The main objective of the contract is to deliver enhanced ARCO-based data capabilities and cloud-optimised services that improve accessibility, usability, and performance for large, heterogeneous datasets. It aims to ensure interoperability with modern data-processing frameworks and federated platforms, while introducing a standardised abstraction layer using efficient cloud-native formats and discovery metadata. The contractor will manage ARCO’s operational Data Lake, including ingestion, monitoring, access control, and metadata updates, and provide user-oriented tools and interfaces to streamline data access. Close collaboration with ECMWF will ensure technical compatibility and architectural alignment with DSS and ECMWF stacks. ECMWF intends to award a single Framework Agreement for a period of maximum 24 months, which shall be implemented via two Service Contracts expected to commence in July 2026.