Call for Bids to host the IPY-5 International Coordination Office

Photo: Mariasilvia Giamberini

The Executive Committee of the 5th International Polar Year 2032-33 (IPY-5) is now accepting bids to host and sponsor the International Coordination Office for the planning and implementation of the IPY-5. The operational period of the Coordination Office is expected to be from early 2027 until at least the end of 2035.

The bidding process will include the following deadlines:

6 February 2026 at 18:00 GMT: Deadline to submit short Expressions of Interest letters (max. 2 pages) via this form.
After a review of the expressions of interest, the IPY-5 Executive Committee will contact the shortlisted bids to invite them to submit full bids by no later than 31 May 2026. Detailed instructions for the full bids will be sent to the shortlisted bids by no later than early March 2026.

Bids are accepted from:

Individual institutions or organisations
consortia of multiple institutions or organisations in one or more countries

Bids must be from institutions / organisations in countries that have an existing active Arctic and / or Antarctic research programme.

Please see the memberships of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) for examples of countries with active Arctic and / or Antarctic research programmes.

Institutions / organisations from countries not members of either IASC or SCAR may also apply if they can show an existing active Arctic and / or Antarctic research program or are providing a joint bid with a country that does.

Role of the IPY-5 International Coordination Office

The IPY-5 is an international coordinated effort to address urgent global challenges by advancing polar research. Encompassing planning, project, and legacy phases implemented over a span of ten years, IPY-5 is an opportunity for many countries, institutions, and networks to coordinate their research, observations, protocols, and expeditions in the polar regions. It provides the necessary opportunities for global and transdisciplinary coordinated research action among polar researchers, knowledge holders, rights holders, educators, and other stakeholders to produce urgently needed actionable information that will support evidence- and human rights- based solutions to local and global challenges.

Meaningful impact is supported by an inclusive and coordinated approach across different scientific disciplines, programmes, and knowledge systems including through co-production and co-creation of knowledge as well as education and community/citizen science approaches.

IPY-5 also supports progress towards achieving implementation of international treaties, agreements, and other large-scale international processes including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the 2023 Helsinki Declaration on Climate Change and Antarctica adopted by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, and the 4th International Conference on Arctic Research Planning Process (ICARP IV), as well as several relevant UN Decades. IPY-5 will leverage these, and other initiatives, which together highlight the need for greater international coordination to provide the credible scientific evidence needed for effective decision-making on urgent local to global issues.

The role of the IPY-5 International Coordination Office will be to support (and report to) the IPY-5 Executive Committee and IPY-5 Planning Group in the planning, implementation and reporting process of the IPY-5 by among others:

Supporting Task Groups and other Committees set up during the planning process
Liaising with partners
Representing the IPY-5 planning process at meetings / events (in cooperation with the IPY-5 Executive Committee and IPY-5 Planning Group members)
Coordinating the IPY-5 Project Endorsement Processes
Liaising with IPY-5 National Committees and their Secretariats
Organising and maintaining communication tools for the IPY-5 (Website, Newsletter, Social media, etc.)
Ensuring record keeping and archiving of IPY-5 activities
Reporting on IPY-5 planning and implementation process

Other tasks for the IPY-5 International Coordination Office may be added during the planning and implementation process of the IPY-5.

Models considered for the IPY-5 International Coordination Office

Several models for the IPY-5 International Coordination Office will be considered in this bidding process that include:

One central office location model with one or more institutions / organisations hosting and providing support for the entire office, its staff and operational costs for the entire operational period.
A distributed office model with multiple institutions / organisations hosting and supporting the office in one or multiple countries and / or hemispheres. This model should include:

one central location hosting the Head of the office and some additional support staff
one or more satellite locations that host additional support staff and functions for the main office.

Important notes:

In the distributed model the host of the main and satellite offices may be located in multiple countries and / or hemispheres.
For the central location model the IPY-5 Executive Committee reserves the right, in cooperation with the IPY-5 International Coordination Office, to add potential additional satellite offices later in the planning process based on the needs of the planning process and the office.

