Development and maintenance of learning products for the EU Agency for Railways

The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) has published an open tender (ERA/2026/OP/0002) for the development and maintenance of learning products for the rail sector. The framework contract has an estimated total value of €800,000 for an initial 12-month term renewable up to three times (maximum 48 months). Submission is electronic via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with closing date 25 August 2026 at 11:00:59 Europe/Paris and clarifications accepted until 17 August 2026. Award will be based on quality (60%) and price (40%), and bidders must follow the published annexes and draft framework contract in the procurement documents.

Opportunity type and contracting authority

Call identifier ERA/2026/OP/0002 — Tender

Procurement for the design, development, and ongoing maintenance of learning and training products for the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). This is an eSubmission open tender to establish a framework contract for services.

Estimated contract value and duration:Estimated overall value approximately €800,000; framework contract initial 12 months, renewable up to 3 times (planned total duration 48 months). ¹

1. 1Who can apply: service providers and consortia able to deliver learning development and maintenance services (formal selection and qualification rules in procurement documents).
2. 2Submission: electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal; open tender event and deadlines published in procurement documents.
3. 3Key documents: tender specifications, financial offer form, draft framework contract and annexes available with the call.

Apply and consult all procurement documents, templates and the draft contract on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: Tender details.

Footnotes

1. 1See Tender specifications and Annexes published 19 June 2026 on the portal for full financial and contractual conditions.

Opportunity type and administrative overview

Type:Public tender / procurement. Procuring authority: European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). Call identifier: ERA/2026/OP/0002. Main CPV: 80420000 (Training services). Estimated overall contract value: €800,000. Contract nature: services; requested tender total estimated overall contract amount: €800,000. Procurement procedure: open public tender; electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (eSubmission).

Key dates and timeline:Submission deadline: 25 August 2026, 11:00:59 Europe/Paris time (11:00:59+02:00). Open tender event (likely opening/clarification session): 25 August 2026 at 14:30:00 Europe/Paris time. Additional information request period closes: 17 August 2026 (end date). Publication date of procurement documents: 19 June 2026. The framework contract duration: initial period of 12 months, renewable up to 3 times (total planned period 48 months).

What is being procured

Subject:Development and maintenance of learning products for the EU Agency for Railways. The contract is a framework agreement concluded for an initial period of 12 months, renewable three times. The expected activities include the design, development, delivery, updating and maintenance of learning products (e-learning, blended learning, training materials, possible LMS integration, assessment tools and related support services) targeted to ERA stakeholders and the rail sector. The lot referenced is LOT-0001. Tender specifications and a draft framework contract are provided in the procurement documents.

Eligibility and who should apply

Eligible applicant types:commercial training providers, consultancies, SMEs and large enterprises providing learning or digital learning services, universities and research organisations with training development capabilities, non-profit training organisations, digital learning developers (instructional designers, multimedia developers), system integrators for LMS platforms, consortiums of the above, and individual experts where allowed under tender rules. Note: the procurement metadata marks the opportunity as not SME-suitable (smeSuitableIndicator false), but SMEs can still submit if they meet selection and qualification criteria in the tender documents. The procurement documents include selection criteria and specific tenderer requirements; tenderers must consult the procurement documents for eligibility and required supporting evidence.

Consortium requirement:Not explicitly mandatory as a consortium, single economic operators may submit. The tender documentation includes Annex 5 List of subcontractors, Annex 6 Commitment letter subcontractor and Annex 7 Commitment letter entity indicating that subcontracting and participation of other entities is allowed and the contracting authority requires commitment letters for subcontractors and entities involved. Therefore submissions can be single entities or consortia/associations; if other entities are involved, the relevant commitment/consortium documentation must be provided as specified.

Beneficiary geographic scope:The contracting authority is an EU agency (ERA) and the tender is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with eSubmission; eligibility and participation rules follow the procurement documents and general EU procurement participation rules. The opportunity is primarily targeted at organisations able to contract with an EU agency, typically entities established in EU Member States or countries eligible under EU procurement rules (consult procurement documents for the exact list).

Financial, contractual and evaluation details

Funding type:public procurement / service contract (fee-based payment for delivered services). Nature of support: monetary payments to the successful contractor(s) under the terms of the framework contract. Estimated total value: €800,000 (estimated overall contract amount). Contract duration: framework contract initial 12 months, renewable up to three times (total planned up to 48 months).

Award criteria and weighting:Award criteria are set as quality 60% and price 40% (quality and price sub-criteria are detailed in the procurement documents; tenderers must consult the tender specifications for the full breakdown).

