26.RTI.OP.102 - Service Framework Contract for the provision of “Nuclear Technologies for EU Defence Energy Systems (NUCLEUS) Study”

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has published an open tender (EDA/2026/OP/0010) for a framework services contract to deliver studies and consulting on advanced nuclear/xMR technologies for EU defence energy systems, with a maximum framework value of €900,000 and a maximum value for the initial Specific Contract (SC1) of €150,000. SC1 is a 12-month evidence-based study to assess xMR maturity, representative defence use cases, constraints, security and resilience considerations, technology gaps and a prioritised R&T roadmap. Tenders must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 16 November 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time and will be evaluated on the best price-quality ratio with 70% weighting for quality and 30% for price. The contract is unclassified and requires delivery of interim reports, an expert workshop and a final report in English, with EDA owning the study results subject to pre-existing rights.

What it funds

Scope and services

Framework contract to provide research and consulting services (studies, assessments, expert consultations, workshops and analytical work) on advanced nuclear technologies (xMRs) for EU defence energy systems, defence energy resilience, energy security and protection of critical energy infrastructure, including regulatory, fuel-supply, cyber/hybrid/physical security and capability-development aspects.

Footnotes

1. 1Full tender documentation, submission portal and annexes available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (tender reference EDA/2026/OP/0010). See the procedure page for detailed specifications and templates Tender details.

Opportunity summary

Purpose and scope

Key tasks for first Specific Contract (SC1)

Deliverables, schedule and payments (SC1)

Who can apply and eligibility

Eligibility and procurement procedure details

This is an open procurement procedure under the Financial Regulation applicable to EDA. Tender submission is electronic only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and e-Submission. A valid EU Login and PIC are required. The tender must include administrative documentation (identification forms and bank details), the Declaration on Honour (exclusion and selection), evidence for selection criteria (financial overview, evidence of technical/professional capacity), a technical proposal (maximum 60 pages) and a financial proposal using the model forms. Annexes available include Invitation Letter, Tender Specifications, Annexes 4.1–4.6 checklist and Annex 4.7 Draft Framework Contract.

Evaluation and award

Selection / qualification minimum requirements

Administrative and submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted exclusively via e-Submission before the deadline. Required documents include the Identification Form for Legal Entities and Bank Accounts, Declaration on Honour (exclusion and selection), Financial and Economic Capacity Overview Form, evidence of technical and professional capacity, subcontractor letters of intent (if subcontractors above 10% share), power of attorney for joint tenders, technical and financial proposals. Names and PIC of all participating legal entities must be entered in e-Submission. Scanned documents should allow text search where possible. The tender validity period is six months from the submission deadline.

Funding and financial conditions

Consortium and subcontracting

Security, confidentiality and data protection

Application forms and templates

Assessment process and timeline

Risk management, quality and AI use

Tenderers must include a Risk Management Plan and Quality Management approach in their technical proposal. If AI or Large Language Models are used in preparing deliverables, the contractor must declare their use in each deliverable and provide identification of the tool, purpose of use and human verification steps. Contractors are prohibited from uploading confidential EDA information into third-party online AI tools or using EDA-provided content to train external AI models without prior written approval. Contractors must comply with Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act) where applicable.

Key contact and documents

Templates and application structure guidance

Co-funding and financial contribution

Success factors and recommended approach

This call is a procurement framework to enable EDA to contract targeted studies and analytical support on the applicability and maturity of modular nuclear reactor technologies in defence contexts and to generate an evidence-based R&T roadmap for Ministries of Defence. It is not an acquisition of nuclear systems, nor is it setting operational capability requirements; the outputs are studies, assessments and stakeholder-engaged roadmaps to inform policy, R&T prioritisation and capability development. The tender dossier and templates are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; applicants must use e-Submission and comply with all formal requirements. 1

Footnotes

1. 1Tender dossier and official publication available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page ID 6ce98666-08a8 including Invitation Letter, Tender Specifications, Annexes 4.1-4.7 and Draft Framework Contract EU Funding & Tenders.

26.RTI.OP.102, NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES FOR EU DEFENCE ENERGY SYSTEMS study

Opportunity summary

This is a European Defence Agency procurement for research and consulting services concerning advanced nuclear technologies and their potential application in European defence energy systems. It is a public services tender, not a grant scheme. The successful tenderer will provide studies, assessments, expert consultations, workshops and analytical work supporting defence energy resilience, energy security, critical energy infrastructure protection and future capability development.

