Design and implementation of Staff Engagement Surveys and Pulse Surveys

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published an ex-ante notice (ECHA/2026/MVP/0005-EXA) for a planned negotiated procedure to award a framework agreement for staff engagement and pulse survey services. The contract covers design, platform provision, deployment, data collection, analysis, benchmarking and reporting for biennial comprehensive engagement surveys and regular shorter pulse surveys, with a maximum duration of 72 months. Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 04 May 2026 and an EU Login account is required; the estimated total value is not disclosed. The procurement will be conducted as a middle/low value negotiated procedure and full tender documents will be published when the procedure is formally launched.

Quick summary

Procurement by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to design and run biennial staff engagement surveys plus complementary pulse surveys, including benchmarking against similar organisations and trend analysis to support ECHA’s People and Organisational Strategy 2024-2028. The contract is for survey services (CPV 79311000) and will be awarded via a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract.

Who can apply:Commercial suppliers experienced in organisational and employee survey design, data collection, analysis, benchmarking and reporting; procurement will follow EU negotiated procedure and submissions require an EU Login account (2-factor authentication required from 30 June 2026).

Contract form and duration:Framework agreement (without reopening of competition) for up to 72 months.

1. 1Procedure type: Planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract
2. 2Main CPV: 79311000 Survey services
3. 3Nature: Services, framework agreement
4. 4Maximum duration: 72 months
5. 5Lead contracting authority: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

Key dates and process

Expressions of interest are electronic via the F&T Portal; start date for EOIs 17/04/2026, deadline 04/05/2026 23:59 (Europe/Helsinki). Indicative launch of the negotiated procedure 11/05/2026. Submissions require EU Login authentication. ¹

Estimated total value is not published in the notice; the procurement is indicated as middle/low value. Suppliers should monitor the official tender page for the full tender dossier and financial information.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender notice and future launch details available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Tender details.

Summary description

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) plans to procure services to design and implement organisation-wide staff engagement surveys (biennial comprehensive surveys) and more frequent pulse surveys to complement those comprehensive exercises. The objective is to capture employees' experience, attitudes and feedback about the organisation, to benchmark results against previous ECHA surveys and similar organisations, to identify trends and the impact of prior development actions, and to generate insights that support ECHA’s People and Organisational Strategy 2024-2028, including the target of becoming an employer of choice.

Procedure and contract model

ECHA has published an ex-ante notice indicating its intention to launch a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. The procurement will result in a framework agreement (without reopening of competition) for services classified under CPV 79311000 Survey services. The maximum contract duration is 72 months. The notice is not itself the call for tenders but an announcement of intent; the indicative launch date for the negotiated procedure is 11/05/2026.

Lead contracting authority:European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Procedure identifier:ECHA/2026/MVP/0005-EXA.

Common procurement vocabulary (CPV):79311000 Survey services.

Key dates and milestones

Eligibility and applicant requirements

This is a procurement/tender opportunity published by an EU agency (ECHA). Requirements and eligibility will be defined in the future negotiated procedure documentation and the invitation to tender. Interested parties must express interest electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and will need an EU Login account to submit electronically. From 30 June 2026 an EU Login account must have two-factor authentication enabled for access to the portal ¹.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Entities providing professional survey and organisational research services. Typical eligible applicants include private sector service providers (consultancies), market research and survey firms, HR analytics providers, public opinion research institutes, universities or research centres offering contracted survey services, nonprofit organisations specialised in workplace assessment, and other legal entities capable of delivering the defined services. Specific exclusion or qualification criteria (e.g., financial thresholds, past experience, staffing) will be specified in the tender documents.
2. 2Consortium Requirement: The notice does not mandate consortia. The procurement is for service contracts and results in a framework agreement. Individual economic operators can participate; forming a consortium or joint venture is generally permitted under EU procurement rules if declared and documented in the tender, but the contracting authority’s specific rules on consortia will appear in the call documents. Therefore, treat consortium participation as possible but check the tender rules on subcontracting, joint bids and lead partner responsibilities.
3. 3Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The contracting authority is an EU agency (ECHA). The opportunity is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; typical eligibility is open to economic operators established in EU Member States and potentially in other countries eligible under EU procurement rules (EEA, EU candidate countries or third countries where permitted). The notice does not list specific third-country exclusions; bidders should consult the tender dossier when published.
4. 4Funding Type: This is a procurement/service contract. The primary financial mechanism is a public contract (service procurement) awarded following a negotiated procedure and implemented through a framework agreement.
5. 5Target Sector: Human resources, organisational development, employee engagement, survey research, HR analytics and employer branding within the public sector/agency context.
6. 6Project Stage: Implementation of operational services: design, deployment, analysis and reporting (service delivery and ongoing measurement). This is not a research grant; it expects experienced practitioners able to deliver operational survey campaigns, benchmarking, analytics and reporting.
7. 7Funding Amount: The notice provides no exact estimated total value. It is published as a planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract; the exact budget or estimated total value will be included in the procurement documents upon launch.
8. 8Application Type and Submission: Expression of interest required prior to the tender launch. Submissions for the expression of interest must be made electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; an EU Login account is mandatory. The tender itself will follow a negotiated procedure (planned) with electronic submission expected.
9. 9Nature of Support: Successful bidders will receive monetary compensation under a public services contract. Payment terms, pricing model (e.g., lump sum, price per survey wave, unit prices under the framework) and invoicing schedules will be set out in the contract documents.
10. 10Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding by applicants is expected for this procurement; contracting authorities pay for services under contract. Any requirement for cost-sharing would be explicitly stated in the tender documents, which is not indicated in this notice.

