2027 GHG inventories review for ESR compliance check and 2027-2028 capacity building

This is an open EU public procurement (DG CLIMA) to provide expert technical review of national greenhouse gas inventories for Effort Sharing Regulation compliance (covering years 2021–2025) and to deliver bilateral capacity building to Member States in 2027–2028. The contract is a services agreement with an estimated total value of €700,000 and will be awarded on the best price-quality ratio. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and meet the selection, exclusion and detailed staffing requirements set out in the procurement documents. Deadline for receipt of tenders is 21 October 2026 at 16:00 Brussels time.

What it funds

Scope

Service contract to provide expert review support for the 2027 comprehensive review of national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories under the Effort Sharing Regulation (years 2021–2025) and to deliver bilateral inventory capacity building for Member State experts in 2027 and 2028. Activities include desk reviews, centralised expert meetings, drafting and finalising review reports, calculation of technical corrections, and bilateral training meetings.

Estimated total value:€700,000 (estimated overall contract value) ¹

1. 1Who can apply: economic operators established in the EU/EEA and eligible third‑country operators under international procurement rules; sole tenderers or joint tenders allowed.
2. 2Main tasks: perform Technical Expert Review Team (TERT) functions for 27 EU Member States plus Norway and Iceland; prepare draft and final review reports; propose technical corrections; deliver bilateral capacity‑building meetings in 2027 and 2028.
3. 3Contract type and award: open procedure; services; award by best price-quality ratio; electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Tender packaging:submit a technical tender (methodology, team CVs, quality control) and a financial tender (use Annex 6 financial form). Minimum selection and staffing requirements apply (project coordinator, quality controller, lead reviewers, sector experts; language skills for English and for reviews in French and Spanish). The contractor will liaise closely with DG CLIMA, the EEA Secretariat and Member State experts.

Submission is electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; a Participant Register PIC and EU Login account are required. See the procedure page for tender documents, draft contract and templates Tender documents ¹

Footnotes

1. 1See the Funding & Tenders Portal call page for full tender specifications, templates (Annexes), submission rules and eSubmission system requirements.

Procurement type:Open procedure, electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Lead contracting authority: European Commission, DG CLIMA - Climate Action. TED reference: 640319-2026. Estimated total value: €700 000. Nature of contract: services. Main CPV: 90000000 Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services; additional CPV: 79000000 business services (consulting).

Purpose and Scope

Objective:provide expert support to the Commission and the European Environment Agency (EEA) to carry out the 2027 comprehensive review of national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory data for the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) sectors for the years 2021–2025 (covering 27 EU Member States plus Norway and Iceland) and to deliver bilateral capacity building to Member State inventory experts in 2027 and 2028. The contract covers the Technical Expert Review Team (TERT) functions defined in Article 30 and Annex XXII of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1208 and related capacity building activities.

Geographic scope:EU 27 Member States plus Norway and Iceland (the review excludes LULUCF sectors; LULUCF is reviewed in parallel by a dedicated TERT).

Key Dates and Deadlines

1. 1Call/TED publication: 17/09/2026.
2. 2Deadline for receipt of tenders: 21/10/2026 16:00 Europe/Brussels (UTC+02:00).
3. 3Public opening (virtual): 22/10/2026 14:00 Europe/Brussels.
4. 4Contracting authority not bound to reply to questions submitted after: 12/10/2026 23:59 Europe/Brussels.
5. 5Centralised review (one week): within the period 25 May to 15 June 2027 (exact week to be agreed).
6. 6Draft review reports due within 21 days after end of centralised review and no later than 6 July 2027.
7. 7Final review reports due by the 83rd day after end of centralised review and no later than 6 September 2027.
8. 8Capacity building 2027 implementation completed by 30 December 2027; draft capacity building report by 22 January 2028; final capacity building report by 19 February 2028.
9. 9Capacity building 2028 implementation completed by 27 October 2028; draft capacity building report by 17 November 2028; final report by 22 December 2028.
10. 10Contract maximum duration ends by 28 February 2029.

