Marine survey by unmanned or autonomous vehicles

RTE, the French electricity transmission system operator, is responsible for developing, building and operating high-voltage submarine links for interconnection with neighbouring countries, or for connecting offshore wind farms to the terrestrial transmission grid. RTE currently operates a wide range of submarine cables on the Manche Channel, Atlantic and Mediterranean facades. …

CPV: 71351000 Usługi planowania geologicznego, geofizycznego i inne usługi naukowe, 76521000 Usługi wznoszenia instalacji przybrzeżnych, 31321500 Kabel podmorski, 71351924 Usługi poszukiwań podwodnych, 71354500 Usługi w zakresie pomiarów morskich, 72310000 Usługi przetwarzania danych
Miejsce wykonania:
Marine survey by unmanned or autonomous vehicles
Miejsce udzielenia zamówienia:
RTE Réseau de Transport d'Electricité
Numer nagrody:

1. Buyer

1.1 Buyer

Official name : RTE Réseau de Transport d'Electricité
Legal type of the buyer : Public undertaking
Activity of the contracting entity : Electricity-related activities

2. Procedure

2.1 Procedure

Title : Marine survey by unmanned or autonomous vehicles
Description : RTE, the French electricity transmission system operator, is responsible for developing, building and operating high-voltage submarine links for interconnection with neighbouring countries, or for connecting offshore wind farms to the terrestrial transmission grid. RTE currently operates a wide range of submarine cables on the Manche Channel, Atlantic and Mediterranean facades. In the future, the number of cables shall further increase with the development of HVDC long distance links to offshore wind farms. These cables can be floating or laid on the sea floor. In this context, RTE carries out regular submarine data collection campaigns during the design, construction, and operational maintenance phases of its assets. These campaigns may include bathymetric surveys, geophysical soundings, UXO findings, optical monitoring of structures or environmental monitoring and measurements. Currently carried out by conventional means (surface vessels or on foot at landfall), these investigations could in the future be carried out by autonomous or remotely-controlled robots/vehicles. In addition to reducing costs, the expected benefits include operational efficiency, reduced risk for personnel, and a smaller environmental footprint for operations, as well as the accuracy of the data collected. RTE would like to investigate on innovative autonomous or remote solutions applicable to its scope of service for cables, particularly AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles), USVs (Unmanned Surface Sehicles) or flying vehicle, which can renew conventional approaches to data acquisition in the marine environment. Hence this inquiry aims to solicit the market to have its various actors emerge and help RTE identify them. It shall also allow the market to clarify its capacity of service with respect to RTE inquiry and propose adapted and robust solutions. This notice is aimed at companies capable of offering a service, covering either: unmanned or autonomous vehicles supply, unmanned or autonomous vehicles deployment, data acquisition and interpretation of results. The deployment sites envisaged are located offshore and on the shores of mainland France: in the English Channel, on the Atlantic coast and in the Mediterranean. At this stage of its inquiry, RTE is interested in companies capable to offer only part of the above listed services as well as turnkey player, i.e. capable of performing the full scope.

2.1.1 Purpose

Main nature of the contract : Services
Additional nature of the contract : Works
Main classification ( cpv ): 71351000 Geological, geophysical and other scientific prospecting services
Additional classification ( cpv ): 76521000 Offshore installation services
Additional classification ( cpv ): 31321500 Submarine cable
Additional classification ( cpv ): 71351924 Underwater exploration services
Additional classification ( cpv ): 71354500 Marine survey services
Additional classification ( cpv ): 72310000 Data-processing services