The initial study will focus on xMR technologies, meaning small modular reactors, microreactors, nanoreactors and other modular reactor concepts. The work must assess technological maturity, representative defence energy use cases, applicability, constraints, security and resilience considerations, technology gaps, implementation timelines and research priorities.

The authoritative opportunity record and procurement documents are available through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity. 1

Key procurement facts

Important dates and status

The procurement record identifies 16 November 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time as the operative tender deadline. The separate metadata entry showing 1 January 2026 should not be relied on where it conflicts with the detailed portal record and tender documents.

What the procurement is intended to deliver

The framework is intended to give EDA a flexible mechanism for ordering studies and related analytical services during the framework period. Potential subject areas include advanced nuclear technologies, defence energy resilience, energy security, protection of critical energy infrastructure, regulatory and licensing frameworks, nuclear fuel supply, implementation pathways, cyber security, hybrid threats, physical security and defence capability development.

The first specific contract, SC1, is the defined initial assignment. Its objective is to provide EDA with an evidence-based assessment of the applicability, maturity and research challenges of xMR technologies for defence energy systems.

Mandatory or expected SC1 work areas include:

Expected deliverables and timetable

The core SC1 milestones are a progress milestone at approximately month seven and a final milestone at approximately month twelve. The first milestone carries an interim payment of 30 percent and the final milestone carries the balance of up to 70 percent, subject to approval of the relevant deliverables.

Who can apply

The opportunity is open to economic operators able to satisfy the eligibility, exclusion, selection and access requirements set out in the tender specifications. The extracted procurement information does not reproduce the full access limitation rules or the numerical selection thresholds, so applicants must verify those provisions in section 3.5 of the official tender specifications before forming a bid.

For joint tenders, all members are jointly and severally liable to EDA for the performance of the contract. One member must be appointed as consortium leader and must hold authority to represent the group, manage the contract and receive payments. EDA does not require a consortium to adopt a particular legal form at the tender stage, although it may require one before signature if necessary to protect its contractual interests.

An economic operator may participate only once as a single tenderer, consortium leader or consortium partner. It may also act as a subcontractor in another tender, although the documents warn that this may create conflicts of interest.

Subcontracting

All subcontractors must be identified where their share exceeds 10 percent of the contract or where the tenderer relies on their capacity to satisfy selection criteria. Such subcontractors must provide a signed letter of intent and accept relevant contractual obligations, including provisions on checks, audits and confidentiality.

The main contractor remains fully responsible to EDA for the entire contract, including work performed by subcontractors. EDA has no direct contractual relationship with subcontractors and will handle contractual matters and payments through the contractor. Changes to identified subcontractors during the procedure may result in rejection, while changes after signature require prior written authorisation and may have termination consequences.

Technical and professional profile

The technical proposal should demonstrate a clear methodology, work breakdown structure, consultation strategy, stakeholder engagement approach, risk management plan, quality assurance arrangements and realistic schedule. The methodology should draw on diverse sources, including industry, government, research organisations, literature, market studies, expert interviews and relevant defence and energy stakeholders.

Financial conditions

The €900,000 amount is the maximum overall value of the framework contract, not an automatic grant or guaranteed purchase volume. Signing the framework does not oblige EDA to place orders. EDA becomes committed only when specific contracts or order forms are signed, and additional specific contracts remain subject to budget availability and the framework terms.

The first specific contract has a maximum value of €150,000. A financial proposal for SC1 exceeding €150,000 must be excluded. Prices must be all-inclusive and exclude VAT, covering associated costs such as personnel effort, travel and accommodation where applicable. The tender must include a cost breakdown showing effort, unit prices, expert daily fees and other relevant cost assumptions.

The financial proposal must include daily rates or equivalent pricing information for the project manager and experts. The methodology and pricing submitted by the successful tenderer will generally bind the contractor for SC1 and future specific contracts, subject to the framework contract.

There is no funding rate, reimbursement percentage or co-financing model because this is a fee-based procurement. The successful supplier is paid for accepted contractual services and deliverables rather than receiving project financing against eligible costs.

