Book and Claim for sustainable fuels and all transport modes

The European Commission, through its Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), has issued a call for tenders identified as EC-MOVE/2025/OP/0044, titled "Book and Claim for sustainable fuels and all transport modes." This procurement opportunity seeks to conduct a comprehensive study assessing the feasibility of a "Book & Claim" accountability system for sustainable alternative fuels in the EU transport sector.

The estimated value of the contract is €2,200,000 and the maximum duration for the project is 26 months. The deadline for submitting tenders is October 22, 2025, at 16:00 UTC, with the public opening of tenders occurring on October 23, 2025, at 10:00 UTC. The tender will be evaluated based on a quality-to-price ratio, with emphasis placed on quality (70%) over price (30%).

The tender involves several critical tasks:
1. Analyzing the existing EU legislative framework, including directives and regulations related to renewable energy, emissions, and alternative fuels.
2. Evaluating non-EU legislative frameworks to identify barriers to sustainable fuel deployment and compliance with EU regulations.
3. Exploring accounting mechanisms that could assist stakeholders in meeting EU sustainability requirements.
4. Assessing the economic benefits associated with implementing a Book & Claim mechanism and its impact on the EU sustainable fuel network.

The opportunity is positioned for larger entities, such as consulting firms, research institutions, and universities, as indicated by its ineligibility for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). While the tender allows for consortium participation, it does not explicitly mandate it.

Geographically, the tender is open to applicants from the EU, with the study prioritizing analysis of regions with significant trade links to the EU, including the United States, North Africa, and Singapore.

Successful applicants will operate under a service contract structure, receiving payments based on defined deliverables throughout the project duration. The tender process appears to follow a single-stage application format with no preliminary phases.

Overall, this tender represents a significant opportunity for stakeholders in the transport, energy, and environmental sectors, aiming to provide detailed insights that will guide future policies related to sustainable fuels in the EU. The detailed analysis and recommendations resulting from this study could greatly influence legislative and regulatory developments in sustainable transport practices.

The European Commission, DG MOVE Mobility and Transport, has published a call for tenders EC-MOVE/2025/OP/0044, titled "Book and Claim for sustainable fuels and all transport modes". The TED reference for this tender is 159/2025 547316-2025. This is an open procedure, and submissions must be sent electronically.

The objective of this call is to assess the need and feasibility of an accountability system for sustainable alternative fuels in the EU transport sector, known as 'Book&Claim'. This system implies that sustainable alternative fuel is physically used in one location but formally associated with a specific transport operation elsewhere.

The tender involves the following key tasks:

1. Analysis of the existing EU legislative framework: This includes Directive 2009/28/EC (RED), Directive 2003/87/EC (EU ETS), Regulation 2023/1804 (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure), Regulation (EU) 2019/631 (CO2 emissions from cars and vans), Regulation 2023/1805 (Fuel EU Maritime), and Regulation 2023/2405 (Re Fuel EU Aviation). The aim is to identify viable options for a legally sound system that allows 'claiming' the benefits of specific sustainable alternative fuels used elsewhere, considering both the achievement of sustainable alternative fuel targets and the financial benefits.

2. Analysis of the existing non-EU legislative framework: This involves assessing barriers to the full deployment of the established sustainability certification and traceability framework in non-EU countries, using the Renewable Energy Directive III (2018/2001) as a benchmark. The study will assess barriers stemming from different national legal orders as well as identify other technical barriers resulting from different technical operation system in 3rd countries. This assessment is preliminary to a possible “Book & Claim” mechanisms extended worldwide. The worldwide extension should also assess how the available data under such mechanisms may be integrated or linked to the traceability tool of the Union Database, deployed under article 31a of the Renewable Energy Directive III (2018/2001) in order to avoid double claims or double counting of the same energy units in the EU and in the non-EU countries concerned. The study will prioritize the analyses on those area of the world that have the largest trade volumes with the EU, such as US, North Africa and Singapore. The study will necessitate an in-depth analysis of the legal framework and technologies for the traceability of the rules on a number of non-EU countries, and comparing them with the rules in the EU.

3. Identification and exploration of accounting mechanisms: This involves identifying and exploring possible ways where an accounting mechanism could facilitate compliance with EU regulations for all actors involved in the production and distribution of sustainable alternative fuels and those actors in the transport sector involved in their use. The scope includes the fuels that available technologies allow to be used in transport, distinguishing by fuel type, including by the feedstock and by the (electric) energy eventually used for its production, the environmental and financial costs of the production and the distribution.

4. Economic benefit assessment: This involves checking the economic benefit of introducing a flexibility mechanism such as the ‘Book&Claim’ and the effects on enhancing or slowing down the deployment of a sustainable alternative fuels production and distribution network in the EU. It will consider if ‘Book&Claim’ can be limited to the EU scope or be extended worldwide, including in the second case a rough estimate if this can favour the development of production and distribution elsewhere than in the EU. Particular attention should be given to the IMO and ICAO ongoing processes of recognition of sustainable fuels.

The estimated total value of the tender is 2,200,000 EUR. The contract's nature is for services, and the maximum contract duration is 26 months. The award method will be based on the best price-quality ratio. This is not a framework agreement.

