Case studies on algorithmic management in European workplaces - 260101/7821

Eurofound plans a negotiated low/middle value services contract (EUROFOUND/2026/MVP/0013-EXA) to commission nine in-depth company case studies on the implementation and impacts of algorithmic management in European workplaces, with particular attention to financial services, information and communication, and manufacturing. The contract is for services (CPV 79315000), has a maximum duration of 12 months and the estimated total value is not disclosed in the published notice. Expressions of interest open 21 September 2026 and close 6 October 2026 and must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using an EU Login account. Suppliers should demonstrate experience in social workplace research, multi-country fieldwork, data protection and access to firms to be eligible to bid when the negotiated procedure is launched.

Tender summary (EUROFOUND/2026/MVP/0013-EXA)

What the contract funds

Development of nine in-depth company case studies on the implementation and use of algorithmic management in European workplaces, examining task allocation, scheduling, performance monitoring and impacts on management, work organisation, working conditions and labour relations. Focus sectors include financial services, information and communication, and manufacturing.

Who may apply:Commercial research suppliers, consultancies or research consortia able to deliver social research services (CPV 79315000). Submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal requires an EU Login account.

1. 1Procedure type: planned negotiated procedure for low/middle value contract (ExA publication).
2. 2Contract nature: services; maximum duration 12 months.
3. 3Expected output: nine company case studies and associated reporting.
4. 4Lead contracting authority: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound).

Estimated total value is not published in the ExA notice; the procedure is identified as a low/middle value contract. Interested bidders should monitor the portal for the formal tender launch and procurement documents EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1This listing is an ExA publication announcing the contracting authority's intention to launch a future negotiated low or middle value procedure; full tender documents and estimated value will be published at launch on the official portal.

Tender summary

This planned negotiated procedure (low or middle value contract) issued by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) will commission research services to develop nine in-depth company case studies on the implementation and use of algorithmic management in European workplaces. The research will investigate how digital systems support or automate managerial functions (task allocation, work scheduling, performance monitoring) and will assess implications for managerial roles, work organisation, working conditions and labour relations. Particular attention will be paid to companies in financial services, information and communication, and manufacturing sectors across Europe.

Procedure identifier and reference:Procedure identifier EUROFOUND/2026/MVP/0013-EXA. Portal reference c2e2a324-6b0a. This publication is a notice of intent to launch a future negotiated procedure (ExA reference indicates planned low or middle negotiated procedure). Tender details on Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.

Key dates (indicative and mandatory steps to express interest):Start date for expression of interest: 21/09/2026 (Europe/Brussels). Deadline for expression of interest: 06/10/2026 01:59 (Europe/Dublin). Indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure: 06/10/2026 (Europe/Dublin). Registration deadline for EXA submissions shown as 05/10/2026 23:59:59 (Europe/Dublin). Electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal is required and an EU Login account is necessary.

Structured opportunity details

The following sections extract and structure all key factual elements from the published notice to help potential suppliers assess fit and prepare to respond when the negotiated procedure is launched.

1. 1Lead contracting authority: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound).
2. 2Procedure type: Planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract (publication with ExA reference indicates intent to launch a future negotiated procedure).
3. 3Nature of contract: Services (social research services). CPV main classification: 79315000 - Social research services.
4. 4Maximum contract duration: 12 months.
5. 5Number of outputs: Nine company case studies to be produced as part of the contract.
6. 6Sectors of emphasis: Financial services, information and communication, manufacturing (priority attention), but companies will be selected across Europe.
7. 7Geographic focus: European companies (the notice references companies across Europe; contracting authority is an EU body).
8. 8Submission method for expression of interest: Electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal using EU Login.
9. 9Planned procurement timeline: Start of expression of interest 21/09/2026; deadline 06/10/2026; indicative launch of negotiated procedure 06/10/2026.
10. 10Framework and funding programme: Procurement is EU-funded (fundingProgramCode: eu-funds) and listed under programme periods 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 in the metadata.

Answers to specific categorisation and selection questions

Eligible Applicant Types:The notice is a procurement for research services. Typical eligible applicants include research organisations, universities, independent research consultancies, social research agencies, policy institutes, NGOs with research capacity, and private companies (large enterprises and SMEs) capable of delivering social research services and field case studies across Europe. The notice itself does not impose an explicit restriction on applicant legal forms in the published summary; detailed eligibility, minimum economic and technical capacity, and any specific exclusion/qualification criteria will be provided in the forthcoming negotiated procedure documents.

