Continuous skills development (CSD): research and policy evidence

CEDEFOP is tendering a single-award framework service contract (CEDEFOP/2026/OP/0004) to provide research, quantitative and qualitative data collection and stakeholder engagement supporting continuing skills development. The framework is estimated at €800,000 (excl. VAT) for up to 48 months (initial 1 year plus up to three 12-month renewals) and specific contracts are paid on a fixed-price basis with interim and final payments. Eligible legal entities from EU Member States, EEA, specified Western Balkans and Georgia may apply via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission by 27 May 2026 15:59 Europe/Athens, providing required annexes including the technical Annex M exercises and financial Annex H. Award is by best price-quality ratio (70% quality, 30% price) with minimum technical thresholds and selection criteria including turnover and past contract references.

Opportunity snapshot

What it funds

Framework service contract to deliver research, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, stakeholder engagement and partnership-building, and project/quality management to support Cedefop’s work on continuing skills development, learning-conducive workplaces and learning-intensive working lives.

Type of procedure:Open procedure; single framework service contract (no lots); framework duration up to 48 months (1+1+1+1) ¹

Who can apply

Economic operators from eligible countries may tender (single entities or consortia). Participation is open to legal persons established in EU Member States, EEA countries (IS, LI, NO), specified Western Balkans and Georgia under applicable agreements; subcontracting and reliance on third‑party capacities allowed subject to rules in the tender documents.

1. 1Research organisations, consultancies and mixed consortia with skills and VET expertise
2. 2Teams able to mobilise experts across EU countries (core team + service package experts)
3. 3Tenderers must meet financial and technical selection criteria (turnover and past contracts)

Money and contract model

Estimated total value:€800,000 (contract envelope) over the framework (up to 48 months). Specific contracts issued under the framework are fixed-price and paid on interim (40%) and final (60%) invoices per assignment.

Deadlines and key dates

Deadline for receipt of tenders:27 May 2026, 15:59 (Europe/Athens). Public opening: 29 May 2026, 12:00 (Europe/Athens). Last date for clarifications: 19 May 2026. Tender validity: 6 months.

Funding range:Framework envelope approx. €800,000 over up to 4 years; specific contract amounts depend on task orders and unit prices in the financial offer ¹

How to apply / where to find documents

Submit an electronic tender via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using eSubmission. All procurement documents (invitation, tender specifications, draft contract and annexes including Annex M exercise and Annex H financial template) are published on the Portal.

1. 1Register organisation and obtain PIC in the Participant Register
2. 2Prepare Technical Proposal (Annex E and Annex M exercises) and Financial Proposal (Annex H)
3. 3Include required declarations, Questionnaire forms (Annex G) and Data Protection Agreement (Annex K)

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documentation, templates and submission are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Funding & Tenders Portal

Opportunity snapshot

This is an open public tender launched by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) to award a single framework service contract (FWC) for research, analysis and stakeholder engagement supporting continuing skills development (CSD). The estimated total value of the FWC is €800,000 (excluding VAT) for up to 48 months (1+1+1+1). The contract is for services (CPV 73000000). The procurement documents are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and tenders must be submitted electronically via eSubmission (EU Login required). Key deadlines: call published 31/03/2026; tender submission deadline 27/05/2026 15:59 Europe/Athens (UTC+03); virtual public opening 29/05/2026 12:00 Europe/Athens. The procedure type is Open Procedure and award method is best price-quality ratio (quality 70 / price 30).

Primary objective:Support Cedefop’s work on continuing skills development to inform and advance public policies that create learning-conducive work environments and enable learning-intensive working lives through evidence generation, analysis, brokerage and stakeholder engagement ¹.

Eligibility and who should apply

This is a tender (procurement) addressed to legal persons or groupings (consortia). Tenderers may bid as a single legal entity or as a consortium. Subcontracting is permitted but subcontractors representing more than 10% of the contract value must be identified and submit the Declaration on honour and other supporting evidence. Entities on whose capacities tenderers rely must also provide statements. Tenders are open to organisations established in the EU, EEA (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein), EU candidate/western Balkans and Georgia where access-to-market rules apply as described in the tender documents. International organisations may participate if meeting the Financial Regulation rules. The procurement is not open to GPA countries except those explicitly listed.