Procurement and Submission

Submission method:Electronic submission only through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission facility. Participant Register and PIC required for each legal entity (including subcontractors where PIC is mandatory). Tenders must be submitted in any official EU language; English is the authentic language of the procurement documents. The award method: best price-quality ratio. The contracting authority may publish clarifications and documents on the Portal; subscribing to the call for tenders on the Portal is recommended F&T Portal. ¹

Submission constraints:Only eSubmission is accepted; late tenders are rejected. Drafts may be replaced or withdrawn before the deadline. System requirements and accepted file formats are in the eSubmission Quick Guide.

Estimated Budget and Contract Type

Estimated total value of the procedure:€700 000 (maximum overall contract amount). Nature: direct service contract. The award may include up to 50% additional follow-on services procured by negotiated procedure within three years, subject to conditions and remaining budget.

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants include: private companies (large enterprises and SMEs), consultancies, research institutions, universities, independent experts and consortia (joint tenders). Subcontracting is allowed. International organisations and entities from GPA parties are eligible in line with procurement access rules.

Funding Type

Primary financial mechanism: procurement/service contract (direct award following open procedure). This is not a grant, loan or equity instrument.

Consortium Requirement

Single tenderer or joint tender allowed. Where a group submits a joint tender, a group leader must be nominated and a power of attorney (Annex 3 model) provided. Joint tender members bear joint and several liability.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Eligible participants: organisations established in EU Member States, EEA countries and countries covered by the WTO GPA and other public procurement agreements applying to the Commission. The review itself covers EU27 + Norway + Iceland.

Target Sector

Thematic sector: climate action and environmental services; technical expertise in GHG inventories, reporting under UNFCCC and EU Regulations; sectors covered: energy (including transport), industrial processes and product use, agriculture, waste (LULUCF excluded for this contract).

Mentioned Countries

• All 27 EU Member States (explicitly covered by the review)
• Norway
• Iceland
• Contracting authority location: Belgium (Brussels)

Project Stage and Expected Maturity

Project stage: advanced operational review and quality assurance of national GHG inventories; maturity expected: review and verification of reported inventory data, calculation of technical corrections, drafting and finalising review reports, and delivery of targeted capacity building (i.e. demonstration and analysis level with required subject-matter expertise).

Funding Amount / Scale

Total procedure estimated value: €700 000. Tenderers must price the full scope, including tasks for 27 Member States plus Norway and Iceland and all deliverables. Financial tender must use Annex 6 financial form.

Application Type

Method: Open call via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, single-stage tender submission (no prior expression of interest). Electronic only (eSubmission).

Nature of Support

Direct paid services (money) under a service contract; no grants. The contractor will be paid for delivery of services and deliverables according to interim payment schedule and final payment.

Application Stages

Single-stage tender submission, evaluation and award. Key internal stages: administrative compliance check, exclusion check, selection (capacity) check, technical evaluation (quality), financial evaluation (price), ranking on price-quality ratio and award decision.

Success Rates

Not published. Open procedures for Commission tenders are competitive; typical success rate depends on number of bids (not provided).

Co-funding Requirement

No co-funding required: the Commission pays for the services under the contract. All costs must be included in the tender price (VAT rules explained in contract).

Eligibility, Exclusion and Selection Requirements (Summary)

Mandatory exclusions:contractors in exclusion situations per Article 138 of the Financial Regulation must not participate. A Declaration on Honour (Annex 2 model) is required with the tender; supporting evidence may be requested. The contracting authority will consult the EU Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES).