Key milestones include:

TED publication date: 21/08/2025
Date and time of public opening: 23/10/2025 10:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for receipt of tenders: 22/10/2025 16:00 Europe/Brussels
Deadline for questions: Contracting authority is not bound to reply to questions submitted after 14/10/2025 06:00 Europe/Brussels

The main classification (CPV) code for this tender is 79400000 Business and management consultancy and related services.

The following documents are available for download:

ENEN-Invitation to tender EC-MOVE2025OP0044 Book and Claim for all fuelsInvitation letterPublished on 21/08/2025Version 1 No translations available
ENtender-specifications-BC Final SRD 19082025Tender specificationsPublished on 21/08/2025Version 1 No translations available
ENAnnex 6 - Financial-proposal final 19082025Financial offer formPublished on 21/08/2025Version 1 No translations available
ENDeclaration on Honour 18072025 EC-MOVE-2025-OP-0044 BCDeclaration on honour (tender)Published on 21/08/2025Version 1 No translations available
ENDraft contrat-direct-service-FV-2025-602 book and claims 19082025Draft contractPublished on 21/08/2025Version 1 No translations available
ENAnnex 4 List of identified subcontractorsOther invitation to tender documentPublished on 21/08/2025Version 1 No translations available
ENAppendix 2 Security requirements en 2025Other invitation to tender documentPublished on 21/08/2025Version 1 No translations available
ENAnnex 5 Commitment letterOther invitation to tender documentPublished on 21/08/2025Version 1 No translations available
ENAnnex 3 AgreementPower of attorneyOther invitation to tender documentPublished on 21/08/2025Version 1 No translations available
ENannex-vat-2023-en Annex IIIOther invitation to tender documentPublished on 21/08/2025Version 1 No translations available

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In summary, this tender is seeking a consultant or team of consultants to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the feasibility and implications of implementing a 'Book&Claim' system for sustainable alternative fuels within the EU transport sector. This involves analyzing existing EU and non-EU legislative frameworks, identifying potential accounting mechanisms, and evaluating the economic benefits and drawbacks of such a system. The study should also consider the potential for extending the 'Book&Claim' system worldwide and its impact on the deployment of sustainable alternative fuels. The European Commission is looking for a detailed analysis that will inform future policy decisions regarding sustainable fuels and their role in achieving the EU's environmental targets.

Eligible Applicant Types: The provided text does not explicitly state the eligible applicant types. However, given the nature of the tender and the requirement for a PIC (Personal Identification Code), it can be inferred that eligible applicants are likely to be organizations such as companies (including SMEs and large enterprises), research institutions, consulting firms, and other entities capable of providing business and management consultancy services. Individuals are unlikely to be eligible.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is procurement, specifically a service contract. The tender is for a study and analysis, indicating a service to be provided in exchange for payment.

Consortium Requirement: The text mentions that a PIC is mandatory to participate 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 opportunity is related to EU legislation and policies, and the study includes analysis of EU and non-EU frameworks. While not explicitly stated, it is highly likely that applicants from the EU and potentially EEA countries are eligible. The inclusion of non-EU legislative framework analysis suggests that entities from non-EU countries with relevant expertise might also be considered.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: energy, environment, transport, and consulting. Specifically, it focuses on sustainable alternative fuels, the EU transport sector, and related legislative and economic frameworks. The CPV code provided (79400000) also indicates business and management consultancy and related services.

Mentioned Countries: The following countries and regions are explicitly mentioned: US, North Africa, and Singapore. The EU is also implicitly mentioned as the primary geographic focus of the legislative analysis.

Project Stage: The project stage is research and analysis. The tender is for a study to assess the need and feasibility of an accountability system. This suggests the project is in the early stages of exploring an idea and conducting research to inform future policy decisions.

Funding Amount: The estimated total value of the tender is 2,200,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for providing services, specifically the delivery of the study and analysis outlined in the tender specifications.

Application Stages: The number of application stages is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred that there are at least two stages: submission of the tender and potential selection/award. The award method is "best price-quality ratio," suggesting a more detailed evaluation process.

Success Rates: The success rate cannot be determined from 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 MOVE (Mobility and Transport), with procedure identifier EC-MOVE/2025/OP/0044. The tender seeks to procure a study to assess the need and feasibility of an accountability system, known as 'Book&Claim', for sustainable alternative fuels in the EU transport sector. The study will involve analyzing existing EU and non-EU legislative frameworks, identifying ways to facilitate compliance with EU regulations for actors involved in the production, distribution, and use of sustainable alternative fuels, and checking the economic benefits of introducing a 'Book&Claim' mechanism. The study should also consider the potential for extending the 'Book&Claim' system worldwide and its impact on the development of sustainable fuel production and distribution. The estimated total value of the tender is 2,200,000 EUR, and the maximum contract duration is 26 months. The submission method is electronic, and the deadline for receipt of tenders is 22/10/2025 at 16:00 Europe/Brussels time. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG MOVE. The award will be based on the best price-quality ratio. The tender documents include an invitation letter, tender specifications, a financial offer form, a declaration on honour, a draft contract, and several annexes related to subcontractors, security requirements, commitment letters, power of attorney, and VAT. The study will prioritize the analyses on those area of the world that have the largest trade volumes with the EU, such as US, North Africa and Singapore.