Scope of services requested (expected deliverables and activities)

The notice describes the requirement at a high level. Based on that description, the services under the framework agreement are expected to include the following categories of work (detailed technical requirements will appear in the tender specifications):

1. 1Survey design: methodology design for comprehensive biennial staff engagement surveys and short pulse surveys, question bank development, question testing and survey instrument adaptation for ECHA context.
2. 2Sampling and coverage: design of population coverage to include ECHA staff across directorates, employment types, locations and contract statuses, with segmentation for roll-ups (organisation-wide, unit-level, demographics).
3. 3Survey implementation: online survey platform deployment, mobile accessibility, language handling as required, survey administration, reminders and response rate management.
4. 4Pulse surveys setup and delivery: configuration and implementation of short, frequent pulse surveys; rapid-turnaround analytics and dashboards for near real-time insights.
5. 5Benchmarking: provision of benchmarks against previous ECHA survey results and comparable organisations (public agencies, EU institutions or wider benchmark pools) where available and permitted.
6. 6Data protection and confidentiality: compliance with EU data protection rules (GDPR) and ECHA-specific security requirements; anonymisation/pseudonymisation procedures and secure data handling.
7. 7Reporting and analysis: statistical analysis, trend analysis, sub-group analysis, employee experience indices, presentation-ready reports, executive summaries and recommendations.
8. 8Dashboards and visualisation: interactive dashboards for HR and management, secure access rights for stakeholders, and exportable visual reports.
9. 9Action planning support: facilitation, workshops or guidance for translating survey findings into targeted organisational development actions and measuring impact over time.
10. 10Project management and governance: engagement plan with ECHA stakeholders, quality assurance, timelines, and resource allocation for survey cycles across the maximum 72-month agreement.

Selection and award expectations

The planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract implies a procurement route where the contracting authority may negotiate terms with selected economic operators before awarding. The final award criteria (e.g., price, technical quality, previous experience, key personnel, methodological approach) will be set out in the tender specifications. Bidders should be prepared to demonstrate: proven experience in large-scale staff engagement and pulse surveys for public-sector clients or comparable organisations; references and case studies; compliance with data protection and security; methodological rigour; and capacity to provide benchmarking and rapid analytics.

Application stages:Expression of interest (electronic) followed by the negotiated procedure tender submission. Expect at least two stages: expression of interest (preliminary) and the negotiated tender/award stage. The negotiated nature may include clarifications or iterations between ECHA and shortlisted bidders.

How to express interest and apply

Expressions of interest must be submitted exclusively via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at the address for expression of interest shown in the notice. Submission is electronic and requires an EU Login account. Bidders must comply with the portal’s authentication requirements, including the roll-out of mandatory two-factor authentication in 2026; guidance is available on the portal on how to register and enable 2FA ¹.