1. 1Legal and regulatory capacity: proof of legal registration/authorisation to perform the contract (on request).
2. 2Economic/financial capacity: consolidated average annual turnover for the last two financial years above €700 000 (evidence: profit & loss and balance sheets or bank statements).
3. 3Technical/professional capacity (tenderer consolidated):
4. 4T1: at least three similar projects (in scope and complexity) in last five years, each ≥ €50 000.
5. 5T2: at least three projects in EU climate policy monitoring/reporting in last five years, each ≥ €100 000.
6. 6T3: evidence of capacity to draft reports in English (one document ≥ 10 pages in last two years).
7. 7T4: if subcontracting is envisaged, at least one project in relevant EU policy within five years where subcontractors were used to similar extent and project value ≥ €100 000.
8. 8Team-level requirements (must be provided in CVs): project coordinator (≥8 years project management; experience with GHG inventories and EU/UNFCCC rules); quality controller (≥10 years GHG inventory experience); at least 4 lead reviewers and sector experts (Energy/Transport, IPPU, Agriculture, Waste) with required IPCC and UNFCCC reporting experience; language skills: English C2 or equivalent; at least two team members with native/C1 French and two with native/C1 Spanish.

Evaluation and Award Criteria (Summary)

Award is based on best price-quality ratio. Price = total price covering all requirements. Quality total = 100 points. Minimum thresholds applied per quality sub-criterion and overall quality score must reach at least 65/100 to be considered for award.

Ranking method:price divided by quality score (price-quality ratio). Lowest ratio wins. Ties broken by lower price then higher quality in the order: methodology, organisation, quality control.

Deliverables and Reporting (Key Deliverables)

1. 1Draft inception report and final inception report (planning, tools, sector checklists) and completion of lead/sector reviewer training by 25 March 2027.
2. 2Interim reports: first interim report (preparation summary) by 25 April 2027 (draft) and final by 18 May 2027; second interim report (preliminary overview of draft technical corrections) by 10 June 2027 (draft) and final by 10 July 2027.
3. 3Desk-based review questions sent to Member States (no later than 25 April 2027) and centralised review week (one week between 25 May and 15 June 2027).
4. 4Draft inventory review reports for each Member State (within 21 days after centralised review and no later than 6 July 2027).
5. 5Final inventory review reports for each Member State (by 83rd day after end of centralised review and no later than 6 September 2027).
6. 6Draft and final comprehensive review project report (draft by 30 November 2027; final by 31 January 2028) including evaluation of review process and Member State survey results.
7. 7Capacity building planning overviews (Excel or agreed format) for 2027 (by 31 October 2027) and 2028 (by 31 August 2028) and capacity building implementation and reports for 2027 and 2028 in the specified timelines (final reports by 19 February 2028 and 22 December 2028 respectively).
8. 8Provision of all draft and final deliverables in MS Word and PDF; supporting calculations in MS Excel where applicable; deliverables in English.

Meetings and Presence Requirements

Most meetings are online. Physical presence required for:centralised review week at EEA premises in Copenhagen; mandated attendance at up to five in-country meetings physically if requested by Commission for exceptional quality issues (no more than 24 person-days total). Attendance at Commission meetings in Brussels may be required on up to one physical meeting and up to three additional meetings online/virtually.

Documents Published with the Call

1. 1Invitation letter (published 17/09/2026).
2. 2Tender specifications (TS EC-CLIMA2026OP0103 GHG inventories review FINAL, published 17/09/2026).
3. 3Draft contract (EN Direct Service Contract EC-CLIMA2026OP0103 FINAL, published 17/09/2026).
4. 4Annex 2 Declaration on Honour on exclusion and selection criteria (Annex_2_V1.docx).
5. 5Annex 6 Financial tender form (Annex_6_V1.docx).

Application Templates and Forms

Required forms and templates are published as annexes:Declaration on Honour (Annex 2), Agreement/Power of Attorney model (Annex 3) for joint tenders, List of identified subcontractors (Annex 4), Commitment letters for identified subcontractors (Annex 5.1) and entities whose capacity is relied upon (Annex 5.2), and Financial Tender Form (Annex 6). The technical tender must include methodology, staff CVs, organigram and allocation of person-days, Gantt/ schedule for tasks/deliverables, quality assurance plan and language arrangements for France/Spain inventory review.

Evaluation and Contractual Conditions (highlights)

Key contractual items:award by lowest price-quality ratio; contract is a direct contract with detailed special and general conditions published in the draft contract; payments by interim payments and balance per tender specifications; VAT rules and invoicing obligations specified in the draft contract; confidentiality, data protection (Regulation (EU) 2018/1725), audit and checks provisions apply; IPR: Commission acquires ownership of contract results; pre-existing rights must be declared and licensed; security provisions and ethics reminders apply for staff handling sensitive data.