Funding Type:This is a public procurement (service contract). The financial mechanism is a contract for services procured by a public contracting authority (Eurofound). It is not a grant, loan or equity instrument.

Consortium Requirement:The published notice does not explicitly state whether only single economic operators, consortia, or both are permitted. Public procurement procedures commonly accept bids from single tenderers and from consortia or joint ventures where allowed; the forthcoming negotiated procedure documents and tender dossier will set out whether consortium bids or sub-contracting are permitted and any required lead partner arrangements.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Geographic focus is Europe. The contracting authority is Eurofound (an EU agency) and the studies are to cover selected companies across Europe. Eligibility in EU procurement typically requires economic operators established in the EU or EEA, but the exact list of eligible countries (EU, EEA, candidate countries etc.) will be specified in the tender documents.

Target Sector:The research targets workplaces across sectors with particular attention to financial services, information and communication, and manufacturing. The subject matter is algorithmic management across industries, therefore the thematic target spans ICT-driven management systems, workplace organisation, labour relations and sectors where such systems are deployed.

Mentioned Countries:No individual countries are explicitly named in the notice. The geographic framing is Europe or companies across Europe. The contracting authority (Eurofound) is an EU-level body. For procurement eligibility, consult the official tender dossier for precise country lists and nationality rules.

Project Stage (expected maturity):This is an applied research and field study contract. Expected project maturity: research and demonstration/validation through empirical case studies. Suppliers must be able to conduct field research, interviews, workplace observation and analysis, data collection, and produce analytical reports suitable for policy outputs within a 12-month timeframe.

Funding Amount:The estimated total value or contract budget is not specified in the published notice. The procedure is described as low or middle value negotiated procedure; specific contract value will be provided in the tender dossier or during the negotiated procurement launch.

Application Type:Expression of interest is via an open electronic submission (Funding & Tenders Portal) during the stated dates. The procurement itself will be a negotiated procedure: the contracting authority intends to launch a negotiated procedure for a low or middle value contract. This is not an open call for proposals in the grants sense; it is an upcoming tender under the negotiated procedure route.

Nature of Support:Monetary compensation via a public service contract for delivery of research outputs/services.

Application Stages:At minimum, applicants must complete: (1) expression of interest (electronic), and (2) submission to the negotiated procedure when launched. The negotiated procedure may include further stages such as shortlisting, invitation to submit final offers, clarifications or interviews. The notice does not provide a definitive stage count; the contracting authority will detail stages in the procurement dossier.

Success Rates:Not provided in the notice. As a single-contract procurement, the success rate in the final award is 1 awarded contractor for the contract. If multiple bidders respond, the success rate is dependent on the number of applicants; historical procurement competitions typically have low single-digit to mid-range success rates but exact figures are not specified here.

Co-funding Requirement:No co-funding or matching funds are indicated in the notice. This is a fee-for-service public contract where the successful contractor will be paid under the terms of the contract. Any advance payments, invoicing, or financial guarantees will be set out in the contract conditions in the tender dossier.

Templates and application form structure:The published summary does not include tender documents or application templates. The Funding & Tenders Portal will host the negotiated procedure dossier and any templates (tender submission form, financial offer template, technical offer structure, declaration of honour, capacity and qualification forms). Typical procurement templates to expect: 1) Instructions to tenderers, 2) Tender submission form (technical and financial sections), 3) Standard forms for economic and financial capacity, 4) Technical capacity and experience references (past projects, CVs of key researchers), 5) Declarations and eligibility proofs (legal status, VAT or registration), 6) Draft contract and general conditions. Prospective bidders should prepare standard research tender elements: workplan and methodology for nine case studies, timeline and deliverables, team CVs and roles, quality assurance and ethical protocols for workplace research, data protection measures, budget and pricing by deliverable, and previous relevant project references.

Operational and technical requirements likely to be evaluated

Based on the subject and CPV code (social research services) and the 12-month duration, Eurofound is likely to evaluate proposals on methodological robustness, demonstrable experience in workplace case studies and algorithmic management, multidisciplinary teams (labour sociology, industrial relations, digitalisation/AI in the workplace, quantitative and qualitative methods), capacity to conduct multi-country fieldwork, ethical and data protection arrangements (GDPR compliance), quality of deliverables (case study reports, cross-case comparative analysis, policy recommendations), project management and communication/dissemination plans. Bidders should prepare evidence of previous similar contracts, sequencing of research activities, risk mitigation for access to companies and workplaces, and clear costing per deliverable.

