Autonomous Mobility Futures: Evidence synthesis on efficiency and equity outcomes

The European Parliament (Directorate‑General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies) intends to award a research services contract titled "Autonomous Mobility Futures: Evidence Synthesis on Efficiency and Equity Outcomes" (EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0002-EXA) with an estimated total value of €120,000. This publication is an ex ante notice for a planned negotiated low or middle value procedure (not a call for tenders) seeking a comprehensive evidence synthesis on efficiency and equity impacts of autonomous mobility. Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal between 04 May 2026 and 19 May 2026 (deadline 19 May 2026, 00:59 Brussels time) and require an EU Login account. Eligible participants are natural and legal persons within the scope of the EU Treaties, specified third-country entities and international organisations, and tenderers must demonstrate a team of at least eight qualified experts.

What it will fund

Study contract — research and evidence synthesis

A contracted study to synthesize evidence on how autonomous mobility affects efficiency and equity outcomes. The contract covers research, analysis and delivery of study outputs to the European Parliament (CASP). ¹

Estimated budget:Total estimated value is €120,000.

Who can apply:Open to natural and legal persons established in EU Member States, natural and legal persons from third countries having a special procurement agreement with the EU, and international organisations. Applicants must propose a team of at least 8 experts with relevant qualifications and experience.

1. 1Procedure type: planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract
2. 2Contracting authority: European Parliament, CASP - Directorate-General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies
3. 3CPV classification: 73110000 Research services
4. 4Nature of contract: services

Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically via EU Login. No documents are required at the expression of interest stage. See the tender notice for full procurement documents and submission instructions EU Tenders Portal. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Primary notice and Q&A available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and related documents on the Commission docsroom Tender details

Basic opportunity data

Title:Autonomous Mobility Futures: Evidence synthesis on efficiency and equity outcomes. Procedure identifier: EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0002-EXA. Contracting authority: European Parliament, CASP - Directorate-General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies. Procedure type: planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract (ex ante publicity for a future negotiated low or middle value procedure). Main CPV classification: 73110000 - Research services. Nature of contract: services. Estimated total value: €120000.

Objective:Deliver a study titled Autonomous Mobility Futures: Evidence synthesis on efficiency and equity outcomes. The study must synthesise existing evidence on how autonomous mobility (including, but not limited to, automated vehicles, robo-taxis, shared autonomous mobility services, and related digital systems) affects efficiency outcomes (for example transport system performance, travel times, vehicle kilometres travelled, modal shift, congestion, emissions per passenger-kilometre, cost-efficiency) and equity outcomes (for example differential access across income groups, spatial inequalities, impacts on vulnerable groups, distributional effects of pricing or service design).

Eligibility and participation rules

Participation to this procedure is open exclusively to natural and legal persons coming within the scope of the EU Treaties, to natural and legal persons established in a third country which has a special agreement with the EU in the field of public procurement, and to international organisations. An EU Login account (European Commission authentication) is required to express interest and to participate in the electronic procedures. From 30 June 2026 two-factor authentication will be required on EU Login accounts.

Minimum tender requirements:Minimum requirement specified in the announcement: the tendering team must include a minimum of 8 experts with sound educational or professional qualifications and demonstrable experience clearly relevant to the topic of autonomous mobility, efficiency and equity research.

Categorisation and structured extraction

Eligible Applicant Types:The announcement does not restrict types such as companies, research organisations or NGOs; it states participation is open to natural and legal persons within scope of EU Treaties, appropriate third country entities subject to procurement agreements, and international organisations. Based on this text, eligible applicant types include: startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofits and NGOs, international organisations, and individual experts (natural persons) where permitted by procurement rules. Public bodies may participate if they fall within the allowed categories under EU Treaties.

Funding Type:This is a public procurement tender (contract for services) issued by the European Parliament. The primary financial mechanism is a service contract procured through a negotiated procedure. It is not a grant, loan or equity instrument.