Technical and Team Requirements (detailed)

1. 1Project coordinator: minimum 8 years of complex project management experience, demonstrated GHG inventory and EU/UNFCCC reporting expertise; experience with teams of ≥10 and projects ≥ €300 000.
2. 2Quality controller: minimum 10 years of GHG inventory compilation and review; prior lead of international inventory review activities; deep knowledge of IPCC Guidelines (2006 and 2019 Refinement), IPCC Good Practice Guidance, UNFCCC and EU reporting/review processes.
3. 3At least 4 lead reviewers: each with ≥ 5 years GHG inventory review/compilation experience and prior leadership in international review activities.
4. 4Sector experts: minimum five experts for Energy (including Transport), IPPU and Agriculture sectors and at least two experts for Waste sector; each with ≥ 3 years experience and sector-specific IPCC/UNFCCC experience.
5. 5Language skills: all team members must have excellent English (CEFR C2 recommended). At least two team members must be native/C1 French and at least two native/C1 Spanish to handle national-language reports (France/Spain).
6. 6Continuity: proposed lead reviewers and sector experts must be available throughout the review cycle and capacity building activities; evidence of CVs and availability required in tender.

Deliverable Formats and Data Tools

Deliverables:drafts and finals as MS Word and PDF; spreadsheets and calculations in MS Excel. The EEA will provide inventory submissions, national inventory reports, recommendation compilations, ETS databases and the Emissions Review Tool (EMRT) for communication. Contractor to use EEA-provided tools and cooperate with LULUCF review team.

Risk, Liability and Insurance

Contractor liability:standard Commission contract clauses apply (see draft contract and general conditions). Contractor must hold appropriate insurance if required by applicable law and will be liable for damages subject to contractual limits; gross negligence and certain breaches carry full liability. Fraud, irregularities or exclusion grounds may trigger termination and recovery measures.

Templates: Outline of Application Content and Structure

1. 1Administrative forms and Annexes: Declaration on Honour (Annex 2), PIC(s), LEAR details, Agreement/Power of Attorney (Annex 3, if joint tender), list of subcontractors (Annex 4) and commitment letters (Annex 5.1/5.2) where applicable.
2. 2Technical tender (upload section): Executive summary; detailed methodology and work plan; schedule and Gantt; staffing table with CVs and availability; organisation and communication plan; quality assurance and language checks; past project references evidencing T1–T4 criteria; list of identified subcontractors and roles if above 20% or relied upon for selection criteria.
3. 3Financial tender (upload section): Completed Annex 6 financial tender form, all prices in EUR, breakdown of person-days, travel, overheads and other costs, totals excluding VAT.
4. 4Supporting evidence (as requested): profit and loss and balance sheets for last two closed years; certificates of registration/authorisation; examples of English reports; any other documentary evidence requested by validation services.

How to Apply — Practical Steps

1. 1Register your organisation in the Participant Register and obtain PIC(s).
2. 2Subscribe to the call for tenders on the Funding & Tenders Portal to receive updates.
3. 3Download all procurement documents (Invitation letter, Tender specifications, Draft contract, Annexes 2 and 6 etc.).
4. 4Prepare and upload administrative, technical and financial tenders per Annex 1 list and eSubmission requirements. Use the exact attachment names suggested where possible.
5. 5Ensure the Declaration on Honour is signed and included. Prepare any supporting evidence in advance as requests for documentation may be issued on short deadlines.
6. 6Submit via eSubmission before 21/10/2026 16:00 Europe/Brussels. Keep evidence of submission receipt timestamp.

Points of Contact and Further Information

Contracting authority contact for questions and requests:clima-tenders@ec.europa.eu. All procurement documents and Q&A (if published) are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page. The contracting authority may refuse to answer questions received less than six working days before the submission deadline.

Useful links:Opportunity page and procurement documents: F&T Portal – Tender details.

