Digitalisation in the social economy in the EU - 250306/7654

This is a pre-announcement for a future negotiated tender by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) with the focus on digitalization in the social economy. The procedure identifier for this upcoming tender is EUROFOUND/2025/MVP/0023-EXA. The objective is to select a contractor to analyze how social economy enterprises across Europe engage with digital tools and systems, and how these impact their workplace practices, including workforce development and talent attraction. The work will include several key tasks such as conducting a literature review, consulting social economy organizations through a survey, developing case studies, compiling a comprehensive research report, and participating in a validation workshop to present findings. The contract is for services and will last a maximum of 11 months. The start date for expression of interest is set for October 8, 2025, with a deadline for electronic submission on October 24, 2025. The indicative date for launching the negotiated procedure is also October 24, 2025. While specific estimated values for the contract have not been disclosed, it is characterized as a low or middle value procedure. The announcement indicates that this is not the actual call for tenders but rather a notification of Eurofound's intent to initiate a competitive procedure in the near future. Interested parties, particularly established research organizations and consultancies with relevant experience in social economy and digital transformation, are encouraged to prepare to submit their expressions of interest electronically before the deadline.

This is a pre-information notice, a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure, and not a call for tenders.

The procedure identifier is EUROFOUND/2025/MVP/0023-EXA.

The contracting authority is the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound).

The title of the planned call for tenders is "Digitalisation in the social economy in the EU - 250306/7654".

The objective of this tender is to select a contractor to conduct an analysis on how social economy enterprises engage with digital tools, digital systems and digital innovation and their workplace practices (organisation of work, workforce development, attracting talent, attractiveness of working in social economy) in Europe.

The analysis should be carried out through the following tasks:

1. Literature review

2. Consultation of social economy organisations through a survey

3. Case studies

4. Research report (bringing together the findings of the survey and case studies)

5. Participation and presentation in a Validation Workshop

The procedure type is 47396214.

The estimated total value is not specified.

The nature of the contract is for services.

The maximum contract duration is 11 months.

There is no framework agreement.

Milestones:

Start date for expression of interest:2025-10-08 Europe/Brussels

Deadline for expression of interest:24/10/2025 06:59 Europe/Dublin

Indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure:2025-10-24 Europe/Dublin

Expression of interest:

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below.

Method of expression of interest:Electronic

Address for expression of interest:Express interest

The main classification (CPV) code is 79315000 - 79315000.

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 answer was published on 03/10/2024 17:32.

In summary, this is a pre-information notice from Eurofound regarding a future negotiated procedure for a study on the digitalization of the social economy in Europe. The study will analyze how social economy enterprises use digital tools and systems, and how this impacts their workplace practices. The project involves a literature review, surveys, case studies, a research report, and a validation workshop. The expression of interest is electronic, with a deadline of October 24, 2025. The actual call for tenders is expected to be launched around the same date. This notice is to inform potential contractors about the upcoming opportunity and allow them to prepare their expressions of interest. It is important to note that this is not the actual call for tenders, but a preliminary announcement.

Eligible Applicant Types:The opportunity seeks a contractor to conduct an analysis. While the specific eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, it is implied that eligible applicants could include research institutes, consulting firms, universities, or other organizations with expertise in conducting literature reviews, surveys, case studies, and research reports related to the social economy and digitalization.

Funding Type:This is a planned call for tenders, indicating a procurement process. The nature of the contract is for services.

Consortium Requirement:The information does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. It is possible that either a single applicant or a consortium could be eligible, depending on the specific requirements outlined in the future call for tenders.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The analysis to be conducted focuses on the social economy in Europe, suggesting that the geographic eligibility for applicants is likely to be EU member states, and possibly EEA countries or other countries with a strong connection to the European social economy landscape.

Target Sector:The program targets the intersection of the social economy and digitalization. Specifically, it focuses on how social economy enterprises engage with digital tools, digital systems, and digital innovation, as well as their workplace practices, including organization of work, workforce development, attracting talent, and the attractiveness of working in the social economy.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned, but the focus is on Europe.

Project Stage:The project involves conducting an analysis, which includes literature review, consultation through a survey, case studies, and a research report. This suggests that the project is in the research and analysis phase.

Funding Amount:The opportunity is described as a "low or middle value procedure," but the estimated total value is not explicitly stated.

Application Type:This is a planned call for tenders, and the method of expression of interest is electronic. The actual application type will be a negotiated procedure.

Nature of Support:The selected contractor will receive money in exchange for the services provided, which include conducting the analysis and delivering the required reports and presentations.

Application Stages:The application process will involve at least two stages: an expression of interest and a subsequent negotiated procedure.

Success Rates:Success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement:Co-funding requirements are not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This is a pre-announcement for a future negotiated call for tenders by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). The planned tender, identified by procedure identifier EUROFOUND/2025/MVP/0023-EXA, aims to select a contractor to conduct an in-depth analysis of digitalization within the social economy across Europe. The analysis will investigate how social economy enterprises are utilizing digital tools, systems, and innovations, and how these technologies are impacting their workplace practices, including workforce development and talent acquisition.

The selected contractor will be responsible for several key tasks:conducting a thorough literature review, consulting with social economy organizations through surveys, developing detailed case studies, compiling a comprehensive research report integrating the survey and case study findings, and participating in a validation workshop to present and discuss the research.

The contracting authority is the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The contract is for services and has a maximum duration of 11 months. The start date for expression of interest is planned for 2025-10-08, with a deadline of 2025-10-24 06:59 Europe/Dublin. The indicative date for the launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-10-24 Europe/Dublin.

Interested parties must submit their expression of interest electronically. This announcement is not a call for tenders itself, but rather a notification of Eurofound's intention to launch a negotiated procedure in the future for a low or middle value contract.