Eligible applicant types

Eligible applicant types:research organisations, universities, research institutes, consultancies, SMEs (including research SMEs), large enterprises, non-profit organisations, NGOs, public bodies and consortia combining these types. Individual natural persons may be experts but must be proposed within an organisational tender. Subcontractors and cooperating entities are allowed subject to conditions in the Tender Specifications.

Nature of the opportunity and funding

This is a public procurement (tender) providing a framework service contract for services. It is not a grant, loan or equity instrument. Successful tenderer(s) will sign a framework contract (single-award) and then receive specific contracts / order forms for particular tasks under the framework. The contracting authority will pay on a fixed-price basis for specific contracts with interim (40%) and final (60%) payments, subject to deliverable approval.

Funding Type:Procurement — framework service contract (services).

Nature of support:Monetary payments (contracted service fees) via interim and balance invoices under fixed-price specific contracts.

Consortium, geographic and project-stage details

The tender allows single tenderers or consortium bids. The contracting authority expects work that covers EU Member States and may include EFTA countries; specific contracts will define geographical scope (all EU, selected Member States or regions). The work covers research, data analysis, primary fieldwork, stakeholder engagement, foresight and policy brokerage — from research and development through validation, demonstration and policy uptake phases rather than pure commercialization.

Consortium requirement:Single tenderer or consortium allowed. If bidding as consortium, all members must sign the tender and assume joint and several liability; a power of attorney can designate a lead. Subcontractors permitted (identified in Annexes).

Beneficiary scope (Geographic eligibility):Primarily EU Member States; eligible participants also include EEA countries (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein), candidate/Western Balkans (North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo) and Georgia per access-to-market provisions. International organisations may participate if rules are met.

Project stage:Research, development, primary research, validation and demonstration oriented to policy support and stakeholder uptake (TRL not applicable in classic sense).

Sectors and thematic focus

Target sectors:education and training (adult learning, CVET, VET), labour market and employment policy, skills intelligence, workplace innovation, governance and industrial relations. Cross-cutting themes include digitalisation in learning, new forms of work (platform, gig, hybrid), foresight and future skills, stakeholder governance, and SMEs. Main policy target is continuing skills development and learning-conducive workplaces enabling learning-intensive working lives.

Target sector(s):Education (VET, adult learning), skills intelligence, labour market and employment, workplace innovation, governance and partnerships, digitalisation and foresight.

Contract value, duration and payment

Estimated total value and contract envelope:€800,000 (excluding VAT) across the 4-year maximum duration (initial 1-year + up to 3 renewals). Maximum contract duration 48 months. Specific contracts will be issued against the framework with unit day rates from the Financial Offer. Payment schedule per specific contract: interim payment ~40% after interim deliverables and approval; balance ~60% after final deliverables and approval. Payment periods: Cedefop aims to pay within 90 days of invoice. Prices fixed for the first year; annual revision permitted thereafter using HICP-Euro area index formula in the FWC.

Funding amount:Estimated total framework value €800,000 (excluding VAT) over up to 48 months.

Who will be evaluated and how (selection and award)

Selection assesses exclusion (Declaration on honour) and capacity (economic/financial and technical-professional). Key selection thresholds: average annual turnover >= €400,000 over last 3 financial years (statement required); at least 3 similar contracts in last 5 years with combined total value >= €600,000; proposed team must include specified core and service-package experts. Award uses best price-quality ratio with quality weighting 70 and price weighting 30. Technical evaluation minimum thresholds: at least 50% for each of the three main award criteria and overall technical score >= 65/100 to be considered technically compliant. Only technically compliant tenders proceed to price evaluation.

1. 1Award formula: Total Score TS = 70*(TQV/100) + 30*(Cheapest TFO / TFO) where TQV = Total Quality Value and TFO = Total Financial Offer
2. 2Technical award criteria: (1) Understanding of implementation challenges & policy/research context (20 points); (2) Methodology for three sample deliverables (50 points) covering quantitative, qualitative and stakeholder packages (Annex M exercises); (3) Organisation, mobilisation of experts, risk and quality management (30 points)
3. 3Minimum technical pass: 50% per main award criterion and overall 65/100

Mandatory documents and application process

All tenders must be submitted electronically via eSubmission (EU Login). Required documents include: completed eSubmission tender forms; Declaration on honour on exclusion and selection criteria (Annex C) signed by tenderer and any consortium members/subcontractors as required; Business Partner Identification Form (Annex D); Technical Proposal (Annex E) including answers to award sub-criteria and the Annex M exercise (three sample deliverables); Annex G Questionnaires 1–6 (including Questionnaire 5 for each proposed expert); Financial Proposal (Annex H) with unit daily rates and evaluation scenario; Data Protection Agreement (Annex K) signed; Power of Attorney for consortium leader (Annex I) if applicable; Letters of Intent for subcontractors (Annex J(a)) and entities relied upon (Annex J(b)). See Annex F check-list for detailed upload locations. Tenders must be valid for 6 months from submission.

