Design and manufacturing in the experimental nuclear field

Planned negotiated procurement EC-JRC/PTT/2026/LVP/4456-EXA from the European Commission DG JRC for engineering design and manufacturing services to support experimental work in the nuclear field. The award will be a framework agreement without reopening of competition for up to 48 months and is described as a low or middle value negotiated procedure. Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using an EU Login between 09/09/2026 and 26/09/2026, with an indicative launch of the negotiated procedure on 01/10/2026. Final tender documents, eligibility criteria and contract value will be published when the negotiated procedure is launched on the portal.

Tender summary

What is funded

A negotiated procurement to provide engineering design and manufacturing services for parts and components used in experimental nuclear work; contract nature: services under CPV 71320000 (engineering design services) and related CPV codes.

Who can apply:Commercial suppliers and engineering firms able to deliver nuclear-related design and manufacturing services to the Joint Research Centre (JRC). This is a public procurement (tender), not a grant; EU Login is required for electronic submission ¹.

1. 1Contracting authority: European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre
2. 2Procedure: planned negotiated procedure for low/middle value contract (ExA reference)
3. 3Contract form: framework agreement without reopening of competition
4. 4Maximum duration: 48 months
5. 5SME suitability indicator: false (not marked SME-suitable)

Applications are expressions of interest ahead of the planned negotiated procedure. Further procurement documents and the formal call will be published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal when available ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Tender page: ec.europa.eu

Opportunity type and short description

Summary

This is a planned publication announcing the European Commission Joint Research Centre's (DG JRC) intention to launch a negotiated procedure (low or middle value) for services to support experimental work in the nuclear field through design and manufacturing of parts and components. The procurement will take the form of a framework agreement (without reopening of competition) for services with an estimated maximum duration of 48 months. The reference identifier is EC-JRC/PTT/2026/LVP/4456-EXA. This notice is an advance information publication and not the actual call for tenders.

Lead contracting authority:European Commission, DG JRC - Joint Research Centre (JRC).

Procedure type and nature:Planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract. Nature of contract: services. Framework agreement without reopening of competition. Main CPV: 71320000 - Engineering design services; additional CPVs include 71318000, 38000000 and 98113100.

Key dates and milestones

1. 1Publication of advance notice: 03/10/2024 (notice content published on the Portal).
2. 2Start date for expression of interest: 09/09/2026 (Europe/Brussels timezone).
3. 3Expression of interest registration deadline shown: 25/09/2026 23:59:59 (Europe/Amsterdam).
4. 4Deadline for expression of interest: 26/09/2026 00:59 (Europe/Amsterdam).
5. 5Indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure: 01/10/2026 (Europe/Amsterdam).
6. 6Planned contract maximum duration: 48 months from award.

Eligibility, applicants and consortium requirements

The notice is a procurement from an EU contracting authority (JRC). The publication does not list specific mandatory applicant types in the advance notice text, but procurement of this nature typically accepts bids from legal entities able to enter into public contracts with the European Commission and that meet procurement qualification requirements. The expression of interest must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using an EU Login account.

Eligible Applicant Types

Based on the procurement context and the type of services required, eligible applicant types likely to be acceptable include: engineering companies, specialised manufacturers, SMEs, large enterprises, research institutes, university-affiliated technology transfer or engineering units, specialised laboratories and certified service providers in nuclear-related design and manufacturing. Nonprofits or public bodies with the required technical and contractual capacity could also be eligible. The notice does not explicitly list or restrict applicant types in this advance publication; final tender documents will give definitive eligibility rules.

Consortium Requirement

The advance notice does not explicitly mandate a consortium. The procedure could accept single economic operators or groups/consortia where permitted by the contracting documents. Final tendering rules in the negotiated procedure will specify whether consortium bids, sub-contracting rules, or joint ventures are allowed or required.

Programmatic and geographic scope

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

This is an EU contracting authority procurement under the European Commission (JRC). The contracting documents and portal typically permit economic operators established in member states of the EU and possibly in EEA and other countries listed in public procurement rules applicable to the Commission. The advance notice itself does not list precise country eligibility; the final tender documents will set explicit geographic eligibility and any restrictions.

Mentioned Countries and Regions:Explicitly mentioned region/timezones: Europe/Brussels and Europe/Amsterdam. The contracting authority is the European Commission (Joint Research Centre), based across JRC sites including Petten (Netherlands) referenced in contextual material. No specific list of eligible countries is provided in this announcement.

Technical scope and target sectors

The procurement's goal is to provide support for experimental work in the nuclear field by supplying engineering design services and the manufacturing of parts and components. This implies capabilities in mechanical design, materials suitable for nuclear environments, precision manufacturing, testing and quality assurance, traceability and compliance with nuclear safety and radiological requirements where applicable, and likely experience with laboratory or experimental reactor components. The main CPV codes indicate engineering design services and related specialist manufacturing and maintenance categories.

Target Sector

Primary sector:nuclear / nuclear experimental infrastructure. Secondary sectors and capabilities expected to be relevant: engineering design, manufacturing and fabrication, precision machining, materials engineering, testing and calibration, laboratory services, safety-critical component manufacturing, and potentially metrology, installation and commissioning services.