The IPY-5 Executive Committee will decide on the final model for the IPY-5 International Coordination Office based on the bids received, and will work with the selected bids to create the best possible option for supporting the planning process of the IPY-5.

Requirements for the IPY-5 International Coordinational Office

The operational period of the International Coordination Office will be from early 2027 until at least the end of 2035, to cover the planning, implementation and reporting period of the IPY-5.

Bids for the main location of the office should cover this entire operational period, with an initial agreement signed for at least the first 5 years.
Bids for satellite offices may, depending on their role or function to support the main location, may have a shorter operational period.

Staffing Needs (at minimum) (FTE = Full-Time-Equivalent)

Central Office:

Head of Secretariat (1 FTE)
Administrative Officer (1 FTE)

Additional staffing either at the central location and / or at other satellite locations may include but are not limited to: Communications Officer (1 FTE), one or more Project Officers (1 FTE); Indigenous Liaison Officer (1 FTE); additional staff as needed over time during the planning process. The IPY-5 Executive Committee and Coordination Office would decide in cooperation with the selected host(s) when each of these positions would start and how long they would be needed for.
Funding for Internships
Important note for any bids for the one central location model: the bids must include in addition the staff listed under central office, also the staff costs for multiple positions listed under the additional staffing category.

Funding needs (needed at all locations no matter if central or satellite offices)

Staff salaries (dependent on the experience and qualifications of the candidate) including social benefits (pension fund, healthcare etc.)
Relocation costs for staff
Travel and Hospitality

Travel support per year for office members to attend international and national conferences and meetings (conference fees fees, travel costs, per diem)
Hospitality costs to host visitors to the office

Costs for office space and equipment (computers, phones, internet etc.)
Cost for software and subscriptions (Zoom, office software needed, mailchimp, financial software etc.)
Communications expenses:

set up and upkeep of the IPY-5 website (only for central location)
Communication material for advertising the IPY-5 at events

Printing and Publications Costs
Other occasional expenses

Office Equipment and Space:

Office space at the host institution(s) for all staff members, with potential for additional workspace(s) as required for interns and guests to the office
Access to meeting rooms at the host institution(s)
IT Infrastructure, including laptops, computer screens for the office, relevant software as needed (Office, Zoom, project management software etc.), own organisational filling and storage options including external storage options for file backup, and regular accessories, as well as access to the institutions’ IT support facilities
Office telephone with permission to make international calls
Mobile phones and contracts as mobile office phone due to frequent travel
Office material including stationary, regular printing/scanning possibility, access to institutional post service

Integration into the host institutions administrative and financial system

Close integration with the host institution’s accounting department for the hosting of the office accounts
Independent annual audit of office accounts done by the accounting department of the host institution
Possibility to participate in events, training, and other professional development opportunities within the host institution (e.g., workshops, seminars, language courses etc.).
Ability to attend staff meetings and be kept updated of current events at the host institution.

Timeline for the Selection Process for the IPY-5 International Coordinational Office host(s)

15 October 2025: Launch of Call for Bids
6 February 2026 at 18:00 GMT: Deadline to submit short Expressions of Interests for hosting the IPY-5 International Coordination Office
By early March 2026: IPY-5 Executive Committee contacts shortlisted bids and invites them to submit their full bids
1 June 2026 at 18:00 GMT: Deadline for shortlisted bids to submit their full bids.
June / July 2026: IPY-5 Executive Committee reviews the full bids and decides on the model and location(s) based on the available bids and how best they support the planning process of the IPY-5
August - December 2026: Negotiations and preparations between the IPY-5 Executive Committee / Interim Secretariat and the selected host(s) of the IPY-5 International Coordination Office regarding office logistics and hiring of staff members
Early - mid 2027: IPY-5 International Coordination Office will start operations (supported for the first half of 2027 still by the IPY-5 Interim Secretariat).