1. 1Estimated overall contract amount: €800,000
2. 2Award weighting: Quality 60% / Price 40%
3. 3Framework contract length: 12 months initial, renewable three times (planned period 48 months)
4. 4Submission method: eSubmission via Funding & Tenders Portal
5. 5Tender opening event: 25 August 2026, 14:30 Europe/Paris

Application process, documents and templates

Application type and submission:public invitation to tender; electronic submission is required through the Funding & Tenders Portal (access tool name: Funding and Tenders Portal). Tenderers must follow the eSubmission rules and provide all requested documentation listed in Annex 9 List of documents to be submitted. There is a specified period during which clarifications / additional information can be requested (additional information request period end date 17 August 2026).

Templates and annexes included in the procurement publication:the contracting authority published a set of annexes and templates that tenderers must use or consult when preparing their bid. These include technical offer guidance, technical questionnaire template, illustrative mock-up, financial offer spreadsheet, standard forms and declarations, power of attorney, commitment letters for entities and subcontractors, draft framework contract and a list of required submission documents. Tenderers must submit the technical offer using Annex 1A Questionnaire and follow Annex 1 Guidance for the technical offer; the financial bid must follow Annex 2 Financial offer (Excel template). A draft framework contract (Annex 8) should be consulted for contractual clauses and conditions. Full list of published procurement documents is provided below and must be consulted prior to submission ¹.

1. 1Annex 1_Guidance_technical offer_2026 02 OP_V1.docx
2. 2Annex 1A_Questionnaire_technical offer_2026 02 OP_V1.docx
3. 3Annex 1B_Illustrative mock‑up_2026 02 OP_V1.docx
4. 4Tender specifications_2026 02 OP_V1.pdf
5. 5Annex 2_Financial offer_2026 02 OP_V1.xlsx
6. 6Annex 3_Standard forms_2026 02 OP_V1.docx
7. 7Annex 4_Power of attorney_2026 06 OP_V1.docx
8. 8Annex 5_List of subcontractors_2026 02 OP_V1.docx
9. 9Annex 6_Commitment letter subcontractor_2026 02 OP_V1.docx
10. 10Annex 7_Commitment letter entity_2026 02 OP_V1.docx
11. 11Annex 8_Draft Framework contract_2026 03 OP_V1.docx
12. 12Annex 9_List of documents to be submitted_2026 02 OP_V1.docx
13. 13Invitation to tender_2026 02 OP (1)-signed-ts_V1.pdf

Document access:all documents were published on 19 June 2026 on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal under the tender details and must be downloaded and used in their current versions. The procurement page and the subpage indicated in the metadata provide links to each document and the eSubmission interface.

Selection, contract award and contractual arrangements

Selection and qualification:tenderers will be assessed against selection criteria (financial and professional capacity, specific tenderer requirements) and evidence requested in the standard forms (Annex 3) and other annexes. The tenderers must provide any required commitment letters for subcontractors or other participating entities (Annex 6 and Annex 7) and the list of subcontractors (Annex 5). Specific tenderer requirements and the exact supporting documentation are set out in the tender specifications and Annex 1A Questionnaire. Tender validity period is stated as 6 months in the procurement metadata. The procurement uses a framework agreement contracting system; call-off procedures and ordering will follow the draft contract provisions.

Co-funding requirement:No co-funding from the tenderer is required as this is a fee-based service contract; costs should be priced in the financial offer template. Tenderers must include all price elements and follow the financial offer template (Annex 2).

Contract execution and post-award:electronic ordering and payments are enabled. The framework contract foresees contract extension options as described in the draft framework contract (Annex 8). Specific performance, delivery schedules, intellectual property, confidentiality and data protection clauses are included in the tender specifications and draft contract and must be reviewed carefully by tenderers.

Technical scope and target sectors

Target sector(s):transport (rail), education and training, digital learning and e-learning development, instructional design, multimedia production, learning management systems and training assessment. The procurement is specifically for learning products serving ERA and the rail sector; technical proposals should demonstrate sector knowledge of rail regulatory context, target audiences (national safety authorities, industry stakeholders), and competencies in e-learning pedagogy and related technologies.

Expected project stage and maturity:work spans design and development (creation of learning content and digital assets), delivery and implementation (deployment on learning platforms, training delivery), maintenance and updates (content revision and technical maintenance) over a multi-year framework (development, validation, demonstration and maintenance).

Practical and procedural notes

Submission method code:ESUBMISSION (electronic). Tenderers must register and submit via the Funding & Tenders Portal eSubmission tool and comply with the portal's technical and procedural guidance. The tendering process entry page and access tools link are provided in the procurement metadata. Tenderers should note the tender validity period, deadlines for additional information, and the date/time for the open tender event. The procurement documentation includes an illustrative mock-up and guidance documents to help structure the technical offer.

Success rates:not specified in the procurement documentation. As a public procurement with competitive tendering the success rate will depend on the number and quality of bids received; no historical success rate is provided in the published metadata.