Consortium Requirement:The notice requires a team of minimum 8 experts; it does not explicitly mandate a consortium structure. Therefore either a single legal tenderer providing a team that meets the minimum composition or a consortium/consortium-like grouping of entities forming a single tenderer may be acceptable, subject to the final procurement documents. The procedure type (negotiated) typically allows submission by a single economic operator or an economic operator formed by several partners.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Eligible entities: natural and legal persons within the scope of the EU Treaties (i.e., EU Member States and entities established therein), natural and legal persons established in third countries which have a special agreement with the EU in the field of public procurement, and international organisations. In practice this covers EU Member States (EU), EEA entities where applicable, and specific third countries covered by procurement agreements with the EU.

Target Sector:Sector focus: transport and mobility research with cross-cutting relevance to ICT and digital systems, urban planning, environment and climate (through efficiency/emissions), social policy and equity, and public policy analysis. The CPV 73110000 classifies it as research services.

Mentioned Countries:No specific country names are mentioned in the call text. Geographic eligibility is defined by legal scope (EU Treaties, third countries with procurement agreements). The contracting authority is the European Parliament (based in Brussels, Belgium).

Project Stage:Expected maturity: analytical research and synthesis. The project is in the research/synthesis and evidence-assessment stage rather than technology development or demonstration. Suitable for teams with experience in literature reviews, meta-analysis, policy analysis, modelling of transport impacts, equity assessments and stakeholder engagement.

Funding Amount:Estimated total contract value: €120000. This is the ceiling estimate published in the ex ante notice; the final contract value will be defined in the procurement documents and could correspond to a single contract or framework arrangement depending on the finalised procedure.

Application Type:Expression of interest through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using an EU Login account. Method of expression of interest: electronic. This ex ante publication indicates the intent to launch a negotiated procedure; the final call to tender will be through the portal. The expression of interest stage does not require submission of documentation, per Q&A.

Nature of Support:Monetary: a paid service contract will be awarded to the successful tenderer(s). The contract is for deliverables (study and related outputs). Non-monetary support such as access to stakeholder networks or Commission expertise may occur during contract performance but is not specified in the notice.

Application Stages:From the published timeline: 1) Expression of interest (electronic) between 04/05/2026 and 19/05/2026; 2) Indicative launch of negotiated procedure from 21/05/2026. A negotiated procedure typically includes a call to negotiate and submission of final tender, evaluation and award phases. Based on standard practice, applicants should expect at least two main stages (expression of interest, followed by negotiated tender submission and evaluation). The exact number of stages will be specified in the final procurement documents.

Success Rates:Not specified in the notice. For individual negotiated contracts of this value, success rates depend on the number and quality of bidders and the negotiated procedure; public procurement typically results in a single award from the final shortlist. No historical success rate data are provided in the announcement.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding or applicant contribution is indicated in the notice. The procurement is for a paid service contract; tenderers should price the service in their financial offer. Any requirement for co-financing, guarantees or performance bonds will be detailed in the tender dossier.

Submission, timeline and procedural notes

Key dates (all times Europe/Brussels):Start date for expression of interest: 04/05/2026. Deadline for expression of interest: 19/05/2026 00:59. Indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure: 21/05/2026. Expression of interest submissions must be sent exclusively via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using an EU Login account. No documents are required at the expression of interest stage, according to the public Q&A.

Application content and templates guidance

The ex ante notice provides limited details on the content of the tender submission beyond the minimum team composition and the requirement to express interest electronically. No tender dossier or template documents were attached to this publication. The public Q&A confirms that submission of documents is not required for the expression of interest stage. The final negotiated procedure launch will include the tender dossier (technical specifications, selection and award criteria, contractual conditions, required administrative documents and templates).