Evaluation and award

Tenders are evaluated using the best price-quality ratio. The procurement data assigns 70 percent of the evaluation weighting to quality and 30 percent to price. The technical submission must first meet the mandatory requirements before the award criteria are applied.

The quality assessment is expected to focus on the adequacy of the proposed methodology, understanding of the objectives, work organisation, team capability, quality of analysis, stakeholder consultation, risk management, relevance of proposed enhancements and credibility of the outputs. A low-price offer will not compensate for an inadequate technical response because quality carries the majority weighting.

Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted exclusively through the electronic submission system in the Funding and Tenders Portal. An EU Login account is required, and the organisation must have a Participant Identification Code. The tenderer should allow sufficient time for organisation registration, PIC validation, preparation of signatures and upload of all files.

Expected supporting documents include proof of authorised signature, legal entity and bank information, supporting legal registration documents, exclusion and selection declarations, evidence of financial and economic capacity, evidence of technical and professional capacity, the technical proposal and the financial proposal. Consortium powers of attorney and subcontractor letters of intent are required where applicable.

A qualified electronic signature is recommended for declarations. Where that is not possible, the documents may be printed, signed and dated by an authorised representative in accordance with the tender specifications.

Contract performance conditions

The framework is expected to enter into force when signed by the last contracting party, subject to funding availability. The framework may last up to 48 months. SC1 lasts 12 months from its kick-off meeting and may be extended only by written agreement before the original execution period ends.

Deliverables must be submitted in English and in the formats specified by EDA, including Word, PowerPoint and PDF as applicable. Deliverables must be complete, timely, clear, analytically sound and suitable for review and use by EDA stakeholders. EDA may request clarifications and revisions. If a deliverable is rejected twice after the applicable revision process, EDA may reject it and withhold payment for that deliverable.

The contractor is responsible for organising meetings and workshops, preparing agendas and supporting material, moderating discussions, recording minutes and incorporating stakeholder feedback. The kick-off meeting, expert workshop and final meeting are expected to take place in Brussels, although virtual participation may be agreed.

Intellectual property and confidentiality

The study and associated results and rights produced under the contract are intended to be owned solely by EDA, subject to pre-existing intellectual property rights. Any intended communication, transfer or later use of information gathered during the study requires prior written authorisation from EDA. The contractor must also disclose whether large language models were used in preparing deliverables.

The overall contract classification is unclassified and no export control requirements are identified in the tender specifications. Nevertheless, applicants should assess confidentiality, conflict of interest, information security and stakeholder access risks because the subject matter concerns defence energy systems and critical infrastructure.

Applicant suitability assessment

This opportunity is best suited to an established research, engineering, consulting, defence, energy or technology organisation with demonstrable expertise across advanced nuclear technologies and defence energy systems. A strong bidder will normally need access to a multidisciplinary team, credible government and military stakeholder networks, experience in strategic technology assessment and the ability to produce high-quality English-language reports for an EU defence institution.

A small specialist organisation may participate, but the procurement is not marked as SME-specific and the scope is broad. A consortium could improve coverage of nuclear technology, defence operations, regulatory analysis, cyber and physical security, fuel supply, infrastructure resilience and research roadmap development. Consortium members must accept joint and several liability and coordinate a single integrated technical and financial offer.

Main bid risks

Recommended bid preparation sequence

Overall assessment

This is a strategically significant but specialised EU defence procurement rather than a conventional innovation grant. The opportunity offers a route to a four-year relationship with EDA and a potential framework ceiling of €900,000, but only the initial €150,000 specific contract is defined and guaranteed consideration depends on successful award and signature of the relevant contract.

The strongest bids will combine credible advanced nuclear and xMR knowledge with practical defence energy analysis, regulatory understanding, critical infrastructure resilience, security expertise, stakeholder access and disciplined project delivery. Because quality represents 70 percent of the award weighting, bidders should prioritise a rigorous, evidence-based methodology and a highly relevant expert team over aggressive pricing alone.

Source note

The report uses the opportunity record and the published invitation letter, tender specifications, annexes and draft framework contract associated with the official Funding and Tenders Portal record. The official TED search service is also available for verification of the published notice record. 1

Footnotes

1. 1Official source: EU Funding and Tenders Portal opportunity. The search results also identify TED as the EU procurement notice service and provide its advanced search and open data services: TED advanced search and TED Open Data.