Templates and application form structure (what to prepare)

The notice does not publish templates. Typical procurement dossiers for service contracts of this type include: a procurement specification (terms of reference), administrative documents (economic operator declarations, legal status, power of representation), selection criteria templates (financial capacity, technical and professional capacity), and an award criteria table. Bidders should be ready to provide the following documents and structured content when the tender is launched:

1. 1Administrative package: legal entity registration, VAT/tax details, declarations on exclusion grounds, signatures and contact persons.
2. 2Financial information: recent balance sheets, turnover figures demonstrating financial capacity to deliver the contract, and any required banking details.
3. 3Technical offer: detailed methodology for survey design and delivery, timeline for first survey wave and subsequent pulse waves, data protection approach, sample survey instruments and question banks, approach to benchmarking and analytics, proposed reporting formats and dashboards.
4. 4Personnel and capacity: CVs of key staff (project lead, statisticians, data analysts, survey programmers), organisational chart, subcontracting plan if applicable.
5. 5Past performance and references: case studies and contactable client references for comparable survey projects, preferably for public-sector clients or large organisations; evidence of benchmarking exercises delivered.
6. 6Pricing schedule: unit prices per survey wave, price for baseline comprehensive survey, price for pulse surveys, options for workshops and facilitation, VAT treatment and cost breakdown aligned with the contracting authority’s price table template.
7. 7Data protection documentation: GDPR compliance statement, data processing agreement drafts, security certifications if available.
8. 8Quality assurance: sample quality plan, response-rate improvement strategies, testing and piloting approach, accessibility and inclusivity measures for respondents.

Success rates and competition

The notice does not provide historical success rates. As this is a negotiated middle/low value procurement with a framework agreement outcome, competition may be limited by the negotiated selection process. Success rates depend on the number of bidders and the contracting authority’s shortlist. Historically, public tenders of this type with a negotiated procedure have moderate competition; bidders should focus on meeting technical requirements and offering clear added value in benchmarking and analysis capabilities.

Risks and important considerations

1. 1Data protection and confidentiality are paramount. Bidders must demonstrate GDPR-compliant processes and secure data handling.
2. 2Benchmarking data availability may be constrained by confidentiality or comparability; bidders should clarify available benchmark sources and explain methodology.
3. 3The framework agreement without reopening of competition implies awarded suppliers must be able to service multiple survey cycles and sustain capacity over up to 72 months.
4. 4Tenderers must ensure timely onboarding and platform access procedures to meet tight pulsing timelines and rapid analytics requirements.
5. 5Administrative access to the EU Funding & Tenders Portal requires EU Login and, from mid-2026, two-factor authentication; allow time to register and set up 2FA.

Mentioned countries and geographic context

The contracting authority is an EU agency (European Chemicals Agency). The notice references Europe time zones (Europe/Brussels, Europe/Helsinki) for milestone timestamps. No specific list of eligible countries is provided in the notice; standard EU procurement coverage applies. The likely geographic scope for bidders is EU Member States and other jurisdictions permitted under EU procurement rules; confirm in final tender documentation.

Final summary

This opportunity is an ex-ante publication by ECHA announcing its intention to launch a negotiated middle/low value procurement to establish a framework agreement (maximum 72 months) for professional survey services: comprehensive staff engagement surveys delivered on a biennial basis, and more frequent pulse surveys. The work includes design, implementation, benchmarking, data management and reporting, with emphasis on generating actionable insight to track trends and support ECHA’s organisational strategy, including employer branding. Interested providers must register an EU Login account and submit an electronic expression of interest by 04/05/2026 to receive the tender documents and participate in the negotiated procedure. Exact award criteria, estimated total value, templates and contract conditions will be published with the negotiated procedure documents; bidders should prepare standard procurement documentation, evidence of technical capacity in employee surveys, GDPR-compliant data handling procedures, benchmarking proof points and a clear pricing schedule.

Expression of interest and tender participation require use of the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. From 30 June 2026, two-factor authentication will be mandatory for portal access; guidance and steps to enable 2FA (EU Login app, security key, trusted platform, passkey, eID) are provided by the portal and should be followed to ensure timely access ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Guidance on EU Login and two-factor authentication is available in the Funding & Tenders Portal documentation (registering EU Login methods, EU Login mobile app, security key, trusted platform and passkeys). See the portal for step-by-step instructions and video tutorials.

Opportunity Overview

This is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle or low value contract issued by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The opportunity is not yet an active call for tenders but an announcement of ECHA's intention to launch a future negotiated low or middle value procedure. The procedure identifier is ECHA/2026/MVP/0005-EXA, and it was published on 16 April 2026.

Contracting Authority and Scope

The European Chemicals Agency seeks to design and implement a comprehensive staff engagement survey programme. ECHA has conducted staff engagement surveys for several years and wishes to continue this practice as a strategic tool for understanding employee experience, commitment, motivation, and trust in management. The surveys will identify staff opinions, feedback, and attitudes towards the organisation, highlight challenges and successes, and provide benchmarking against previous results and similar organisations. The programme will track longer-term trends and demonstrate whether development actions have delivered benefits.