1. 1Suggested methodological components to include in a tender: selection criteria for companies, sampling approach within companies (roles to interview), multi-method data collection (interviews, observation, document review, system logs if available), cross-case comparative framework, indicators for managerial automation (task allocation algorithms, scheduling systems, performance dashboards), and analysis of impacts on managerial roles and labour relations.
2. 2Ethical and legal compliance: GDPR-compliant data management plan, informed consent procedures for interviewees, anonymisation protocols, and ethical clearance processes where required.
3. 3Deliverable expectations: nine full case study reports, an integrated comparative report synthesising cross-sector and cross-country findings, executive summaries for policymakers, and datasets/metadata where permissible.

Practical next steps for interested suppliers

1) Ensure an EU Login account and Funding & Tenders Portal access. 2) Mark the expression of interest window (21/09/2026 to 06/10/2026) and submit electronically by the deadline. 3) Monitor the Funding & Tenders Portal for the formal negotiated procedure launch on or after 06/10/2026 and download the full tender dossier and templates. 4) Prepare standard procurement documentation: technical proposal (methodology, team, workplan), financial offer, legal and financial standing documents, and proof of prior experience in workplace/algorithmic management research.

This notice does not include full tender documents, specific award criteria, weighting, minimum thresholds, or contract price. Those elements will be published when the contracting authority launches the negotiated procedure and will supersede the summary in this pre-publication notice.

Comprehensive summary

What is this opportunity about and how to explain it:Eurofound will procure social research services to produce nine in-depth company case studies examining how algorithmic management systems are implemented and used in European workplaces. The studies will explore how digital systems support or replace managerial tasks such as task allocation, work scheduling and performance monitoring, and will analyse consequences for managerial roles, work organisation, working conditions and labour relations. The procurement is announced as a planned negotiated procedure for a low or middle value contract, with a maximum contract duration of 12 months. Suppliers with expertise in workplace studies, labour relations, digitalisation of management, and cross-country field research should prepare to submit an expression of interest electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal between 21 September and 6 October 2026 and to respond to the negotiated procedure when launched. Detailed eligibility rules, award criteria, templates and contract value will be provided in the formal tender dossier published at the time the negotiated procedure starts. Interested parties should ensure EU Login access and be ready to present a robust methodological approach, experienced multidisciplinary teams, ethical and data protection arrangements, and a clear workplan and budget for delivering nine high-quality case studies and an integrated comparative report within 12 months.

Footnotes

1. 1Official tender notice and future tender dossier are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

This is a planned Eurofound procurement notice for a future negotiated low or middle value services contract, not a live call for proposals. The subject is algorithmic management, which is commonly described as computer programmed procedures used to coordinate labour input, including shift assignment, task allocation and performance monitoring.[11][15]

What the contract is about

The contract will produce nine in depth company case studies on how digital systems support or automate managerial functions in European workplaces. The study will assess impacts on managerial roles, work organisation, working conditions and labour relations, with particular attention to financial services, information and communication, and manufacturing sectors. Eurofound's wider research agenda shows that this topic sits within a broader evidence base on digital technologies, work organisation and job quality.[6][9]

Who can apply

The notice does not publish a closed eligibility list, but the opportunity is clearly aimed at suppliers able to deliver social research services and qualitative company level fieldwork. In practical terms, applicants should be able to demonstrate relevant experience in workplace research, interviewing, case study design, access to firms, analysis of labour relations and delivery of multi country research within the EU.

Key procurement details

Important dates

1. 1Start date for expression of interest: 21 September 2026, Europe/Brussels.
2. 2Deadline for expression of interest: 6 October 2026, 01:59 Europe/Dublin.
3. 3Indicative date for launch of the negotiated procedure: 6 October 2026, Europe/Dublin.
4. 4Portal registration deadline shown in the notice: 5 October 2026, 23:59 Europe/Dublin.

Applicant considerations

• This is only a planned notice, so the final scope and award mechanics may still change when the negotiated procedure is launched.
• The expression of interest must be submitted electronically through the Funding and Tenders Portal.
• An EU Login account is required before electronic submission.
• Because the assignment involves sensitive workplace and labour relations analysis, strong data handling, confidentiality and access management capabilities are likely to be important.
• The contract duration is limited to 12 months, so the proposed methodology should be realistic and fieldwork ready.

Commercial and strategic relevance

Because this is a services procurement rather than a grant, there is no funding rate or cofinancing percentage. The notice does not disclose an estimated total value, so applicants should treat budget expectations as unknown until the negotiated procedure is published. The topic is aligned with current EU policy interest in the spread of algorithmic management across workplaces and its effects on autonomy, monitoring and working conditions.[6][15]