Project stage, deliverables and contract features

Project Stage

Expected maturity:development, prototyping and testing for experimental activities. The contract supports practical experimental work and therefore covers design, manufacturing and delivery of parts/components for demonstration and experimental use rather than basic research only.

Nature of support and funding type:Funding type: public procurement / service contract. Nature of support: services (non-grant). Beneficiaries will receive a commercial contract for payment of services and deliverables; this is not a grant or subsidy. The award will result in monetary payment for contracted services under the framework agreement.

Value and contracting modalities

The notice is an advance publication and does not provide a numeric estimated total contract value in the available scraped content. It is described as a low or middle value negotiated procedure, meaning the contract value will fall within thresholds defined for negotiated procurement at lower to mid monetary ranges applicable to Commission procurement rules. The procurement will be awarded via a framework agreement with no reopening of competition for the duration (48 months).

Funding Amount

No explicit monetary amount is stated in the advance notice. The procedure identifier includes 'LVP' which indicates planned low or middle value procedure; exact financial ceilings will be provided in the forthcoming negotiated procedure documents.

How to apply and application process

Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. An EU Login account is required to register and submit. The method of expression of interest is electronic and submissions must be sent exclusively to the address for submission provided in the portal's eSubmission facility. The Portal's Funding & Tenders eSubmission tool is the access method.

Application Type

Open call for expressions of interest via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal ahead of a planned negotiated procedure. This advance notice itself is not an invitation to tender but an announcement of intent. The subsequent negotiated procedure will include formal tender documents and submission instructions.

Application Stages

From the information available:1) Expression of interest submission stage, 2) Launch of negotiated procedure and invitation to submit offers, 3) Evaluation and award of framework agreement, and 4) Contract implementation (call-offs under the framework). Therefore applicants should expect at least 3 to 4 stages overall.

Success Rates

No success rate data are provided. As a negotiated procurement with a likely limited shortlist, the success rate will depend on the number of qualified bidders and the contracting authority's shortlist size in the negotiated procedure. Historically, negotiated and restricted procurement can have lower numbers of finalists than open tenders, increasing per-bidder probability of award, but no definitive rate can be given from this notice.

Co-funding Requirement

No co-funding from applicants is required beyond provision of the services and any financial guarantees or performance securities specified in the tender documents. This is a paid services contract; costs are borne by the contracting authority under the contract terms. Any co-financing or in-kind cost-sharing will be specified in the contractual terms if applicable.

Technical and administrative requirements likely to appear in tender documents

Although the advance notice provides limited technical detail, applicants should expect the final procurement documents to require: technical capability statements for engineering design in nuclear environments; manufacturing and quality assurance evidence (ISO certifications, welding certifications, traceability of materials); previous experience delivering components for experimental or nuclear facilities; health, safety and environmental compliance; security clearances if applicable; insurance and liability coverage; detailed project and delivery schedules; testing and inspection plans; and financial and legal capacity statements. Subcontracting rules and confidentiality or IT security requirements may also apply.

1. 1Technical capability: experience in nuclear experimental components, materials suited to radiation/temperature/pressure environments, metrology and testing.
2. 2Quality systems: ISO 9001, relevant welding/materials certifications, non-destructive testing (NDT) capabilities.
3. 3Traceability: material certificates, batch traceability and documentation.
4. 4Delivery and logistics: packaging, transport and handling for sensitive and regulated components.
5. 5Safety and compliance: compliance with EU and national nuclear safety and radiological rules where applicable.
6. 6Administrative: registration in the Portal, EU Login account, financial statements and legal status documentation.

Application templates and structure

The advance notice does not include specific application templates. The EU Funding & Tenders Portal typically supplies standard eSubmission forms for procurement responses, including structured fields for administrative data, technical offer, financial offer, proof of eligibility, certificates and declarations, and annex upload areas. When the negotiated procedure is launched, contracting documents and form templates (call for tenders, technical specifications, model contract, selection and award criteria, and standard forms) will be published on the Portal for download.

Suggested structure applicants should prepare in advance

1. 1Company profile and legal documentation: registration, VAT, legal representative details.
2. 2Technical proposal: design approach, engineering capabilities, materials and manufacturing methods, quality assurance and testing plan, project timetable.
3. 3Relevant past performance: contract references, delivered components for experimental/nuclear projects, client contacts for references.
4. 4Compliance and certifications: ISO or industry certificates, personnel qualifications, safety records.
5. 5Financial offer template: pricing per lot or per unit, cost breakdown, rates, proposed invoicing schedule.
6. 6Consortium or subcontracting details: lead partner responsibilities, CVs of key personnel, subcontractor agreements if applicable.
7. 7Administrative declarations: conflict of interest, exclusion and eligibility declarations as required by EU procurement rules.