Application type:Open call for tenders (electronic submission only).

Submission method:Electronic via eSubmission on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (EU Login and PIC required).

Team, personnel and technical requirements

Tenderers must propose a core cross-service team (6 specified roles) and a service-package expert team (8 specified roles). Required core team roles and minimum experience are explicit in the Tender Specifications (Section 3.2.2 and Annex G Questionnaire 5): Framework contract manager; Team leader (research lead, multi-method); Senior experts in workplace innovation/employment, adult learning/andragogy, digitalisation in learning; Copywriter/editor. Service package experts: data scientist; data handling expert; expert in primary data collection tool design; expert in foresight and scenario research; two qualitative research experts; expert in governance and partnership development; expert in stakeholder engagement and civic dialogue. Language: experts must have strong English drafting ability (C1), copywriter C2. Tenderers must demonstrate ability to mobilise additional external experts and rosters quickly.

1. 1Core cross-service team (6): Framework contract manager (1); Team leader (1); Senior expert workplace innovation (1); Senior expert adult learning (1); Senior expert digitalisation in learning (1); Copywriter/editor (1)
2. 2Service package experts (8): Data scientist (1); Data handling expert (1); Expert in primary quantitative tools (1); Expert in foresight/scenario research (1); Experts in qualitative research methods (2); Expert in governance and partnership development (1); Expert in stakeholder engagement and civic dialogue (1)

Practical notes on mobilisation, logistics and deliverables

The contractor must be able to deliver timely, high-quality deliverables in English and follow Cedefop formatting and style (Annex L Style Manual, Cedefop publication templates). Excel tables, datasets and .RIS bibliographies are required where relevant. Annual physical coordination meetings in Thessaloniki are foreseen (up to 4 in total across the FWC) and meeting-related travel costs must be included in the Financial Offer. Travel to Cedefop’s premises for one-day meetings is priced as a unit cost per expert. The contractor must follow GDPR/EDPR rules for personal data and store/process personal data within EU/EEA data centres unless otherwise permitted in writing by Cedefop (DPA Annex K). Cedefop reserves the right to carry out anti-plagiarism checks and to request pre-existing rights documentation for IP clearance.

Place of performance:Tasks are to be performed in the Contractor’s premises and as specified in each specific contract; periodic meetings in Thessaloniki (Cedefop premises) are foreseen.

Evaluation stages, success rates and co-funding

Evaluation stages:exclusion check (Declaration on honour); selection check (economic/financial and technical-professional capacity); technical (quality) evaluation against award criteria; financial evaluation for technically compliant tenders; final ranking and award by best price-quality ratio. Total stages typically 3–4 (exclusion/selection; technical quality; price; award/contract signature). Success rates are not published; as a competitive EU agency tender with minimum technical thresholds and a single-award framework, success rates are generally low-to-moderate depending on the number and strength of bids. No co-funding is required: the contract is fully funded by the Agency; tenderers must provide unit prices and absorb all bid preparation costs themselves.

Application stages:Three to four stages: (1) Exclusion and selection checks; (2) Technical evaluation (including Annex M exercises); (3) Financial evaluation for technically compliant tenders; (4) Award decision and contract signature.

Co-funding requirement:No co-funding required. Tenderers must bear their own preparation costs.

Application templates and structure guidance

The procurement dossier includes templates and annexes that must be used or completed:Annex C Declaration on honour; Annex E Technical Proposal template (answers to award sub-criteria and methodological sections); Annex G Questionnaires 1–6 (Questionnaire 5 for each expert profile and Questionnaire 3 for references/projects); Annex H Financial Proposal (unit day rates and 100-day evaluation scenario); Annex I Power of Attorney templates for consortium leader; Annex J(a) Model Letter of Intent for subcontractors; Annex J(b) Model Letter of Intent for entities on whose capacities the tenderer relies; Annex K Data Protection Agreement (DPA); Annex M contains 3 exercise templates (Deliverables 1–3) which must be completed and form part of the technical evaluation. The check-list (Annex F) shows exactly which documents to upload to eSubmission and in which fields.

