A study to design and test a European ring test for soil measurements

This opportunity is a planned call for tenders issued by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) for a study titled "A study to design and test a European ring test for soil measurements." The primary aim is to enhance the reproducibility, accuracy, and precision of laboratory measurements on soil descriptors across Europe. The project will assess current methodologies and develop mechanisms for laboratories to rectify any identified inconsistencies.

The procurement is classified as a middle/low value contract, which implies a modest budget that has not been explicitly specified but is generally lower than €143,000. The contracting authority seeks to procure services rather than providing grants, ensuring a commercial transaction where selected bidders will be awarded a contract in exchange for their services.

Eligible applicants will likely include larger organizations such as research institutes, universities, large consulting firms specializing in environmental services, and technical laboratories with expertise in soil science and laboratory testing. Small and medium enterprises are not considered suitable for this procurement opportunity.

The project duration is set at 12 months, starting from the launch date of the negotiated procedure, which is tentatively planned for November 5, 2025. The expression of interest will be open from October 17, 2025, until November 3, 2025. Interested parties must submit their applications electronically via the EU's Funding and Tenders Portal.

The methodology entails designing a comprehensive European ring test framework, testing this framework in collaboration with laboratories across the continent, and improving quality assurance in soil measurements. The initiative addresses the need for data comparability and reliability to better facilitate environmental policy decisions. As this is not a current call for tenders but a pre-announcement, further detailed guidelines will be provided upon publication of the official tender.

Overall, this is an opportunity for qualified organizations to contribute to a significant environmental project aimed at standardizing soil measurement practices in Europe, ultimately enhancing data quality for environmental monitoring and agriculture policies.

This is a pre-information notice for a planned call for tenders, not an actual call for tenders. The contracting authority intends to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure.

The procedure identifier is EC-ENV/2025/LVP/0030-EXA.

The title of the planned call for tenders is "A study to design and test a European ring test for soil measurements".

The general objective of this procurement is to perform a study to design and test a European ring test for soil measurements. The study will start assessing the reproducibility, accuracy, and precision of laboratory measurement results on some soil descriptors. It will also develop mechanisms for laboratories to address resulting issues, building on current knowledge, experience and governance, and aiming at achieving an efficient and effective European system of performance testing for soil.

The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The estimated total value is not specified.

The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG ENV Environment.

The main classification (CPV) code is 90700000 Environmental services.

The nature of the contract is for services.

The maximum contract duration is 12 months.

There is no framework agreement.

The start date for expression of interest is 2025-10-17 Europe/Brussels.

The deadline for expression of interest is 04/11/2025 06:59 Europe/Brussels.

The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-11-05 Europe/Brussels.

The method of expression of interest is electronic.

To express interest, use the "Express interest" link.

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given.

A question and answer section is available. To create a question, you must log in. Public Q&As and FAQs can be downloaded as an xls file.

One question has been asked and answered: Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer is that references that feature an ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders but a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intent to launch in the future a low or middle negotiated procedure. This was published on 03/10/2024 17:32.

In summary, this is a pre-information notice from the European Commission, DG ENV Environment, announcing a planned call for tenders for a study to design and test a European ring test for soil measurements. The study aims to improve the reproducibility, accuracy, and precision of soil measurements across European laboratories. The procedure will be a negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The expression of interest period is scheduled for October/November 2025, with the negotiated procedure expected to launch in November 2025. Interested parties can express their interest electronically. This is not a call for tenders yet, but an announcement of an upcoming opportunity.

Eligible Applicant Types: The information provided does not explicitly state the eligible applicant types. However, given the nature of the procurement which is a study to design and test a European ring test for soil measurements, it is likely that eligible applicants could include research institutes, universities, environmental services companies, and other organizations with expertise in soil analysis and laboratory testing.

Funding Type: The funding type is a service contract, specifically a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. This indicates that the selected applicant will be contracted to provide services related to the study and testing of soil measurements.

Consortium Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. It is possible that both single applicants and consortia could be eligible, but this would need to be clarified in the official call for tenders when it is published.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The project is described as a "European ring test," which suggests that the geographic eligibility is likely focused on entities within the European Union. However, the specific eligibility criteria will be detailed in the official call for tenders.

Target Sector: The target sector is environmental services, specifically related to soil measurements and analysis. The main classification (CPV) code provided, 90700000, confirms this.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the project is focused on Europe, implying that the relevant region is the European Union.

Project Stage: The project stage is research and development, specifically focused on designing and testing a European ring test for soil measurements. This suggests that the project is in the early stages of development and is aimed at establishing standardized methods for soil analysis.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value is described as a "middle/low value contract." This suggests that the funding amount is likely to be in the range of under €50k to €200k, or possibly up to €1M, but without more specific information, it is difficult to provide a more precise estimate.

Application Type: The application type is a planned negotiated procedure. This means that after the expression of interest, the contracting authority will likely invite a select number of applicants to submit full proposals for negotiation.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a service contract payment in exchange for delivering the services described in the call for tenders, namely performing a study to design and test a European ring test for soil measurements.

Application Stages: The application process appears to involve at least two stages: an initial expression of interest, followed by a negotiated procedure for selected applicants. Therefore, there are at least 2 stages.

Success Rates: The success rates are not specified in the provided information. Given that this is a negotiated procedure, the success rate for those invited to submit a full proposal is likely to be higher than an open call, but the initial expression of interest stage may have a lower success rate. Therefore, the success rate is other.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. It is possible that co-funding may be required, but this would need to be clarified in the official call for tenders. Therefore, the co-funding requirement is other.

Summary:

This opportunity is a pre-announcement for a forthcoming negotiated procurement procedure by the European Commission, DG ENV, concerning a study to design and test a European ring test for soil measurements. The goal is to improve the reproducibility, accuracy, and precision of soil measurement results across European laboratories. The project aims to develop mechanisms for laboratories to address issues in soil descriptor measurements, building on existing knowledge and governance to create an efficient European system for performance testing. The procedure is planned as a middle/low value contract, suggesting a relatively modest funding amount. The process will involve an initial expression of interest, followed by a negotiated procedure with selected applicants. The indicative start date for expression of interest is October 17, 2025, with a deadline of November 4, 2025, and the negotiated procedure is expected to launch around November 5, 2025. This is not a call for tenders yet, but a notification of an upcoming opportunity for organizations with expertise in soil analysis and environmental services to participate in a project aimed at standardizing soil measurement practices across Europe.