1. 1Recommended preparation before the tender dossier is published: assemble CVs and proof of qualifications for at least 8 experts, evidence of relevant project experience, organisation capacity statements, financial references and past performance examples.
2. 2Prepare a methodology outline for evidence synthesis: literature review approach, databases and sources to be searched, inclusion/exclusion criteria, meta-analysis or qualitative synthesis methods, stakeholder consultation plan, and expected deliverables (e.g., final report, executive summary, policy brief, data annex).
3. 3Prepare a draft workplan and budget estimate aligned to the €120000 ceiling, with clear staff time allocation, milestones and deliverables.
4. 4Plan for quality assurance, ethical and data protection compliance, and risk mitigation (particularly when handling any personal or sensitive data).
5. 5Monitor the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the formal tender dossier and respond within the negotiated procedure timelines using EU Login.

Recommended team composition and expertise

The notice requires a minimum team of eight experts. Based on the study objective, the multidisciplinary team should include expertise in the following areas to comprehensively address efficiency and equity outcomes:

1. 1Transport economics and modelling (quantitative assessment of efficiency impacts, travel demand modelling, traffic simulation).
2. 2Urban and regional planning (impacts on spatial accessibility, land use interactions).
3. 3Social policy and equity analysis (distributional impact assessment, socio-economic vulnerability analysis).
4. 4Environmental and emissions modelling (assessment of energy use and pollutant impacts of new mobility modes).
5. 5Systematic review and evidence synthesis methods (systematic literature review, meta-analysis, qualitative synthesis).
6. 6Data science and statistics (data cleaning, meta-regression, reproducible analysis pipelines).
7. 7Policy analysis and stakeholder engagement (policy implications, regulatory frameworks, interviews/workshops with stakeholders).
8. 8Project management and communications (deliverable production, quality assurance, dissemination, and liaison with the contracting authority).

Each expert's CV should demonstrate relevant education and professional experience. Tenderers should be prepared to show concrete examples of past projects, publications or reports that align with the subject matter and methodological approach.

Evaluation and award considerations

The ex ante notice does not publish the selection or award criteria. Standard negotiated procedure evaluation typically covers administrative compliance, selection criteria (financial and technical capacity), and award criteria (quality, methodology, staff, price). Tenderers should expect the contracting authority to prioritise: methodological rigour in evidence synthesis, relevance and quality of expert team, feasibility of the workplan and schedule, clarity of deliverables and communication materials, and cost-effectiveness relative to the estimated budget.

Where to apply and portal requirements:Expressions of interest and later tender submissions must be made via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; an EU Login account is required. Two-step verification will be mandatory from 30 June 2026. Monitor the opportunity reference EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0002-EXA on the portal for publication of the full tender dossier.

Q&A extract relevant to applicants

Public Q&A clarifies that no documentation is required at the expression of interest stage. Additional questions may be submitted through the portal once logged in; however, the ex ante publication indicates limited Q&A history for this reference.

Risk factors and practical recommendations

1. 1Ensure legal eligibility: confirm your organisation's status relative to EU Treaties or existence of a procurement agreement between your country and the EU.
2. 2Assemble required expert team early: the minimum of 8 experts implies significant human resource readiness.
3. 3Budget planning: align proposed price with the €120000 estimated value and be prepared to justify resource allocation during negotiation.
4. 4Watch for the final tender dossier: key details, evaluation criteria and administrative requirements will be specified there and may alter bid preparation needs.
5. 5Comply with portal authentication requirements: obtain an EU Login account and enable two-factor authentication if needed before key deadlines.

This opportunity is a procurement for a research study on the impacts of autonomous mobility on efficiency and equity, published as ex ante publicity for a planned negotiated procedure by the European Parliament. Interested economic operators should register interest electronically during the window, prepare a multidisciplinary team of at least eight experts, and await publication of the full negotiated tender dossier on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Summary:What this opportunity is about and how to explain it

The European Parliament intends to commission a research study synthesising evidence on how autonomous mobility technologies and services affect transport system efficiency and social equity. The contracting authority published an ex ante notice for a negotiated low or middle value procurement with an estimated budget of €120000. The procurement will follow a negotiated procedure; initial expressions of interest are required electronically via the EU portal within the stated dates. Tenderers must present a team of at least eight qualified experts covering transport modelling, equity assessment, systematic evidence synthesis, data analysis, policy analysis and project management. The final tender dossier will define the methodological, administrative and evaluation specifics; prospective bidders should prepare CVs, past-project evidence and a methodological approach in readiness to respond rapidly once the negotiated procedure is formally launched. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1For the definitive procurement documents, exact selection and award criteria, contract conditions and templates, consult the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity page and the tender dossier once published: F&T Portal opportunity.

