Assistance in the analysis and implementation of auctions for renewable hydrogen and derivatives imports under the European Hydrogen Bank

The European Commission has issued a call for tenders, referenced as EC-ENER/2025/OP/0074, for assistance in analyzing and implementing auctions for renewable hydrogen and its derivatives under the European Hydrogen Bank. The total estimated value of the contract is 1.5 million EUR, with a maximum duration of 24 months. This tender falls under the DG ENER (Energy) department and is categorized as a procurement opportunity rather than a grant.

The submission process is open and electronic submissions are required. Tenders must be submitted by November 3, 2025, at 17:00 Europe/Brussels, with public opening scheduled for November 4, 2025, at 11:00 Europe/Brussels. It is mandatory for participants to have a Personal Identification Code (PIC), which applies to both sole candidates and consortium members.

Eligible applicants include consulting firms, research institutions, and professional service providers with expertise in areas such as business services, law, marketing, and consulting, specifically related to renewable energy sectors, particularly hydrogen. The geographic eligibility likely extends to entities based in EU and EEA countries, as well as potential international subcontractors or partners from countries such as the UK, Japan, South Korea, India, and Chile.

The project aims to assess and define appropriate auction models for Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) import auctions at an EU level. The work will encompass a high-level assessment of the hydrogen market, an analysis of existing auction mechanisms, guidance on policy discussions with Member States, and the development of recommendations for the auctions' terms and conditions.

Success rates are not specified due to the competitive nature of this procurement, and there is no co-funding requirement as this is a direct service contract. The awarded contract will be evaluated based on the best price-quality ratio, indicating a thorough assessment of both cost and service quality.

The results of the study are expected to be published in September 2025. This procurement opportunity represents a significant stride towards enhancing the framework for importing renewable hydrogen into the EU, supporting the broader goals of energy transition and sustainable development.

The European Commission, DG ENER Energy, has announced a call for tenders EC-ENER/2025/OP/0074 for assistance in the analysis and implementation of auctions for renewable hydrogen and derivatives imports under the European Hydrogen Bank. The TED reference for this call is 190/2025 650006-2025.

The procedure type is an open procedure, and submissions must be electronic. The estimated total value of the tender is 1,500,000 EUR. The TED publication date is 03/10/2025. The main classification (CPV) code is 79000000 Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security. The nature of the contract is for services, and the maximum contract duration is 24 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. This is not a framework agreement.

Key milestones include the TED publication date of 03/10/2025, the date and time of public opening on 04/11/2025 at 11:00 Europe/Brussels, and the deadline for receipt of tenders on 03/11/2025 at 17:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 24/10/2025 at 06:00 Europe/Brussels.

The European Commission has contracted a study to provide an overview of hydrogen market developments and lessons learned from existing schemes, assess priority considerations and define adequate auction models for RFNBO import auctions at EU level. The study will:

1. Provide a high-level assessment of the EU and international hydrogen market (expected development and dynamics, market shares of derivatives, etc.).
2. Analyse a selected set of auctions and relevant EU and international schemes (EHB domestic leg, H2Global and other EU MSs schemes, UK, Japan, South Korea, India, Chile) and evaluate replicability of different elements to a joint European import auction.
3. Guide and support discussions with Member States on needs and policy priorities (2 planned workshops).
4. Develop recommendations for the Terms and Conditions of an import auction under the EHB.

The results of this study will be published in September 2025 on the website of the Publications Office of the European Union.

The following documents are available for download:

1. ENEN-Invitation to tender EC-ENER2025OP0074 Assistance for European Hydrogen Bank Invitation letter, published on 03/10/2025, Version 1.
2. ENTender specifications- EHB PA FV 519 Tender specifications, published on 03/10/2025, Version 1.
3. ENAnnex 6 - Financial Offer Form Financial offer form, published on 03/10/2025, Version 1.
4. ENAnnex 2 - declaration-of-honour-tenders Assistance for European Hydrogen Bank EC-ENER2025OP0074 Declaration on honour (tender), published on 03/10/2025, Version 1.
5. ENcontrat-direct-service-2024 FR Recast-en1 Draft contract, published on 03/10/2025, Version 1.
6. ENAppendix 2 to the contract - Security requirements en 2025 Draft contract annex, published on 03/10/2025, Version 1.

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

Some frequently asked questions (FAQ) and their answers related to the eSubmission system are:

1. How to proceed if the system is slow or doesn’t work while uploading/downloading documents? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies on the Internet browser. Published on 13/02/2025 21:52.
2. Which Internet browsers does eSubmission support? Use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For the most up-to-date technical recommendations, click on the link System Requirements. Published on 13/02/2025 21:52.
3. Is it possible to view the details of the submission after the deadline? No, the content of the submission is not accessible after submitting the tender as the system encrypts all attachments upon upload. Published on 13/02/2025 21:50.
4. Where can I find my submissions in Manage My Area, in the Funding & Tenders portal? Submissions can be found in ‘My Submission(s)’: tenders in response to open calls for tenders, requests to participate. Published on 17/10/2024 21:40.
5. Which size should attachments have? eSubmission accepts files that are less than 50 MB in size. Published on 17/10/2024 21:36.
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7. Can I submit a video in eSubmission? Which formats are supported? Check the System Requirements of eSubmission. Published on 03/10/2024 17:37.
8. I received an invitation from the F&T Portal but cannot view the procurement documents. Invited candidates can only see the procurement documents after having selected an organisation. Go to F&T Portal, “My Invitations”. Click on “Select Organisation” from the “Action”. Published on 03/10/2024 17:37.
9. Do I need to validate my PIC in order to submit a tender in eSubmission? The Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). Published on 03/10/2024 17:36.
10. I have an issue uploading a file in eSubmission and it’s giving me an error. What do I do? Make sure it follows the technical requirements of the system. Published on 03/10/2024 17:36.
11. How many attachments can I upload per submission? The maximum number of documents the system will allow you to upload per tender is 200 files. Published on 03/10/2024 17:35.
12. Why do tenderers need a PIC? It is mandatory to register for a PIC if you intend to submit a tender or a request to participate. Published on 23/04/2024 18:14.
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16. Does the system use encryption to ensure the integrity and the confidentiality of the information? Yes, the system encrypts all uploaded documents, using an asymmetric key as an encryption mechanism. Published on 23/02/2024 00:57.
17. Which file types does the system support? The supported file types depend on the type of submission you want to make. The allowed file types are specified within the system requirements linked to the procedure in question. Published on 22/02/2024 00:55.
18. Can I view and edit my draft submission? Until the deadline for the submission has been reached, submissions in the draft status can be edited, viewed and deleted. Published on 24/03/2023 22:32.
19. In the submission report, under the name of our entity, "Legal form: UNKNOWN" is displayed while in the system, our legal form was correctly displayed. Is this a problem for the submission? No, it is just a display issue. This is not blocking for you: you can submit. Published on 03/08/2021 23:07.
20. I sent my submission on time and a few days later, I received an automatic email informing me that the deadline for the reception of submissions had been reached. Does this mean that my submission was not correctly sent? No, this is an auto-generated notification sent when the time limit of receipt defined for the call for tenders has been reached. Until then, you had the possibility of withdrawing. Published on 03/08/2021 23:05.

In summary, this tender opportunity, EC-ENER/2025/OP/0074, invites proposals for a study to assist the European Commission in designing and implementing auctions for importing renewable hydrogen and its derivatives under the European Hydrogen Bank. The study involves assessing the hydrogen market, analysing existing auction schemes, guiding discussions with Member States, and recommending terms and conditions for import auctions. The tender is open to all eligible organizations, with a submission deadline of November 3, 2025. The maximum contract duration is 24 months, and the estimated total value is 1,500,000 EUR. The award will be based on the best price-quality ratio. The project aims to support the development of a robust and effective framework for importing renewable hydrogen into the EU, contributing to the EU's energy transition goals.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but given the nature of the tender, it is likely open to organizations with expertise in business services, law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security, as indicated by the CPV code. This could include companies, research institutions, consulting firms, and other entities with relevant capabilities.

Funding Type: This is a procurement opportunity, specifically a call for tenders. The European Commission is seeking to contract services.

Consortium Requirement: The text mentions that a Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory to participate in a call for tenders as a sole candidate/tenderer or as a member of a group (consortium). Therefore, both single applicants and consortia are eligible.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated, but given that it is an EU funding opportunity related to the European Hydrogen Bank, it is highly likely that entities from the EU and potentially EEA countries are eligible. The analysis of schemes in the UK, Japan, South Korea, India, and Chile suggests that international entities might also be considered, possibly as subcontractors or partners.

Target Sector: The primary target sector is energy, specifically renewable hydrogen and its derivatives. It also touches upon business services, law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security, as these are the services being procured to support the European Hydrogen Bank initiative.

Mentioned Countries: The following countries are explicitly mentioned: UK, Japan, South Korea, India, Chile. The EU and its Member States are implicitly mentioned as the context is the European Hydrogen Bank.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on development and implementation. The tender is for a study to define adequate auction models for RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) import auctions, guide discussions with Member States, and develop recommendations for the Terms and Conditions of an import auction. This suggests the project is moving towards the practical implementation of hydrogen import mechanisms.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the contract is 1,500,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call for tenders, with electronic submission.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for services rendered, as this is a service contract.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there will be at least two stages: submission of the tender and evaluation/selection. Further stages might be involved depending on the specifics outlined in the tender documents.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for tenders issued by the European Commission, DG ENER, for a study to support the European Hydrogen Bank (EHB) in the analysis and implementation of auctions for renewable hydrogen and its derivatives imports. The project aims to provide an overview of hydrogen market developments, assess priority considerations, and define adequate auction models for RFNBO import auctions at the EU level.

The study will involve:

1.  A high-level assessment of the EU and international hydrogen market, including expected development, dynamics, and market shares of derivatives.
2.  Analysis of selected auctions and relevant EU and international schemes, such as the EHB domestic leg, H2Global, EU Member States schemes, and schemes in the UK, Japan, South Korea, India, and Chile, to evaluate the replicability of different elements to a joint European import auction.
3.  Guiding and supporting discussions with Member States on needs and policy priorities through two planned workshops.
4.  Developing recommendations for the Terms and Conditions of an import auction under the EHB.

The estimated total value of the contract is 1,500,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 24 months. The award method is based on the best price-quality ratio. Submissions must be sent electronically, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is 03/11/2025 at 17:00 Europe/Brussels. The contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 24/10/2025 at 06:00 Europe/Brussels.

The tender is open to organizations with expertise in business services, law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing, and security. A Personal Identification Code (PIC) is mandatory for participation, whether as a sole candidate or as part of a consortium. The results of the study will be published in September 2025 on the website of the Publications Office of the European Union.