2.1.2 Place of performance

Country subdivision (NUTS) : Hauts-de-Seine ( FR105 )
Country : France

2.1.4 General information

Additional information : The present notice is issued on the basis of Article 58 of the Directive No. 2014/25/EU, which allows contracting authorities to conduct market consultations with a view to preparing the procurement within a consultative procedure known as operational sourcing. RTE intends to carry out an operational sourcing procedure prior to launching a competitive tender for the award of a contract. Please note that this sourcing notice is a preliminary request for information and does not constitute a call for tender or an invitation to enter into contract. Its sole purpose is to gather the information required to determine the needs of RTE while taking into account the state of the art and to increase the performance of the procurement procedure planned by RTE. No compensation will be paid to participants for their participation in the sourcing process. A non-response to the sourcing notice does not prevent the supplier from participating in the subsequent call for tender and the response to the sourcing notice shall not affect the supplier's position in the call for tender. Interested parties are invited to send their expression of interest (EOI) via the e-procurement platform Bravosolution ( https://rte-france.bravosolution.com ) on RFI number 24731. Submission of EOI will be no later than October 3rd, 2025, at 17:00 (French Time). The EOI must include all relevant information and documents to demonstrate the conditions for participation are met. It is also required to specify the contact details of the person(s) authorized to represent the applicant in this procedure. Upon receipt of the EOI, a mutual non-disclosure agreement to be signed by the applicant will be sent to interested parties meeting the conditions for participation via the e-procurement platform Bravosolution. Providing the executed mutual non-disclosure agreement before October 8th, 2025, is a prerequisite for continuing the procedure. Consultation rules along with a questionnaire will be made available to interested parties via the e-procurement platform Bravosolution on October 8th, 2025. The submission date for the preliminary answers to the questionnaire will be no later than November 14th, 2025, at 17 :00(French Time). Face-to-face or video-conference meetings may be organized as soon as possible after the analysis of the preliminary answers to the questionnaire, and presumably between end of November and mid of December 2025. The submission date for final answers to the questionnaire will be no later than January, 9th,2026 at 17:00 (French Time). Would RTE deem necessary to adapt the above-mentioned dates, the new calendar would be shared with all participants via the e-procurement platform Bravosolution.
Legal basis :
Directive 2014/25/EU

3. Part

3.1 Part technical ID : PAR-0001

Title : Marine survey by unmanned or autonomous vehicles
Description : RTE, the French electricity transmission system operator, is responsible for developing, building and operating high-voltage submarine links for interconnection with neighbouring countries, or for connecting offshore wind farms to the terrestrial transmission grid. RTE currently operates a wide range of submarine cables on the Manche Channel, Atlantic and Mediterranean facades. In the future, the number of cables shall further increase with the development of HVDC long distance links to offshore wind farms. These cables can be floating or laid on the sea floor. In this context, RTE carries out regular submarine data collection campaigns during the design, construction, and operational maintenance phases of its assets. These campaigns may include bathymetric surveys, geophysical soundings, UXO findings, optical monitoring of structures or environmental monitoring and measurements. Currently carried out by conventional means (surface vessels or on foot at landfall), these investigations could in the future be carried out by autonomous or remotely-controlled robots/vehicles. In addition to reducing costs, the expected benefits include operational efficiency, reduced risk for personnel, and a smaller environmental footprint for operations, as well as the accuracy of the data collected. RTE would like to investigate on innovative autonomous or remote solutions applicable to its scope of service for cables, particularly AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles), USVs (Unmanned Surface Vehicles) or flying vehicle, which can renew conventional approaches to data acquisition in the marine environment. Hence this inquiry aims to solicit the market to have its various actors emerge and help RTE identify them. It shall also allow the market to clarify its capacity of service with respect to RTE inquiry and propose adapted and robust solutions. This notice is aimed at companies capable of offering a service, covering either: unmanned or autonomous vehicles supply, unmanned or autonomous vehicles deployment, data acquisition and interpretation of results. The deployment sites envisaged are located offshore and on the shores of mainland France: in the English Channel, on the Atlantic coast and in the Mediterranean. At this stage of its inquiry, RTE is interested in companies capable to offer only part of the above listed services as well as turnkey player, i.e. capable of performing the full scope.

3.1.1 Purpose

Main nature of the contract : Services
Additional nature of the contract : Works
Main classification ( cpv ): 71351000 Geological, geophysical and other scientific prospecting services
Additional classification ( cpv ): 76521000 Offshore installation services
Additional classification ( cpv ): 31321500 Submarine cable
Additional classification ( cpv ): 71351924 Underwater exploration services
Additional classification ( cpv ): 71354500 Marine survey services
Additional classification ( cpv ): 72310000 Data-processing services