1. 1Annex C Declaration on honour — mandatory for tenderer and relevant subcontractors / consortium members
2. 2Annex E Technical Proposal — required structured responses to all award sub-criteria and inclusion of Annex M exercises
3. 3Annex G Questionnaires 1–6 — company profile, turnover statement, past contracts, and profiles for proposed experts (Questionnaire 5)
4. 4Annex H Financial Proposal — unit daily rates and the 100-day evaluation scenario (signed)
5. 5Annex K Data Protection Agreement — signed DPA (processor/controller terms)
6. 6Annex I Power of Attorney (if consortium) and Annex J letters of intent (subcontractors/entities relied upon)

Risk, IP, data protection and contractual terms

The draft Framework Contract (Annex B) sets standard terms including ownership of newly created results by the EU/Cedefop, licence arrangements for pre-existing rights, data localisation and EDPR/GDPR compliance, confidentiality, anti-plagiarism checks, liability, termination grounds and payment terms. Tenderers must familiarise themselves with the draft contract and Annexes before submitting. The contracting authority may request documentary proof (e.g., audited accounts, judicial extracts) for exclusion/selection checks prior to award. The contracting authority may exercise options under Financial Regulation to increase the envelope by up to 50% in certain circumstances via negotiated procedure with the awarded contractor(s) within three years of signature.

Intellectual property and exploitation:Cedefop (European Union) obtains ownership of all results created under specific contracts; pre-existing rights remain with the contractor but must be licensed to the Union on a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable basis for all exploitation modes listed in the contract. Detailed obligations on identification and evidence of pre-existing rights appear in Article II.13 of the draft contract and Annex V.

Mentioned countries and geographic specifics

The procurement explicitly references the contracting authority location (Thessaloniki, Greece) and foresees in-person meetings there. Geographic eligibility: EU Member States; EEA countries Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein; candidate Western Balkan countries (North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo); Georgia (association). Specific contracts may focus on selected Member States or regions and may include EFTA countries.

Mentioned countries:Greece (Cedefop headquarters – Thessaloniki), EU Member States, EFTA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), Western Balkans (North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo) and Georgia.

Summary: what this opportunity is about and how to respond

This tender seeks a single contractor (or consortium) to hold a four-year framework service contract with Cedefop to supply research, analysis, data services and stakeholder engagement supporting continuing skills development policies across Europe. Applicants must demonstrate strong multidisciplinary capacity in quantitative and qualitative research, stakeholder facilitation, foresight and governance expertise and provide a named core team meeting minimum experience thresholds. The technical proposal must include three completed methodological exercises (Annex M) and evidence of quick mobilisation of experts and quality assurance. Financial offers must present day rates for specified expert categories and complete the 100-day evaluation scenario (Annex H). All submissions must be made electronically via eSubmission by 27 May 2026 15:59 Europe/Athens. Tenderers should follow the tender specifications and annex templates exactly, provide the Declaration on honour (Annex C), the Data Protection Agreement (Annex K), and be prepared to provide documentary evidence for selection criteria if requested. The award is by best price-quality ratio (70% quality / 30% price) and only technically compliant offers (minimum thresholds) will be considered for price evaluation.

1. 1Key deadlines: Deadline for clarifications 19/05/2026; last clarifications published 21/05/2026; tender submission deadline 27/05/2026 15:59 Europe/Athens; public opening 29/05/2026 12:00 Europe/Athens.
2. 2Portal and submission: All procurement documents and submission via Funding & Tenders Portal and eSubmission (EU Login and PIC required).
3. 3Evaluation highlights: Complete Technical Proposal (Annex E + Annex M exercises), Annex G Questionnaires for team, Annex H Financial Offer, Annex C Declaration on honour, Annex K DPA. Meet minimum turnover and reference contract thresholds.

Footnotes

1. 1Procurement documents, tender specifications, draft contract and annexes are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (see Tender details CEDEFOP/2026/OP/0004). Technical exercises and templates are provided in Annex M, Annex E and Annex H for the Financial Offer.

Opportunity Overview

This is an open procedure tender (CEDEFOP/2026/OP/0004) for a single framework service contract to support Cedefops work in continuing skills development. The contract aims to inform and advance public policies creating learning-conducive work environments and enabling learning-intensive working lives through evidence generation, analysis, data collection, stakeholder dialogue, cooperation, and partnerships.