Survey Components and Approach

The contract will combine two complementary survey methodologies. Comprehensive biennial employee engagement surveys will provide robust assessment and understanding of employee experience. These will be supplemented by regular pulse surveys throughout the year to capture real-time feedback and emerging issues. The total number of surveys per year is estimated at approximately four to six, with pulse surveys designed to be shorter and more targeted than the primary engagement survey.

Strategic Objectives

The surveys serve multiple strategic purposes for ECHA. They provide insights into staff experience that influence commitment, motivation, and trust. The surveys enable benchmarking against previous results and comparable organisations, supporting trend analysis and evaluation of organisational development initiatives. A key objective is to enhance ECHA's employer brand and position the agency as an employer of choice, which is a target in ECHA's People and Organisational Strategy 2024-2028.

Contract Details and Timeline

Contract Type:Framework agreement without reopening of competition

Maximum Contract Duration:72 months

Nature of Contract:Services

Main CPV Classification:79311000 - Survey services

Estimated Total Value:Not disclosed in the published announcement

Key Milestones and Deadlines

Expression of Interest Process

Interested suppliers must submit an expression of interest electronically through the official submission address provided on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. An EU Login account is required for electronic submission. Submissions must be sent exclusively through the designated electronic submission system; submissions via email or letter will be disregarded. The expression of interest deadline is 04 May 2026 at 23:59 Helsinki time.

Procedure Type and Procurement Approach

This is a planned negotiated procedure for a middle or low value contract. The reference designation 'ExA' indicates this is not an active call for tenders but rather a publication announcing the contracting authority's intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure. This means ECHA has not yet launched the formal tender but has announced its intention to do so, allowing potential suppliers to express interest and prepare for the upcoming negotiated procedure.

Eligibility and Participation Requirements

Specific eligibility criteria are not detailed in the published announcement. However, potential suppliers should be prepared to demonstrate expertise in employee engagement survey design and implementation, experience with survey platform management, capability to conduct benchmarking analysis, and understanding of organisational development and HR consulting. Suppliers must have the capacity to manage a multi-year framework agreement and deliver both comprehensive annual surveys and regular pulse surveys.

Expected Deliverables and Services

Based on the opportunity description, the successful contractor will be expected to provide full life-cycle survey management including survey design, platform provision for hosting and circulating surveys, data collection, analysis, benchmarking against comparable organisations, and recommendations for action. The contractor must deliver comprehensive biennial engagement surveys and supplementary pulse surveys throughout each year, with the capability to track trends over time and provide comparative analysis against previous survey cycles and external benchmarks.

Access to Documentation and Further Information

The full tender specifications and procurement documents will be available once the negotiated procedure is formally launched on or after 11 May 2026. Interested parties can access the EU Funding and Tenders Portal at EU Funding and Tenders Portal to monitor the opportunity, submit questions, and access detailed procurement documents when published. Questions and answers will be available in the public Q&A section of the opportunity page.

Important Considerations for Potential Applicants

• This is a planned procedure announcement, not an active tender. Formal submission of tenders will occur after the negotiated procedure is launched, expected around 11 May 2026.
• An EU Login account with two-factor authentication capability is required for all electronic submissions and portal access. As of 30 June 2026, two-factor authentication will be mandatory for EU Login accounts.
• The framework agreement structure without reopening of competition suggests ECHA intends to work with a single supplier for the full 72-month duration.
• The combination of biennial comprehensive surveys with quarterly pulse surveys indicates ECHA values continuous listening and real-time feedback mechanisms.
• Benchmarking capability against similar organisations is a key requirement, suggesting the contractor must have access to or ability to develop comparative data.
• The strategic link to ECHA's People and Organisational Strategy 2024-2028 indicates alignment with broader organisational objectives is important.
• Suppliers should prepare detailed proposals demonstrating experience with large-scale employee engagement programmes, survey methodology expertise, and data analytics capabilities.

Next Steps for Interested Parties

1. 1Create or verify your EU Login account on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal
2. 2Set up two-factor authentication on your EU Login account
3. 3Monitor the opportunity page for updates and formal launch of the negotiated procedure
4. 4Prepare your expression of interest addressing ECHA's requirements and your relevant experience
5. 5Submit your expression of interest by 04 May 2026 at 23:59 Helsinki time through the electronic submission system
6. 6Monitor the Q&A section for clarifications and updates from ECHA
7. 7Prepare for the negotiated procedure phase expected to launch around 11 May 2026

Footnotes

1. 1The estimated total contract value is not disclosed in the published announcement. Potential applicants should monitor the opportunity page or contact ECHA through the portal's Q&A system for budget information once the negotiated procedure is formally launched.