Procurement Opportunity Overview

This is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle or low value contract issued by the European Parliament, Directorate-General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies (CASP). The contracting authority is seeking a research services contract to deliver a comprehensive study on autonomous mobility futures with a focus on evidence synthesis examining efficiency and equity outcomes. ¹

Procedure Identifier:EP-CASP/2026/MVP/0002-EXA

Contract Value:€120,000 estimated total value

Contract Type:Services contract classified under CPV code 73110000 (Research services)

Important Procedural Note

This publication represents an announcement of the contracting authority's intention to launch a future negotiated low or middle value procedure. This is not yet an active call for tenders. Interested parties should note that the reference includes 'ExA' which indicates this is an ex ante publicity notice for a planned negotiated procedure rather than an open tender. ²

Key Dates and Timeline

Potential applicants should submit expressions of interest by the specified deadline to be considered for participation in the subsequent negotiated procedure.

Eligibility Requirements

Participation in this procedure is restricted to specific categories of entities. Eligible participants must fall into one of the following categories:

• Natural and legal persons coming within the scope of the EU Treaties
• Natural and legal persons established in a third country which has a special agreement with the EU in the field of public procurement
• International organisations

Minimum Team Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate the capacity to assemble and deploy a team meeting the following specifications:

• Minimum of 8 experts required
• All experts must possess sound educational and professional qualifications
• Experience must be clearly relevant to the autonomous mobility and evidence synthesis topic
• Qualifications and experience must be demonstrable and verifiable

Expression of Interest Process

Submission Method:Electronic submission exclusively through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal

Documentation Requirements at Expression of Interest Stage:No submission of documents is required at the expression of interest stage. ³ Interested parties need only express their interest electronically through the portal.

EU Login Account:An EU Login account is mandatory for electronic submission. Applicants without an existing account can create one using only an email address and password. As of 30 June 2026, two-factor authentication will be required to access EU Login accounts.

Scope of Work

The contract requires delivery of a comprehensive study focused on autonomous mobility futures. The study must synthesise evidence on two primary dimensions: efficiency outcomes and equity outcomes related to autonomous mobility systems. This research is intended to inform European Parliament policy discussions and decision-making on autonomous vehicle deployment and regulation.

Access and Support

Interested parties can access the full opportunity details and submit expressions of interest through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal at EU Funding and Tenders Portal. The portal provides a Questions and Answers section where clarifications can be sought. Additional guidance on EU procurement procedures and two-factor authentication setup is available through the portal's help resources.

Next Steps for Interested Parties

1. 1Create or verify EU Login account credentials
2. 2Activate two-factor authentication if not already done
3. 3Review the full opportunity details on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal
4. 4Assess team composition against the minimum requirement of 8 qualified experts
5. 5Submit expression of interest electronically before the 19 May 2026 deadline
6. 6Monitor the portal for the launch of the formal negotiated procedure on or after 21 May 2026

Following the expression of interest phase, the contracting authority will select participants to engage in the negotiated procedure, during which detailed procurement documents and technical specifications will be provided.

Footnotes

1. 1The contracting authority is the European Parliament's Directorate-General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies (CASP). This reflects the Parliament's interest in evidence-based policy development on autonomous mobility systems.
2. 2References with 'ExA' designation indicate ex ante publicity notices for planned negotiated procedures. These are not open calls for tenders but rather announcements of future procurement intentions. Only selected participants invited through the expression of interest process will be able to submit formal tenders.
3. 3This is a significant procedural advantage as it allows potential applicants to express interest with minimal administrative burden at this stage. Detailed documentation requirements will be specified when the formal negotiated procedure is launched.