Its calculation must be based on an assessment of the economic value of the authorization and take into account the investments to be borne by the operator.
Interested operators are invited to propose, in their resource recovery project, a projected royalty rate and amount. These amounts may be subject to negotiation as part of the formalization of the agreement.
e. Indicative Duration of Use
The agreement would be entered into for an initial term of five years. It may be renewed once, subject to the express agreement of the parties and under the conditions set forth in the agreement.
The agreement will include, in particular, provisions regarding the conditions for early termination, revocation of the authorization, and the consequences of the termination of the contractual relationship.
This information is provided solely for the purpose of transparency and in no way prejudges the outcome of the procedure or the evaluation of applications. Interested operators may propose any development project, whether similar or different, provided that it complies with this notice.
SECTION IV: PROCEDURE FOR THE CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
a. Obtaining the Request for Expressions of Interest
This notice is available for viewing and download on the digital platform at the following address: https://www.marches-publics.gouv.fr/entreprise, Ref. “OBSPM-2026-PAM-AMI-CLICHES.”
b. Questions and Requests for Additional Information
Applicants must submit their questions and requests for additional information regarding the Call for Expressions of Interest exclusively via the PLACE platform: https://www.marches-publics.gouv.fr/entreprise, Ref. “OBSPM-2026-PAM-AMI-CLICHES”.
Questions and requests for additional information must be submitted in French to the Paris Observatory.
These requests must be submitted no later than ten (10) days before the deadline for receiving expressions of interest. No questions asked by telephone will be answered.
Additional information will be sent to applicants no later than six (6) days before the deadline for receiving expressions of interest.
The Observatoire de Paris will provide responses to all applicants simultaneously.
For all electronic correspondence, the Observatoire de Paris uses the following email address: nepasrepondre at marches-publics.gouv.fr
Applicants are advised to ensure that no security blocks are in place for this email address.
The public entity reserves the right to make minor changes to the application materials, provided that it notifies the applicants of such changes no later than 10 calendar days before the deadline for receiving expressions of interest. This period begins on the date the Observatoire de Paris sends the revised application materials to the applicants who have obtained the initial set of materials.
Applicants must then respond based on the amended application materials and may not raise any objections regarding them.
c. Deadline for Submitting Expressions of Interest
Any operator with a competing project aimed at utilizing solar photographs from the Paris Observatory’s archives may express interest by July 22, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (strict deadline): this is the deadline for operators to submit their response packages outlining their specific project.
Submissions received after the date and time specified above will not be considered and will not be opened.
d. Contents of the Application
All expressions of interest must include the following elements, which are intended to assess the seriousness of the application:
– a letter of introduction from the applicant;
– a description of the project the applicant intends to carry out, in accordance with the conditions set forth in this notice, including the project’s characteristics and the objectives to be achieved;
– a Kbis extract for the applicant or any other equivalent document;
– a description of the measures and other resources (technical, economic, financial, etc.) that the applicant will utilize to carry out the project.
Proposals that do not meet the requirements specified above will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.
Only expressions of interest that cumulatively meet the following conditions will be considered to constitute a genuine competing proposal, justifying the organization of the preliminary selection procedure provided for in Section IV:
– relate to the economic exploitation of the same archive collection, or a substantial part thereof, as that covered by this notice;
– comply with the scientific, heritage, and legal principles defined in this notice;
– include the elements listed under the heading “Contents of the Application” above, which allow for an assessment of the applicant’s technical, professional, and financial capacity to successfully carry out the project.
This assessment focuses exclusively on compliance with these conditions, and not on a qualitative comparison with the specific characteristics of the project that gave rise to the initial unsolicited expression of interest, as the specific purpose of this notice is to facilitate the emergence of development projects that differ from that one.
e. Submission of the Expressions of Interest
Expressions of interest must be submitted exclusively electronically via the platform https://www.marches-publics.gouv.fr/entreprise, Ref. “OBSPM-2026-PAM-AMI-CLICHES.”
All documents, supporting materials, and certificates submitted by applicants as part of their application must be in French. If not, they must be accompanied by a French translation.
No specific electronic format is required for submitting documents. However, files must be submitted in widely available formats. Electronic signatures on documents are not required for this call for proposals.
The costs of internet access and the use of electronic signatures are the responsibility of the applicants.
In the event of multiple submissions by the same applicant, only the last envelope submitted before the deadline for submission of bids will be accepted.
The bid package must be marked “OBSPM-2026-PAM-AMI-CLICHES.”
The submission may be accompanied by a backup copy submitted within the specified time frame, on a physical electronic medium (USB drive) or on paper. This copy must be placed in an envelope marked “OBSPM-2026-PAM-AMI-CLICHES,” along with the applicant’s name and the identification of the relevant procedure.
The backup copy may be submitted or delivered to the Public Contracts and Procurement Department of the Paris Observatory (point of contact).
f. Next Steps Following the Publication of This Notice Seeking Competing Expressions of Interest
In the event that no competing expressions of interest are received by the deadline, the Observatory may enter into discussions with the operator that initially expressed interest.
In the event that, upon expiration of the aforementioned deadline, one or more operators express interest in a competing project under the conditions defined in this notice, a preliminary selection procedure will be conducted without further public notice, in accordance with Article L. 2122-1-1 of the General Code of Public Property.
The operators concerned will be invited to submit a bid under the conditions set forth in a request for proposals specifying, in particular, the terms of the procedure, the selection criteria, and the main provisions of the authorization agreement.