3.1.2 Place of performance

Country subdivision (NUTS) : Hauts-de-Seine ( FR105 )
Country : France

3.1.5 General information

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) : yes
This procurement is also suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) : yes
Additional information : Le candidat fournit une déclaration sur l'honneur, dûment datée et signée, pour justifier qu'il n'est concerné par aucun des cas d'exclusions des procédures de passation de marchés publics, mentionnés aux articles L. 21411 à L. 21415 et L. 21417 à L. 214111 du code de la commande publique. Il s’agit sans être exhaustif : 1.1) des peines prononcées par un juge pénal relatives à la corruption au sens large, la concussion, le trafic d’influence, la prise illégale d’intérêt, l’escroquerie, l’abus de confiance, le faux et usage de faux, le blanchiment, la participation à une association de malfaiteur, pour acte de terrorisme, pour stupéfiants ; 1.2) des défauts de régularité au regard des obligations sociales ou fiscales, constatés soit par un juge, soit par les administrations chargées du recouvrement des impôts, cotisations et contributions sociales, soit par les services d’inspection du travail et assimilés ; 1.3) des états de liquidations judiciaires, de faillites, de redressement judiciaire sans justification de l’habilitation à poursuivre les activités pendant la durée prévisible d’exécution du marché public, ou sans bénéfice d'un plan de redressement, constatées par le tribunal de commerce ; 1.4) de la violation des règles relatives à la lutte contre le travail illégal, constatées par les services de l’inspection du travail et assimilés ou rapportés par ces derniers aux représentants de l’État. 2) Pour les entreprises de plus de 20 salariés, le candidat doit être en règle au regard des articles L. 52121 à L. 521211 du Code du travail concernant l’emploi des travailleurs handicapés. 3) Pour les candidats établis HORS de France, le candidat doit fournir une déclaration sur l’honneur de paiement des sommes dues au titre des amendes pour non-déclaration de travailleurs détachés (R. 21438 du Code de la commande publique et R. 126312 du Code du travail). 4) Le candidat ne doit pas être concerné par l’un des cas prévus au 1° de l’article 5 duodecies du règlement n°2022/576 du 8 avril 2022 du Conseil de l’Union européenne relatif aux mesures restrictives eu égard aux actions de la Russie déstabilisant la situation en Ukraine.

3.1.9 Further information, mediation and review

Review organisation : Tribunal Judiciaire de Nanterre
Organisation providing additional information about the procurement procedure : RTE Réseau de Transport d'Electricité
Organisation providing offline access to the procurement documents : RTE Réseau de Transport d'Electricité
Organisation providing more information on the review procedures : Tribunal Judiciaire de Nanterre
Organisation receiving requests to participate : RTE Réseau de Transport d'Electricité
Organisation processing tenders : RTE Réseau de Transport d'Electricité

8. Organisations

8.1 ORG-0002

Official name : Tribunal Judiciaire de Nanterre
Registration number : 17780111500151
Department : Instance chargée des procédure de recours
Postal address : 179-191 avenue Joliot-Curie
Town : Nanterre
Postcode : 92020
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Hauts-de-Seine ( FR105 )
Country : France
Contact point : Instance chargée des procédures de recours
Telephone : 01 40 97 10 10
Roles of this organisation :
Review organisation
Organisation providing more information on the review procedures

8.1 ORG-0003

Official name : RTE Réseau de Transport d'Electricité
Registration number : 44461925802482
Department : Direction des Achats
Postal address : Immeuble WINDOW 7C place du Dôme
Town : Paris la Défense Cedex
Postcode : 92073
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Hauts-de-Seine ( FR105 )
Country : France
Contact point : Vanessa Oudart
Telephone : 123123123
Roles of this organisation :
Buyer
Organisation providing additional information about the procurement procedure
Organisation providing offline access to the procurement documents
Organisation receiving requests to participate
Organisation processing tenders

8.1 ORG-0000

Official name : Publications Office of the European Union
Registration number : PUBL
Town : Luxembourg
Postcode : 2417
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Luxembourg ( LU000 )
Country : Luxembourg
Telephone : +352 29291
Internet address : https://op.europa.eu
Roles of this organisation :
TED eSender

Notice information

Notice identifier/version : a6a1ee70-8214-46db-8b56-7522f143294b - 01
Form type : Planning
Notice type : Prior information notice or a periodic indicative notice used only for information
Notice dispatch date : 12/09/2025 14:20 +00:00
Languages in which this notice is officially available : English
Notice publication number : 00604310-2025
OJ S issue number : 177/2025
Publication date : 16/09/2025