Contracting authority:European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), based in Thessaloniki, Greece. TED reference: 63/2026 219200-2026. CPV: 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services.

Key Dates:TED publication: 31 March 2026. Deadline for questions: 19 May 2026 (23:59 Athens time). Deadline for tenders: 27 May 2026 (15:59 Athens time). Public opening: 29 May 2026 (12:00 Athens time). Estimated signature: September-October 2026.

Contract Details

Framework agreement without reopening of competition, maximum duration 48 months (1+3 automatic renewals of 12 months each). Estimated total value: €800000 (excluding VAT). Award criterion: best price-quality ratio (70% quality, 30% price). Nature: services, performed at contractors premises.

Services Required:

• Quantitative data collection and analysis (e.g. Eurostat microdata, Cedefop datasets, primary surveys)
• Qualitative research and analysis (e.g. interviews, case studies, foresight methods)
• Stakeholder engagement, consultation, partnership building (e.g. workshops, mapping)
• Project and quality management

Geographical scope varies by task:EU-wide, selected countries/regions. Deliverables include reports, data tables, policy briefs in English, following Cedefop templates and style manual.

Eligibility and Participation

Who Can Apply

Open to legal/natural persons from 27 EU Member States, EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), SAA countries (North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo), Georgia. International organisations if compliant with FR Article 159. Not open to GPA countries except listed.

Exclusion Criteria

• Bankruptcy, insolvency, tax/social security payment breaches
• Grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, criminal offences
• Significant deficiencies in prior EU contracts, irregularities
• Circumvention of legal obligations, resistance to audits
• EU restrictive measures, conflicting interests

Declaration on honour required (Annex C). Evidence requested pre-award for consortium members/subcontractors >10%.

Selection Criteria

Economic/Financial:Average annual turnover last 3 years >=€400000 (consortium/subcontractors combined). Proof: signed statement (Annex G Q2), audited statements if requested.

Technical/Professional:Adequate structure/resources. Past 5 years: >=3 similar contracts (multi-country research/stakeholder dialogue in adult learning/VET/skills/labour market), total value >=€600000. Core team of 14 specified experts with detailed qualifications (Annex G Q5). Company profile (Q4), contract list (Q3).

Evaluation and Award

Technical (70%):Minimum 65/100 and 50% per criterion required. Criteria: Understanding challenges/policy context (20pts), Methodology for 3 service packages via exercises (50pts), Organisation/risk/quality (30pts). Use Annex E/M.

Financial (30%):Evaluation scenario (100 days) in Annex H. Fixed unit prices (daily rates for 14 profiles + travel). Total Financial Offer (TFO) compared to lowest compliant.

Financial Proposal Requirements

Daily rates for core team (6 profiles), service experts (7 profiles), travel (1-day to Thessaloniki). Payments: 40% interim, 60% balance per specific contract (90 days). No pre-financing. Prices fixed year 1, revisable thereafter (HICP index).

Submission Requirements

1. 1Electronic via eSubmission (EU Login/PIC required)
2. 2Annexes: C (Declaration), D (Business Partner ID), E (Technical Proposal), F (Checklist), G (Questionnaires 1-6), H (Financial), I (Power of Attorney if consortium), J(a/b) (Letters of Intent), K (DPA)
3. 3English documents. Max 200 files, <50MB each.

Joint tenders:joint/several liability, leader nominated (Annex I). Subcontracting allowed (intent letter if >10%, Annex J(a)). PIC mandatory.

Key Documents and Links

Primary source:EU Funding & Tenders Portal. TED Notice: TED Publication. 14 tender documents available for download (Invitation, Specs, Annexes A-M).

Additional Applicant Considerations

• IP: Cedefop owns results; contractor licenses pre-existing rights.
• Confidentiality/Data Protection: Strict rules, DPA required (Annex K).
• Meetings: 4 physical/year in Thessaloniki (4 experts/day), costs in financial offer.
• Risks: Late deliverables trigger liquidated damages (0.3%/day).
• Checks/Audits: Up to 5 years post-final payment.

Tenderers must demonstrate capacity for multi-country research, diverse methods, stakeholder facilitation. Strong alignment with EU skills agenda (Pact for Skills, 60% adult training target) advantageous. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full procurement documents essential; review Tender Specifications for detailed expert profiles, exercises (Annex M), style manual (Annex L).