Mentioned countries and geographic references

Explicit country mentions:none in the scraped content beyond reference to the European Union and the EU Agency for Railways (ERA). Geographic scope: EU-level procurement published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; eligibility and contracting rules follow EU procurement participation rules as detailed in the tender documents.

Actionable checklist for applicants

1. 1Download and read the Tender specifications_2026 02 OP_V1.pdf and the Draft Framework contract (Annex 8) immediately.
2. 2Use Annex 1_Guidance_technical offer and complete Annex 1A Questionnaire for the technical offer.
3. 3Prepare the financial offer using Annex 2_Financial offer.xlsx and ensure prices are consistent with the requirements.
4. 4Assemble standard forms and declarations using Annex 3 Standard forms.
5. 5If subcontractors or external entities are involved, provide Annex 5 List of subcontractors and Annex 6/7 commitment letters as required.
6. 6Check Annex 9 List of documents to be submitted and ensure all items are included in the eSubmission package.
7. 7Register on the Funding & Tenders Portal and plan to submit before 25 August 2026, 11:00:59 Europe/Paris time.
8. 8If clarifications are needed, submit questions before or by the additional information request period end date (17 August 2026).

Application stages:single-stage submission process (one formal tender submission required). The evaluation includes selection/qualification phase followed by award evaluation (quality and price).

Summary:This is a public procurement opportunity issued by the European Union Agency for Railways seeking suppliers to develop and maintain learning products for ERA and the rail sector. The procurement is published as call ERA/2026/OP/0002 with an estimated overall contract value of €800,000 and a framework contract structure (initial 12-month term, renewable up to three times for a planned period of 48 months). Submissions must be made electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal by 25 August 2026, 11:00:59 Europe/Paris time. Award will be based on quality (60%) and price (40%). The procurement documents include technical guidance, templates for the technical and financial offers, draft contract, and a list of submission documents which tenderers must follow exactly ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1All annexes and procurement documents referenced are published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal under ERA/2026/OP/0002 (Tender details and Lot LOT-0001). Tenderers must consult the official procurement page and download each document to ensure full compliance.

Tender Overview

This is an open procedure tender for the development and maintenance of learning products for the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), with an estimated total contract value of €800,000 ¹.

The contract is a framework agreement for an initial period of 12 months, renewable up to 3 times, totaling a maximum duration of 48 months ².

Key Deadlines and Submission Details

1. 1Opening date: 19 June 2026
2. 2Closing date: 25 August 2026 at 11:00:59 (Europe/Paris time)
3. 3Additional information request deadline: 17 August 2026 at 20:00:59
4. 4Submission method: Electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Who Should Apply

Eligible Applicants:Organizations with expertise in educational content development, training program design, and learning technology maintenance, including training providers, academic institutions, and industry professionals aligned with the EU rail regulatory framework ³.

SME Suitability:The tender is not specifically marked as SME-suitable, but organizations of all sizes may participate if they meet the qualification criteria ⁴.

Award Criteria

The awarding decision will prioritize quality (60%) over price (40%), as specified in the procurement documents ⁵.

Required Documentation

1. 1Tender specifications (Annex 1)
2. 2Technical offer guidance (Annex 1_Guidance_technical offer)
3. 3Illustrative mock-up (Annex 1B_Illustrative mock‑up)
4. 4Questionnaire for technical offer (Annex 1A_Questionnaire_technical offer)
5. 5Financial offer form (Annex 2_Financial offer)
6. 6Standard forms (Annex 3_Standard forms)
7. 7Power of attorney (Annex 4_Power of attorney)
8. 8List of subcontractors (Annex 5_List of subcontractors)
9. 9Commitment letter for subcontractor (Annex 6_Commitment letter subcontractor)
10. 10Commitment letter for entity (Annex 7_Commitment letter entity)
11. 11Draft Framework contract (Annex 8_Draft Framework contract)
12. 12List of documents to be submitted (Annex 9_List of documents)

Contracting Authority and Contact

The contracting authority is the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), located at 120 rue Marc Lefrancq, 59307 Valenciennes, France ⁶.

For more information, visit the official ERA procurement page ERA Procurement Page or the EU Funding & Tenders Portal EU Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Estimated total contract value: €800,000, as stated in the tender specifications ¹.
2. 2Contract duration: 48 months (initial 12 months + 3 renewals), as per the draft framework contract ².
3. 3Eligible applicants include training providers, academic institutions, and industry professionals aligned with the EU rail regulatory framework ³.
4. 4SME suitability: Not marked as SME-suitable, but all organizations may participate if qualified ⁴.
5. 5Award criteria: Quality (60%) and Price (40%), as specified in the procurement documents ⁵.
6. 6ERA headquarters: 120 rue Marc Lefrancq, 59307 Valenciennes, France ⁶.