Short checklist for tenderers

• Register in Participant Register and obtain PIC.
• Download and study Tender Specifications, Draft Contract, Annexes 2 and 6.
• Ensure compliance with selection criteria and prepare evidence.
• Prepare detailed methodology, staffing (CVs) and QA plan in English.
• Complete Annex 6 financial tender and ensure total price ≤ €700 000 (if exceeding maximum the tender will be rejected).
• Upload all documents via eSubmission and verify submission receipt before deadline.

What this opportunity is about and how to explain it:This is an EU Commission tender (DG CLIMA) to contract a technical expert review team to support the 2027 comprehensive review of GHG inventories for the Effort Sharing Regulation for the 2021–2025 years and to provide bilateral capacity building to Member States in 2027–2028. The contracted team will perform desk-based checks, participate in a centralised review week (EEA Copenhagen), calculate and justify potential technical corrections, draft and finalise review reports for each Member State, coordinate closely with the EEA Secretariat and the LULUCF review team, and provide targeted bilateral capacity building meetings. The process is governed by the Governance Regulation and the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1208. Tenderers must demonstrate strong technical capacity in GHG inventory methodologies (IPCC guidelines), EU/UNFCCC reporting experience, organisational capability to mobilise reviewers across sectors, and language capacities to review documents submitted in French and Spanish. The award depends on quality (methodology, organisation, QA) and price, with an estimated contract value of €700 000. Apply through the Funding & Tenders Portal using eSubmission before the stated deadline.

Footnotes

1. 1All official procurement documents and the eSubmission upload facility can be accessed via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page: ec.europa.eu

This is an EU public procurement for services led by DG CLIMA, not a grant call. The notice seeks expert support to review greenhouse gas inventories for Effort Sharing Regulation compliance checks and to provide capacity building to Member States so inventory accuracy can be improved.[1][3][5]

Official source:The contract notice is published on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal ¹.

What the opportunity is about

The assignment is focused on reviewing ESR-related emissions and greenhouse gas inventory data for the 2021 to 2025 period, which supports the Commission's compliance check for Member States in the 2027 cycle.[1][3][5][9] The capacity building element is intended to help Member States improve the accuracy, consistency, and overall quality of their inventory reporting.[1][5][9]

• Technical review of national greenhouse gas inventories and ESR emissions data for compliance purposes.[1][3][5]
• Support to Member States on inventory quality and methodology through capacity building activities.[1][5][9]
• Expert input for checking whether reported data is sufficiently accurate for EU compliance decisions.[1][3][9]

Who can apply

The procedure is an open procedure, so any economic operator that can deliver the required services and meet the selection and exclusion conditions in the procurement documents may submit a tender electronically.[1] The notice is aimed at specialist service providers with relevant expertise in greenhouse gas inventories, climate reporting, compliance assessment, or related environmental and technical advisory work.[1][5][9]

This is a service contract, so there is no grant funding rate or co-financing percentage to calculate. The successful tenderer will be paid under the contract terms set out in the procurement documents.[1]

Key procurement facts

Requirements and practical notes

1. 1Submissions must be made through the Funding and Tenders Portal using electronic submission.[1]
2. 2An EU Login account is required to submit questions and tenders electronically.[1]
3. 3The procurement documents include the invitation letter, tender specifications, draft contract, declaration on honour, and financial tender form.[1]
4. 4Bidders should review the tender specifications carefully because the detailed technical tasks, selection criteria, and contractual conditions are set out there.[1]
5. 5The visible notice excerpt does not state a contract duration, so applicants should check the draft contract and specifications for the exact period and deliverable schedule.

Applicant takeaways

• This is best suited to organizations with proven expertise in greenhouse gas inventory review and climate compliance support.[1][5][9]
• The award method gives strong weight to both quality and price, so a technically strong proposal is likely to matter significantly.[1]
• The budget is relatively modest for an EU service contract, at €700000 estimated value.[1]
• The electronic deadline is strict, and the portal states that questions submitted after 12 October 2026 may not receive a reply.[1]

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender notice: 2027 GHG inventories review for ESR compliance check and 2027-2028 capacity building.