COTS camera testing

The European Commission, specifically DG ENER, announced a forthcoming negotiated procurement procedure for the testing of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) camera systems to support nuclear safeguards under the EURATOM Treaty. This initiative aims to procure a sample of state-of-the-art surveillance equipment to evaluate its suitability for monitoring and containing nuclear materials. The testing will focus on whether essential safeguards can be met with COTS systems and identify needed adaptations to existing equipment requirements related to redundancy, reliability, and security.

Eligible applicants include manufacturers and suppliers of surveillance systems, with no stated restrictions on entity size, indicating potential participation from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large companies, and research institutions with relevant expertise. The funding type is classified as a grant under a procurement category, signifying a financial contribution for equipment procurement. Consortium participation is not mandatory, allowing single applicants to apply.

The geographical scope is primarily EU member states and associated countries involved in the EURATOM Treaty. The target sector is nuclear security and surveillance technology. The project stage encompasses validation and testing to ascertain the adaptability of present COTS systems for nuclear applications. However, the total funding amount remains unspecified and labeled as a middle/low value contract.

The application type is an open call, with a planned procedure involving an electronic expression of interest. The initial phase for expressing interest starts on June 2, 2025, and ends on June 18, 2025. The expected launch date for the actual negotiated procedure is June 20, 2025. The method requires that interested parties express their interest electronically.

This notification serves as a pre-announcement rather than a formal call for tenders. Interested parties are advised to prepare for future participation, bearing in mind that specific details and documents relevant to the procedure will be available closer to the planned launch date.

This is a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure, not a call for tenders. The procedure identifier is EC-ENER/LUX/2025/LVP/0058-EXA, titled "COTS camera testing". The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG ENER Energy. The main classification (CPV) code is 35125000 Surveillance system. The nature of the contract is supplies. The maximum contract duration is 12 months. There is no framework agreement.

The description of the planned call for tenders is as follows: Currently the EURATOM Treaty nuclear safeguards video surveillance relies on bespoke equipment specifically developed for the purpose. The reasoning for the purchase is to acquire a representative sample of the currently available state-of-the-art commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) surveillance equipment from several major manufacturers, to assess the COTS systems’ suitability and adaptability for nuclear safeguards containment and surveillance use. The equipment will be tested to establish which safeguards-essential features can be covered using COTS surveillance systems. The testing will also serve as the basis for assessment of whether, and to what extent, the safeguards equipment requirements related mainly to redundancy, reliability and security would need to be adapted, if COTS systems where to be used.

The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The estimated total value is not specified.

The start date for expression of interest is 2025-06-02 Europe/Brussels. The deadline for expression of interest is 18/06/2025 04:59 Europe/Luxembourg. The indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-06-20 Europe/Luxembourg.

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below. The method of expression of interest is electronic. The address for expression of interest is "Express interest".

A question and answer section is available.

A frequently asked question is: Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer is: References that feature an ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders. They are a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intent to launch in the future a low or middle negotiated procedure. This was published on 03/10/2024 16:32.

In summary, this is a pre-announcement for a future negotiated procurement procedure by the European Commission, DG ENER, concerning the testing of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) camera systems for potential use in EURATOM nuclear safeguards video surveillance. The goal is to assess the suitability of these systems for nuclear safeguards, focusing on redundancy, reliability, and security. Companies interested in participating should express their interest electronically, with the expression of interest period starting on June 2, 2025, and ending on June 18, 2025. The actual call for tenders is expected to be launched around June 20, 2025. This is not a call for tenders but a prior notice.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of the procurement which involves the supply and testing of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) surveillance equipment, it is likely that eligible applicants would include manufacturers and suppliers of such equipment. This could encompass SMEs, large enterprises, and potentially research institutions with relevant expertise.

Funding Type: The funding type is a procurement, specifically a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The nature of the contract is supplies.

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. Given the description, it seems individual manufacturers or suppliers could apply.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated. However, since it is an EU funding and tenders portal, it is highly likely that the geographic eligibility includes at least EU member states. Given the subject matter related to EURATOM Treaty nuclear safeguards, it is plausible that entities from countries party to the EURATOM treaty are eligible.

Target Sector: The target sector is security/cybersecurity, specifically related to nuclear safeguards and surveillance systems. It also touches upon advanced machines/processes and industrial processes/components, given the focus on testing and adapting COTS surveillance equipment.

Mentioned Countries: Luxembourg and Brussels (Belgium) are mentioned as locations for deadlines and start dates, but these are related to administrative milestones and do not necessarily imply geographic eligibility limited to these countries. The relevant region is the EU, given the context of the EURATOM treaty and the European Commission's involvement.

Project Stage: The project stage is validation and demonstration. The aim is to assess the suitability and adaptability of existing COTS surveillance systems for nuclear safeguards.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is described as a middle/low value contract, but no specific monetary range is provided.

Application Type: The application type is a planned negotiated procedure. The first step is to express interest electronically.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in exchange for the supply of equipment and potentially related services (testing, adaptation).

Application Stages: There are at least two stages: expression of interest and participation in the negotiated procedure.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned. As this is a negotiated procedure, the success rate will depend on the number of companies invited to negotiate and the quality of their offers.

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

Summary:

This is a pre-announcement of a planned negotiated procurement procedure by the European Commission, DG ENER, related to the testing of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) camera systems for nuclear safeguards video surveillance under the EURATOM Treaty. The goal is to acquire and test a representative sample of COTS surveillance equipment from major manufacturers to determine its suitability and adaptability for use in nuclear safeguards containment and surveillance. The testing will assess whether safeguards-essential features can be covered by COTS systems and to what extent existing safeguards equipment requirements related to redundancy, reliability, and security would need to be adapted if COTS systems were to be implemented. The procedure is planned as a middle/low value contract, with a maximum duration of 12 months. The expression of interest phase is scheduled to begin on June 2, 2025, with a deadline of June 18, 2025. The indicative launch date for the negotiated procedure is June 20, 2025. Interested parties should express their interest electronically. This is not a call for tenders, but a notification of a future opportunity. The main classification is surveillance systems.