Practical next steps for interested suppliers

1. 1Create or verify an EU Login account to enable registration and submission on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
2. 2Monitor the Tender details page for publication of the negotiated procedure and the full set of tender documents.
3. 3Prepare company evidence of technical capability, certifications and manufacturing capacity, and compile past performance references specific to nuclear or high-integrity experimental components.
4. 4Ensure compliance with likely safety, quality and material traceability expectations and that requisite personnel and facilities meet requirements.
5. 5Plan resources and pricing models for a framework agreement and for potential call-offs under that framework for a 48-month period.
6. 6Submit an expression of interest electronically in the Portal within the stated dates to receive tender documents when the negotiated procedure is launched.

For more information and the official tender page consult the EU Funding & Tenders Portal opportunity record: Design and manufacturing in the experimental nuclear field. Additional guidance on EU Login and the portal eSubmission tool is available on the Portal. ¹

Comprehensive summary and explanation

This opportunity is an advance procurement notice from the European Commission Joint Research Centre announcing the intention to run a negotiated low/middle value procurement for engineering design and manufacturing services to support experimental nuclear work. It seeks suppliers who can design, manufacture and deliver parts and components used in experimental nuclear facilities or associated laboratories. The award will take the form of a framework agreement for up to 48 months, procured through a negotiated procedure. Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically through the Funding & Tenders Portal using an EU Login account within the stated dates. Final tender documentation, specific eligibility conditions, financial ceilings, selection and award criteria, and templates will be published when the negotiated procedure is launched. Interested suppliers with relevant nuclear engineering, precision manufacturing, materials and quality assurance capabilities should register interest and prepare the technical, administrative and financial documentation typically required for Commission service contracts.

Footnotes

1. 1EU Login is required to submit expressions of interest and to access tendering documents. The Funding & Tenders Portal provides help pages and eSubmission guidance; when the negotiated procedure is launched, the portal will host the full procurement package including technical specifications, selection and award criteria, contract model and submission templates.

This opportunity is a planned negotiated procurement notice from the European Commission, DG JRC Joint Research Centre, for services supporting experimental work in the nuclear field through the design and manufacturing of parts and components. It is not yet a call for tenders, but a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intention to launch a future negotiated low or middle value procedure.

Opportunity summary

What the funding or procurement is about

The notice concerns support to experimental work in the nuclear field by providing designs and manufacturing of parts and components. The scope is therefore technical and engineering focused, covering specialist design, fabrication and related support needed for nuclear experimental activities.

The Joint Research Centre is the European Commission’s scientific and technical service, and its nuclear activities cover areas such as nuclear safety, safeguards, materials, and radiation protection ¹.

Who can apply

The notice does not publish a final eligibility list, selection criteria, or award documents because the actual negotiated procedure has not yet been launched. In practice, interested candidates are expected to be economic operators with proven capability in engineering design, precision manufacturing, and technically demanding work relevant to nuclear or high specification experimental environments.

• Entities able to deliver specialist engineering design services and component manufacturing
• Suppliers with experience in technically complex, safety sensitive or nuclear adjacent work
• Economic operators able to participate electronically through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal using EU Login
• Potential bidders prepared for a framework agreement arrangement and a subsequent negotiated procedure

The notice also indicates that the lot is not marked as SME suitable, which suggests the contracting authority does not consider this procurement especially tailored to small and medium sized enterprises.

Key dates

Commercial and contractual conditions

The planned contract duration is up to 48 months, which is a relatively long framework period for a technical support service. The framework agreement is stated to be without reopening of competition, meaning that once awarded, orders or assignments may be placed under the framework without re-competing among framework holders.

The estimated total value is not disclosed in the available notice. Because this is only a planned publication, the final contract value, detailed work packages, award criteria, and specific participation requirements are expected to appear later in the formal negotiated procedure documentation.

Expression of interest and submission requirements

Submissions of interest must be made electronically through the Funding and Tenders Portal. An EU Login account is mandatory for electronic submission and for related portal functions.

The notice explicitly states that expressions of interest must be sent exclusively at the designated submission address in the portal, and the opportunity should be monitored for the future launch of the negotiated procedure.

What applicants should note

1. 1This is a planned notice, not the final call for tenders, so applicants should not expect full procurement documents yet.
2. 2The buyer is the European Commission, DG JRC, so the work is likely to require high technical credibility and familiarity with scientific or nuclear engineering environments.
3. 3The contract is for services rather than supplies or works, despite including design and manufacturing elements.
4. 4The long maximum duration of 48 months suggests recurring or phased technical support rather than a one off assignment.
5. 5Electronic submission and EU Login access are mandatory for participation in the expression of interest phase.

Assessment for applicants

This opportunity is most relevant to engineering firms, specialist manufacturers, research oriented technical suppliers, and other operators able to deliver precision design and fabrication services for experimental nuclear applications. Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate strong technical capacity, quality assurance, and the ability to work in a regulated or safety critical environment. The notice does not yet provide pricing, award methodology, or detailed technical specifications, so these will need to be checked once the negotiated procedure is formally launched.

Footnotes

1. 1The Joint Research Centre’s nuclear activities include scientific work on nuclear safety, safeguards, materials and radiation protection. Source context: Nuclear - Joint Research Centre - European Commission and Reactor safety and components.